Javier de la Vega Basulto was only 17 years old in November 1868. He was born in Puerto Principe, today Camagüey on May 6th, 1851. On March 23rd, 1878 he was promoted to Captain. On February 28th, 1878, with the rank of Commander, he joined the Zanjón Pact. In the war of ’95 he was promoted to Major General of the Liberation Army.

In the beginning, he was an assistant lieutenant to Commander Juan Agramonte Recio. When the fall in combat of Major General Ignacio Agramonte, on May 11th, 1873, he rendered his services to the Caonao Regiment.

His courage is magnified when he lost part of his body in the battle of La Sacra, on November 11th, 1873. His shoulder blade and a muscle in his arm were mutilated.

On March 23rd, 1878, he was promoted to Captain. On February 28th, 1878, with the rank of Commander, he joined the Zanjón Pact.

During the Necessary War, 1895

He collaborated with Salvador Cisneros Betancourt in the preparation of the ’95 contest. He joined Máximo Gómez at the Antón farm two weeks later, who gave him the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Chief of Staff.

The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Military History underlines that De la Vega collaborated with Major General Mayía Rodríguez in the reorganization of the 3rd Corps of Camagüey. On January 31st, 1896, he joined Gómez who was waging the Launch Campaign in Havana, and appointed him Chief of Staff of his General Headquarters with the rank of Brigadier General.

Between combats and wounds, on June 30th, 1896, he temporarily took charge of the 3rd Corps, appointed on July 28th of the same year. He had contradictions with the Government Council that settled in Camagüey and on December 29th, 1897 this body agreed let him go.

Restitution

In January 1898 he joined the Army with Máximo Gómez, west of the Trocha. The Governing Council exonerated him from guilt and reinstated him in charge of the 3rd Corps, but he did not accept. On January 5th, 1898 he was promoted to Major General, although in the alphabetical index of the Liberation Army he appears with the rank of Division General.

He was discharged on March 24th, 1899. The intervening government appointed him inspector of the police service. He also served as inspector of the Territorial Council of Camagüey. He passed away on November 23rd, 1934.

Bibliography

Diccionario Enciclopédico Historia Militar Primera arte (1510-1898) Tomo 1 Biografías, (2014) casa Editorial Verde Olivo, La Habana, Cuba.

Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García