Military Records

Military records: (noun) a collection of either electronic or printed material which provides a documentary history of a person’s activities and accomplishments while serving as a member of the military.

The 3 Major Wars Towards Cuban Independence

  • The Ten Years War (1868 – 1878) was the first of the three Cuban wars of independence against the Spanish colonial forces. The war began with the Grito de Yara on the night of October 9, 1868, and ended ten years later with the Pact of Zanjón. This agreement did not guarantee any of the two fundamental objectives of that war: the independence of Cuba and the abolition of slavery. The Zanjón Pact frustrated almost any pro-independence idea. The discontent, dissatisfaction, and breach of promises led the Cubans to a new uprising.
  • The Little War (1879 – 1880) was the second of the three conflicts of the Cuban wars of independence against Spain. It was the continuation of the Ten Years War and preceded the War of Independence. It ended with the triumph of Spain. It began on August 26, 1879, and after some minor events, the war ended at the end of 1880. On August 24, 1879, the cry was heard: “Independence or death!” in the fields of the vicinity of Rioja, near the eastern city of Holguín, and later extended to the region of Gibara.
  • The War of Independence of Cuba (1895 – 1898) is the name by which the last war for the independence of Cubans against Spanish rule is known and it is one of the last American wars against the Kingdom of Spain. The war began on February 24, 1895, in a simultaneous uprising of 35 Cuban locations and ended in 1898. It was known in Spain as the Cuban War and Martí called it the Necessary War.

Hojas de Servicio - Archivo General de Indias, CUBA1491A

Dates: 1790-1791

If you find a name of interest, you need to request the file from PARES, El Portal de Archivos Españoles.

Yndice Alfabético y Defunciones del Ejército Libertador de Cuba - Guerra de Independencia, Iniciada el 24 de Febrero de 1895 y Terminada Oficialmente el 24 de Agosto de 1898

Book by Carlos Roloff Mialofsky and Gerardo Forrest Velez (1901)

Created at the end of the war, this was a list of all the soldiers and officers who participated in the conflict. It primarily served as the basis for veterans’ pensions.

Digitized book available on the Digitial Library of Caribbean

Searchable database available on CubaGenWeb

Persons Sanctioned by the Spanish Authorities

During the First Years of the 10 Years War

Alphabetical list of names of people sanctioned by the Spanish authorities during the first years of the 10 Years War

This work was transcribed by CGC member, Antolin Garcia Carbonell. We thank Antolin for his generosity in sharing his work with us!

IMPORTANT: Please contact, and credit, the CGC if you use any part of this collection by sending an email to secretary@cubangenclub.org

Quartermaster Service Files - Santiago de Cuba

“Hojas de Servicio de Empleados de la Intendencia de la Provincia de Santiago de Cuba” are documents that are found in PARES (Portal de Archivos Españoles.) They are service files for the quartermasters of Santiago de Cuba. These pages are not indexed by individual names, and so we thought it beneficial to index them here.

There are 74 files, each corresponding to an individual person. Each file is about 2 pages front and back, although some may have more pages. Some of the information included: the age at employment, marital status, and a detailed job description. “Primera fecha” corresponds to the initial employment date.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW INDEX BEFORE ACCESSING PARES
**Make sure to note the “Imagen” (Image) number of the individual you are interested in**

To Access PARES:

•Log on to http://pares.culturaydeporte.gob.es/inicio.html
•Select Búsqueda Avanzada (Advanced Search)

When the new page opens:

Filter by Archive section

Use the drop-down menu (down-arrow) and choose Archivo Histórico Nacional
Leave Groups blank
Filter by Reference Number section

Type the Ultramar,271,exp.8 in the space provided. (NOTE: do not leave spaces between words, numbers, and commas.)
•Select the button next to Full reference number

•Click Search

The search results window will appear noting the archive (Archivo General de Indias) and the search results for Ultramar,271,exp.8
Click on the name of the file – You will be taken to a description page for that file.
On the description page, click on the View Images box to see the images.
Type the “Imagen” number from the database information in the box next to View Image No. and click the “Ir” button.
Your file is now displayed!

IMPORTANT: Please contact, and credit, the CGC if you use any part of this collection by sending an email to secretary@cubangenclub.org

Spanish Patriots in the American Revolution

Any male or female who is a lineal descendant of an ancestor who supported the war for American Independence is eligible for membership in either the Sons of the American Revolution or the Daughters of the American Revolution. These ancestors are referred to as Revolutionary War Patriots and include those persons who fought in the military and/or the militia, provided supplies to the American cause, served on political bodies supporting the Revolution, or signed oaths of support and similar acts.

About Granville W. Hough

Granville W. Hough of Laguna Woods, CA, is Professor Emeritus, California State University, Fullerton, and a retired Lieutenant Colonel, Regular Army. He has been an amateur genealogist and historian for forty-five years, with more than twenty-five books to his credit, including eight written with his daughter, N. C. Hough, on Spanish soldiers of the Borderlands who served during the time of the American Revolutionary War. 

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