Jose was the third son of Marcos and Mariana; he was born on February 2, 1849, in Las Delicias farm, in Majaguabo, in the current municipality of San Luis in the eastern Cuban province of Santiago de Cuba.

His parents passed important spiritual and practical teachings to him and his brothers and sisters. They taught them to use the machete and the riffle, to ride horses and to decipher the mysteries of the forests; they taught them about the delicacy of the soul, about responsibilities, order, and most of all, about sacrifices for their homeland.

In accordance with these teachings, he joined the independence struggle in 1868, along with his father Marcos and his brothers Antonio, Justo and Rafael.

Listing all the actions he was involved in would be an endless task. In all of them he showed his courage, fearlessness, and audacity, qualities that made him worthy of successive promotions up to becoming Colonel by the end of the independence struggle of 1868, in 1878.

He participated in the invasion of the eastern province of Guantanamo and stood out in the Mangos de Mejias combat, on August, 1877, where he saved his brother Antonio from falling in the hands of the enemy.

He assumed several responsibilities during this period, and proved his political maturity and patriotism by maintaining a firm position during the events of Lagunas de Varona, in 1875, and in Santa Rita, in 1877. Jose also took part in the Baragua Protest by the side of his brother Antonio, in 1878.

At the end of that war Jose remained in the national territory. He joined the preparations for the next independence war and became one of the main leaders of that period as well.

By the end of the independence war of 1895, he was deceived by Spanish General Camilo Polavieja, who promised to exile him but ordered his incarceration. He was taken as prisoner to jails in Africa and Spain. By that time, he had already become Army General.

Dissatisfied with the results of the war and insisting on the independence of Cuba, he managed to escape from imprisonment in Ceuta and after overcoming some obstacles he arrived in America were he got involved in the preparations of the war, from the failed plan of Gomez and Maceo in 1884 until the events that led to the armed uprising of February 24, 1895.

Jose arrived in Cuba on April 1, 1895, in an expedition guided by Flor Crombet and participated in the Campaña de Oriente (easten campaign) led by his brother Antonio in the eastern region of the country.

Jose Maceo was appointed Major General for his outstanding actions and courage. The needs of the territory in that moment prevented him from joining the invading contingent, but his support was essential in the preparations stages.

At the head of the First Army Corps, appointed in October 20, 1895, he demonstrated he qualities as leader and military organizer. The forces under his command fought more than 80 combats and most of them were led by him.

One of the aspects less known about his life is his love for music; for that reason, he also worked as organizer of the music band of the province, the only one in the Liberation Army.

Intrigues and contradictions, many of them caused by envy, led him to quit and requested to serve in the western region of Cuba along his brother. The Loma del Gato combat occur in the midst of this situation. In this battle he fought against a Spanish column guided by Colonel Joaquin Vara del Rey.

Jose Maceo, a man that in several opportunities challenged danger and death used to say when speaking to his troops: “Cheer up, death is just a matter of time”.

His escort picked him up, immediately after being wounded, and took him the el Aguacate Farm, where he was assisted by Dr. Francisco de Paula y Valiente, who was not able to help him. Afterwards, he was taken to the La Soledad coffee plantations, where he died the next day.

Maximo Gomez, a strict man when referring to his subordinates and fellowmen, said he was an honest and rustically frank man. He also added:

“I found in him the greatness of the lion history speaks of and I understood the greatness of his admirable and intrepid value, with no equal, for his generosity and his love for women and children. The cruelest Spanish officer taken before the General (Jose) in the midst of the bloodiest battle, could always count on his life.”