Julio Grave de Peralta

Fannie Expedition

On June 6, 1872, an expedition led by Gen. Grave de Peralta and Col. William A.C. Ryan embarked from New York aboard the filibustering steamer known as the "Fannie".^[6] Following its departure from the United States for Cuba, the vessel became aground on a reef and ended up twelve miles northwest of Baracoa on June 22, 1872. The crew worked for thirty hours to get the Fannie off the reef, but as coal was being thrown overboard, the vessel caught fire and burned.^[7] As a result of the Fannie's grounding, the vessel landed its cargo of war material and 56 Cuban mambí fighters under the command of Grave De Peralta. Once the filibusters made landfall, they buried the vessel's arms and ammunition in the woods.^[6] Gen. Jose Valera, a high-ranking Spanish army officer, along with the forces under his command in that jurisdiction saw the burning vessel. In the initial engagement, the Spanish troops killed Grave de Peralta and captured five others.^[8] The prisoners led Valera to the buried cargo who subsequently seized the arms and ammunition as well as important correspondence for Carlos Manuel de Céspedes that was on the fallen general.^[9] Among the documents captured were some blank commissions and a number of proclamations signed by Grave de Peralta.^[10]