 Gare gare muna 1879, Maceo naMajor General Calixto García Íñiguez vakaronga kubva kuNew York kupindazve muCuba, uko kwakatanga Hondo Duku isingapfuuri kwenguva refu. Maceo haana kurwa iye pachake muhondo idzi, nokuti akanga atuma Calixto García somutungamiriri mukuru. Ikoku kwakadzivisa kuwedzera rusaruro rworusaruraganda rwavamwe vakuru vakuru veCuba urwo rwakanga rwakafuridzirwa norushambadziro rweSpain. VaSpanish vakaedza kuita kuti zviite sokuti Maceo akanga achiedza kutanga hondo yemadzinza nevaCuba vachena, kunyange zvazvo mashoko avo okushambadza asina kukuvadza mukurumbira waMaceo. 