Higinio Esquerra Rodríguez

Cuban patriot of the Wars of Independence. He joined the war of 1883 and achieved the rank of General in the independence struggle of 1895 where he ended up shining as chief of the Cienfuegos Brigade of the Liberation Army. Already in the Republic he held public office and was linked to political life. His papers include campaign diary, correspondence, certifications and other documents relating to his person.

He was born at the La Lima estate in Quemado Grande in the jurisdiction of Las Villas in the heart of a family formed by the union of Eustaquio Ezquerra, a native of the Canary Islands, and Doña Margarita Rodríguez, a native of Remedios.

At only 12 years old, Higinio was already listening to the causes for which Cubans were fighting after the revolution broke out in Las Villas on February 6, 1869.

In 1883 he rose at the head of eight patriots from the Camajuaní area, Las Villas, and sustained several encounters with the Civil Guard, among them: Rolletico, Tamarindo and Las Yeguas, in Sancti Spíritus. Faced with the futility of the effort, he negotiated surrender in March 1884 and left for the United States.

After residing for a time in the Dominican Republic he returned to Cuba in 1886, and was prosecuted for the uprising carried out three years earlier, so he had to serve four years in prison. On November 4, 1893 he rose again in Santa Isabel de las Lajas, Las Villas, at the head of about 110 men. That day he engaged the enemy in combat at Potrerillo. This uprising also failed to find popular support. Another encounter with Spanish volunteers and the Civil Guard of San Juan de los Yeras caused the group to disperse.

After laying down arms, he left again for the United States in February 1894. In Cayo Hueso he made contact with Generals Carlos Roloff and Serafín Sánchez. He collaborated in the organization of the failed Plan de La Fernandina and enlisted in the expedition of the steamship James Woodall, which landed on July 24, 1895 at Tayabacoa, near the boundaries between Trinidad and Sancti Spíritus, under the command of Roloff. He was given the rank of Captain and placed in command of the 2nd Corps of the Expeditionary Regiment of Sancti Spíritus. In that position he participated in the capture of the Taguasco fort (August 7-9, 1895) and in the battles of Siguaney and Aguas Buenas.

On August 15, 1895 he was appointed chief of the first Squadron of the Cavalry Regiment: Narciso López (2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Corps). He fought at Manaca Parida, Las Varas (Pozo Azul), Santa Carlota, fort Pelayo and Las Delicias. Together with the invading contingent, under the command of the Commander-in-Chief General, he participated in the battles of Casas de Tejas (Los Indios), Boca del Toro, Mal Tiempo, Ceiba Hueca, La Colmena, Antilla, Coliseo, Calimete and El Estante. Already in the province of Havana, he was in the capture of Güira de Melena and Ceiba del Agua.

On February 12, 1896 he took command of the regiment, with which he fought in Las Villas the actions of Las Dos Hermanas, Buenavista, Coloradas, el Junco, Manajanabo, Pedro Barba, Las Tapias, Capestani and Colonia Sierra, among others. In 1897 he fought in Alameda, Calabazas, Pirindingo, Meneses, Piñero, Tibisial, Manaquitas, Jíquima, Sabanilla and Cuarto de Tierra, among others. On November 17, 1897 he was appointed chief of the Cienfuegos Brigade (2nd Brigade 2nd Division 4th Corps), a position he held until the end of the war. At its head he fought the actions of Mamoncillo, entrance of San Juan de los Yeras, Mercón.

In 1898 he fought in Plátano, San Oliva, Santa Beatriz and Vizcaíno. He received minor wounds on two occasions. He received promotions: to Captain, July 25, 1895; Commander, December 18, 1895; Lieutenant Colonel, February 12, 1896; Colonel, January 24, 1897; Brigadier General, June 20, 1898. He was discharged on August 24, 1898. On September 29, 1899 he was appointed chief of the rural police of the province of Las Villas.

On June 1, 1901 he was elected first deputy mayor of the city of Cienfuegos and assumed the functions of mayor in place of Colonel of the Liberation Army Gonzalo Vieta, who had resigned from the position in August of that year. On August 27, 1902 he joined the Commission for Review of Settlement of Pay for members of the 4th Corps of the Liberation Army. On April 11, 1903 he entered the Rural Guard to occupy the position of chief of the Cienfuegos district, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and resigned on June 1, 1905 due to disagreements with the government of Tomás Estrada Palma.

On January 30, 1909 he entered the National Army as Colonel, chief of the 2nd Regiment of Las Villas. In 1912 he participated in the suppression of the rebels of the Independent Movement of Color. In 1913 he permanently withdrew from the armed forces. He died in Cienfuegos on November 19, 1914.