Mariano Gumersindo Sánchez Vaillant

Fighter in the struggles for Cuba's independence, member of the Liberation Army who achieved the rank of Brigadier General.

Born in Santiago de Cuba, former province of Oriente. Nephew of Major General Francisco Sánchez Hechavarría.

In 1890 he participates in the Manganese Peace Conspiracy. He joins the Liberation Army on April 1, 1895, joining the Baconao Infantry Regiment (1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Corps), under the command of Colonel Victoriano Garzón, with whom he fought in Ramón de las Yaguas and Arroyo Hondo, on April 21 and 24, 1895, respectively.

In early May 1895, Major General Antonio Maceo designates him as his aide and on August 2 appoints him chief of aides. He participates in the battles of Jobito (May 13) and Peralejo (July 13), in the latter receiving a slight wound in his left knee. On August 2 of that same year he is elected representative by the 1st Corps to the Constituent Assembly of Jimaguayú (September 13). There he manifests himself in favor of military government.

He integrates the invasion column that left Baraguá on October 22, 1895. In it he serves as Second Chief of Maceo's General Staff. During that year he participates in the battles of Guaramanao (November 7), El Lavado (November 8), La Reforma (December 2), Iguará (December 3), Casa de Tejas (December 9), Monacal (December 11), El Quirro (December 12), Camino de Siguanea (December 13), Mal Tiempo (December 15), El Desquite (December 21) and Coliseo (December 23).

On December 29, 1895, after taking part in the strategic counter-march, he is gravely wounded when a bullet pierces his chest during the battle of Calimete, Matanzas, and is evacuated to the Zapata Swamp, where he contracts severe pneumonia. Once recovered, in June 1896, he returns to Oriente and fights alongside Major General Calixto García, at Yerba de Guinea (Songo - La Maya) (July 24-26, 1896) and Loma del Hierro (August 21 of that same year). Already on August 19 he had participated in the destruction of railroad tracks near Gibara.

He also intervened in the battle of Tuabeque (December 17, 1896). Brigadier General Jesús Rabí then, chief of the 2nd Corps, designates him Chief of his General Staff.

He intervened in the attack on Jiguaní (March 12, 1897). During that year, together with the eastern Holguín brigade, he participates in the attack and capture of Las Tunas (August 28-30) and Guisa (November 28-29). Shortly thereafter, Calixto García, Chief of the Eastern Department, appoints him Chief of the Cambute Brigade (3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Corps).

From March 7 to 1 of March 1898 he harasses a Spanish column that had penetrated the Cambute region.

On March 17, 1898 he dies in the camp of El Diamante, victim of acute jaundice, as certified by the physician who attended him.

Clarifying Note

Throughout all the historiography consulted there is an error regarding the year of his death, which originates in what is described in the death index of the Liberation Army, where his death is recorded as occurring in 1897. Even in a message sent by Calixto García to the Secretary of War, dated January 13, 1898, he indicates that the seniority of Sánchez Vaillant in that rank should be dated July 14, 1897, that is, also after the death reflected in the index.

Promotions Received

There are discrepancies between the dates of promotions in rank recorded and those provided by historians from Santiago de Cuba obtained in their research.

The recorded dates are as follows:

To Commander, July 2, 1895
To Lieutenant Colonel, September 14, 1895
To Colonel, August 29, 1896
To Brigadier General, December 21, 1897

While those provided by historians indicate:

To Captain, April 6, 1895
To Commander, June 1895
To Lieutenant Colonel, August 1, 1895
To Colonel, August 21, 1896
To Brigadier General, January 1898 with seniority from July 1897.

Source: Ecured.cu