To their eternal memory, this tablet is dedicated, the 27th of November, 1899."
While these events were taking place, and in spite of the troubles which had beset them within their own ranks, the Cuban leaders maintained a force of fifty thousand men in the field, and gained an important victory in the vicinity of Mayari. This was more than offset by an occurrence which struck brutally at the very foundation of the Cuban army. In July, 1871, the Spanish defeated at Guantanamo a force of two hundred men, under General Quesada, but this was trivial compared with the catastrophe which it involved. General Quesada was taken prisoner, as was General Figueredo, and in August these two loyal patriots who had so ably supported the revolution, and the former of whom had been the brains of the army, were executed by the Spaniards. The deepest gloom filled the hearts of the Cuban leaders, and their discouragement is the only explanation which can be offered of what followed, when a force of Cubans, who had been operating in the central part of the island, under General Agramonte, deserted, and approaching the Spanish authorities, agreed to lay down their arms, provided their lives would be spared. The Spaniards accepted their offer, and promptly gave out a statement that the Cuban army was disrupted and that all that remained was a few slaves under General Agramonte. They were to learn, however, that the Cubans still had some fighting spirit left in them. Although the defection of so large a body of his command left only thirty-five men under Agramonte, he speedily recruited a new company, and was able to harass the Spanish for two years longer, until he was killed in battle.
The death of General Quesada left the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban army vacant, and General Modeste Diaz was elected to that office. An official report made by the Cubans at this time shows the composition of the army to have been:
Army Corps of Oriente.
Commander-in-Chief, General Modeste Diaz
Division of Santiago de Cuba; Major-General Commanding, Maximo Gomez
| Regiments | Commander | Localities No. of Men | |
| 1 and 2 | Col. Jesus Perez | Cobre | 600 |
| 3 | Lt. Col. Prado | Baracoa | 450 |
| 4 | Lt. Col. Guillermo Moncada | Baracoa | 550 |
| 5 | Lt. Col. Pacheco | Guantanamo | 450 |
| 6 | Brig. Calixto Garcia | Jiguani | 600 |
| Total | 2,650 |
Division of Holguin—General Commanding, Jose Inclan
| Regiments | Commander | Localities No. of Men | |
| 1 | Co. Fco. Herrero | West | 300 |
| 2 | Gen. Inclan | East | 500 |
| Total | 800 |