Cuban Confederate Colonel [Hardcover]

Antonio Rafael de la Cova (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 8, 2003

Cuban Confederate Colonel: The Life of Ambrosio José Gonzales tells the story of a revolutionary who figured prominently in both his native country's struggle against Spain and the Confederacy's fight for secession. Immortalized as the first Cuban to shed blood in the effort to oust the Spanish, Gonzales (1818?1893) managed to place himself in the center of hostilities in both his homeland and in the United States. In this biography, Antonio Rafael de la Cova examines the Cuban filibuster movement of the 1840s and 1850s, the American Civil War, and Southern Reconstruction from Gonzales's unusual perspective as both a Cuban and Confederate rebel. In doing so, de la Cova sheds new light on the connections between Southern and Cuban society, the workings of coastal defenses during the Civil War, and the vicissitudes of Reconstruction for a Cuban expatriate.

De la Cova draws on archival sources from Cuba, Spain, and the United States to offer groundbreaking material on the filibuster movement, including the integral participation of Freemasons and the involvement of Robert E. Lee. De la Cova also documents Gonzales's preparation of invading forces, authorship of a United States annexation manifesto, and association with influential Southern politicians.

With the failure of the 1854 filibuster attempts, Gonzales settled in the United States and married into South Carolina's prominent Elliott family. The author traces Gonzales’s significant role in Confederate coastal defenses, his costly feud with Jefferson Davis, and his finest hour as a Confederate--as artillery commander at the Battle of Honey Hill.

Following the war, the colonel pursued a variety of vocations, all of which were marginally successful, but like many others he never provided the security he sought for his extended family. De la Cova points out that while Gonzales's connections to Cuba’s economy may have made his postwar entrepreneurial endeavors distinctive, his efforts were similar to those of other formerly wealthy Southerners who sought to recover their estates and social status.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

ANTONIO RAFAEL DE LA COVA is an assistant professor of Latin American studies at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. The author of the forthcoming book The Moncada Attack: Birth of the Cuban Revolution, de la Cova holds a Ph.D. from West Virginia University. He lives in Terre Haute.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: University of South Carolina Press (August 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570034966
• ISBN-13: 978-1570034961
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,702,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read this one twice - highly recommended!, September 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Cuban Confederate Colonel (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Cuban Confederate Colonel and recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Civil War or Cuban history. It's apparent from the quality of writing and comprehensive documentation that a significant amount of time and research went into this work. De la Cova's writing is very descriptive and engaging and the story flows smoothly. The chapters are organized chronologically, but also entitled by major milestones in Gonzales' life and make it easy to move around the book.

Of particular interest to me was the complicated relationship between Gonzales and his in-laws, the wealthy Elliott family of South Carolina. Gonzales was first introduced to the Elliott clan in 1852 through his friendship with fellow Freemason, William Elliott, the family patriarch. During the next three years, Gonzales socialized with the family and carried on a platonic correspondence with one of Elliott's elder daughters, Emily, who fell in love with the Cuban. However, the attraction was not mutual, and Gonzales' subsequent marriage to Emily's much younger sister, Hattie, set the stage for a lifelong feud between the spurned sister and Gonzales. Emily's jealously and bitterness, at first manifested in subtle ways, later became overt attacks on Gonzales' character as she attempted to poison his relationship with the family, especially his children.

My favorite chapters dealt with the reconstruction period when the Gonzales/Elliott families struggled to put their lives back together. Born into wealth and privilege, they initially appeared ill equipped to survive under the conditions of poverty and hardship forced upon them in the aftermath of the South's defeat. With a little cooperation between the families and some creative financing, Gonzales purchases one of Elliott's former plantations, Social Hall, and begins his quest to provide financial security for his family.

The author's skillful use of quotations from the family letters throughout the book allows the principals to speak for themselves and brings them vividly to life as their story develops. I also appreciated that quite a bit of information concerning the Gonzales children as adults was included. This is a fitting epilogue to the story and does not leave me wondering what happened to everybody else after the subject dies.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the Money!, August 31, 2003

By 

rassjackson "rassjackson" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cuban Confederate Colonel (Hardcover)

Very few people, Cuban or American, are aware of the role that Cubans have played in United States' history before the rise of Castro. However, Cubans were in the United States for more than a century before Castro's revolution. Not just bystanders, waiting for Spain to get out of Cuba, they were full participants in events around them, where ever they may be.

This biography is a fascinating look at one Cuban's involvement in the Cuban freedom movement as well as the American Civil War and his struggle for survival during reconstruction. At the same time, the author seamlessly integrates the story of Gonzales' family life, in particular his marriage into a wealthy Southern family and life long love affair with his wife, Hattie. Although very well documented and suitable for a textbook (and priced like one), this book reads like a novel and held my interest throughout. Highly recommended!!!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Information, Decently written., April 24, 2006

By 

Dark Horse (Fl USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cuban Confederate Colonel (Hardcover)

This is not the easiest read, the author sometimes gives too much information. That makes reading more cumbersome but at the same time it does have many interesting details and tidbits. If you are intereted in Cuban and US history as it relates to filibusters and Cuban history prior to independence buy the book.