is was succeeded by
another organization elected by a convention of delegates consisting of
one representative of each 100 revolutionists actually in the field.
Bartolome Maso, who had been in control of the district of Bayamo since
early in March, was unanimously chosen President; Maximo Gomez was
designated as Commander in Chief of the army; and Antonio Maceo was made
Commander of the Division of Oriente. The next day occurred the tragedy
of Marti's death, whereupon Tomas Estrada Palma, who had formerly been
Provisional President, was named to succeed him as the delegate at large
of the Cuban Republic to the United States and other countries; Manuel
Sanguilly being later associated with him at Washington.

All through that summer the strife continued, steadily extending its
area westward into Camaguey and Santa Clara. Campos endeavored to
confine the war to Oriente, by stretching a line of 4,000 Spanish troops
across the island at the western boundary of that province, but on June
2 Maximo Gomez broke through that line, crossed the Jobabo River, and
entered Camaguey. There he was joined by a nephew of Salvador Cisneros,
Marquis of Santa Lucia, with a large force, and by Marcos Garcia, mayor
of Sancti Spiritus, who came across from the Province of Santa Clara.
With these reenforcements Gomez soon had control of all the southern
part of Camaguey, and on June 18 the Captain-General was compelled to
declare that province in a state of siege.

[Illustration: MAXIMO GOMEZ

The foremost military chieftain of the War of Independence, Maximo Gomez
y Baez, was a Cuban by adoption rather than birth, having been born at
Bani, Santo Domingo, in 1838. He was an officer in the last Spanish army
in that island, and went with it thence to Cuba. There he became
disgusted with the brutality of the Spanish officers toward the Cubans,
personally assaulted his superior, General Villar, and quit the Spanish
service, returning to Santo Domingo, where he engaged in business as a
planter. At the beginning of the Ten Years' War he returned to Cuba,
joined the patriots, and did efficient service, rising to the chief
command. After that war he returned to his plantation in Santo Domingo,
but in 1895 joined Jose Marti in leading the Cuban War of Independence.
Thereafter his story was the story of the Cuban cause. Declining to be
considered a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, he retired to
private life after the establishment of indep