Just after the explosion of the USS Maine in 1898 that led to the Spanish American War, the United States sought the cooperation of General Calixto García, commander of the Cuban rebel forces, who was seeking independence from Spain. A secret mission to meet him was arranged by the Department of War and Lt. Colonel Andrew S. Rowan — then an Army First Lieutenant who was stationed in Washington, DC — was charged with the difficult and dangerous mission. The heroic actions of Rowan and his conduct as a model to be followed were praised in this famous essay written a year later by American writer Elbert Hubbard. It was extensively published and translated into many languages and, for many years, was in the Commandant’s Professional Reading List of the U.S. Marine Corps. Here it is in transcribed in Simplified Gregg by yours truly for the blog.
Attachment: a-message-to-garcia.pdf