antiago; of the
Treasury, Severa Pina, of Sancti Spiritus; of the Interior, Santiago J.
Canizares, of Los Remedios. Each Secretary appointed his own Deputy, who
should have full power when taking his chief's place, as follows: War,
Mario G. Menocal, of Matanzas; Foreign Affairs, Fermin G. Dominguez;
Treasury, Joaquin Castillo Duany, of Santiago; Interior, Carlos Dubois,
of Baracoa. The Commander in Chief was Maximo Gomez; the
Lieutenant-General, or Vice-Commander in Chief was Antonio Maceo, and
the Major Generals were Jose Maceo, Maso Capote, Serafin Sanchez, and
Fuerto Rodriguez. Tomas Estrada Palma was minister plenipotentiary and
diplomatic agent abroad. Later Bartolome Maso and General de Castillo
were made special envoys to the United States.

Salvador Cisneros, the President, has already been frequently mentioned
in this history. He came of distinguished ancestry, the names of
Cisneros and Betancourt frequently occupying honorable places in the
annals of Cuba. Born in 1832, he was by this time past the prime of
life, but he was just as zealous and efficient in the cause of Cuban
freedom as he was when he sacrificed his title of Marquis of Santa
Lucia, and sacrificed his estates, too, which were confiscated by the
Spanish government, when he joined the Ten Years' War, later to succeed
the martyred Cespedes as President. Of Bartolome Maso, too, we have
spoken much. He also was advanced in years, having been born in 1831,
and he, too, had served through the Ten Years' War and had in
consequence of his patriotism lost all his estates.

Carlos Roloff, the Secretary of War, was a Pole, who had come to Cuba in
his youth and settled at Cienfuegos; bringing with him the passionate
love of freedom which had long been characteristic of the Poles. He
fought through the Ten Years' War and gained distinction therein, by his
valor and military skill.

Mario G. Menocal, the Assistant Secretary of War, was a native of Jaguey
Grande, Matanzas, at this time only twenty-nine years old. He came of a
family eminent in Cuban history, and indeed in the history of North
America, since he was a nephew of that A. G. Menocal who was perhaps the
most distinguished and efficient of all the engineers and surveyors for
the Isthmian Canal schemes, both at Nicaragua and Panama. He himself
was, even thus early in life, one of the foremost engineers of Cuba.

[Illustration: ANICETO G. MENOCAL]

Rafael Portuondo y Tamayo, Secretary of Foreign Af