The celebrated story turns a liaison assignment into a presidential errand carried out by a lone hero. The officer's instructions came from military intelligence and required him to remain with Cuban forces and send reports. Cuban contacts arranged his passage from Jamaica and provided horses for the journey to General García. He stayed only a few hours, collected a list of needs and accompanying officers, and returned. The criticism is that this brief visit abandoned the intended liaison duty. Public acclaim is offered as the reason he escaped a possible court-martial.
Notable Point · 2:50:51-2:53:40
The myth and reality of the message to García
The celebrated tale of a lone messenger obscures a liaison mission supported by Cuban contacts and cut short after only a brief meeting with General García.