Ángel del Castillo Agramonte, is a patriot from Camagüey born on August 14th, 1934, in the bosom of one of the wealthiest families in the territory. He was the son of Martín del Castillo Quesada and Ángela Rufina Agramonte, who belonged to the Bayardo family. From a young age he proved to be a great rider and student. For this reason, his parents decide to send him to the United States.
In New York, he studies dentistry, becoming one of the first Cubans to dedicate himself to the study of dental surgery. During this time the outbreak of the Civil War of that country takes place. He enlisted in the militias that were organized in the north; there he remained until the war ended.
Back in Havana, he suffers several obstacles when it comes to confirming his title due to the lack of documents to guarantee it. Once the problems were resolved, which even required the intervention of the consul general of Spain, in the North American city, he moved to his hometown where he married the young Carmen Bages Monteagudo. However, she passes away shortly after. Around 1862 he met Ignacia de Quesada, with whom he married. Five children are born from the marriage.
At the service of the homeland
An air of change was breathed on the island: the homeland called her children to liberate it. When the time came, the Camagüey independentists would act, because since 1867 they conspired in different lodges such as the Tínima to which Ángel belonged. In La Demajagua it would start the Cuban revolutionary process, which echoed in other regions such as Puerto Príncipe, which incorporated on November 4th, 1868, being one of the rebels in Las Clavellinas.
On the sixth day of the same month, he left for the sugar factory belonging to his family, and then proceeded to liberate all their slaves, joining the ranks of the liberating army. He leaves on the ninth, heading to attack the railroad that runs from Nuevitas to Camagüey, carrying only 20 men. In this action they arrested his passengers and seized several tons of merchandise. When they did not find weapons, they decided to free the prisoners, including a general of the Spanish army, and return the goods.
On November 28th, the Count of Valmaseda, at the head of a column of around 800 men, was on his way to Nuevitas, but Ángel was waiting for him, for which he had to deviate towards San Miguel. There, too, the troops were harassed by the insurgents.
Consolidation of a hero
He attends the Guáimaro Assembly on April 10th. On May 5th, 1869, he took the town of San Miguel de Nuevitas, a town that he attacked more than once, reducing it to ashes. There he supplies himself with food and weapons. Under the orders of Agramonte he attacks the main city, specifically La Caridad Square.
He replaces Honorato del Castillo in command of the Espirituan forces. On August 7th, he obtained information that Colonel del Portal, leading 500 Spaniards, was leading a convoy of food, supplies and weapons, and immediately marched to meet him. The tactic used allowed him to seize a cannon, which they baptized with his name. Once the Spanish chief was surrendered, Honorato’s death was avenged, while Portal is shot to avoid a rescue.
Later a cholera epidemic affects his men, one of the last deceased being his brother Nazario. On September 9th, 1869, in the assault on Fort Lázaro López, he was mortally wounded in a Spanish counteroffensive. Given the promptness of it, he did not hesitate to shout the following phrase: come and see how a Cuban general fights!
Bibliography
Téllez Frandín, Kenia et al. Apuntes biográficos sobre el General de Brigada Ángel del Castillo Agramonte. MEDICIEGO 2003; 9 (Supl1).
Hernández Infante, Eida María et al. Combatientes y doctores del Ejército Libertador cubano. Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Matanzas. Matanzas, Cuba.
Rodríguez Rodríguez, Dayán. Ruinas del Ingenio Santa Isabel. Arcada. Revista de conservación del patrimonio cultural Vol. 5, No. 1, 2017 Centro de Estudio de Conservación y Desarrollo de las Construcciones CECODEC Facultad de Construcciones — Universidad de Camagüey “Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz”, Cuba.
Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García
