A Spanish
column of more than 700 men commanded by Colonel
Demetrio Quirós Weyler was en route to
Bayamo from
Manzanillo or
Santiago de Cuba to recapture the city from
Carlos Manuel de Céspedes when ambushed by
Máximo Gómez's forces, who were under the command of
Donato Mármol, at , near
Contramaestre. The column was armed with swords and bayonets while the
mambises carried mostly machetes, pitchforks, and other farming tools. Due to the superior quality of Spanish equipment, Gómez decided to engage in close combat with machetes, a weapon he was familiar with from his service in the
Dominican Republic. The battle was disastrous for the Spanish column, who disorderly retreated after suffering numerous casualties. The column retreated to Santiago de Cuba with near one third of the men lost. In this retreat the force left behind firearms, ammunition, and a train of artillery. The mambises were left with a few men injured. ==Film depiction==