Rojas and Mariana Bracetti - were imprisoned in Arecibo, where they were tortured and humiliated. Padilla continued to write poems during his confinement in prison. On November 17, a military court imposed the death penalty, for treason and sedition, on all the prisoners. Meanwhile, in Madrid, Eugenio María de Hostos and other prominent Puerto Ricans managed to intercede with President Francisco Serrano, who had himself just led a revolution against the monarchy in Spain. In an effort to appease the already tense atmosphere on the island, the incoming governor José Laureano Sanz, announced a general amnesty early in 1869, and all the prisoners were released. Padilla returned to his home but Betances, Rojas and many other prisoners were not released to their Puerto Rican homeland. They were sent into exile. Written works Upon returning home, in order to avoid re-arrest, Padilla wrote for various publications under the pseudonyms El Caribe, Macuquino, Cibuco and Trabuco. He also criticized the director of the newspaper El Duende, a Spaniard who looked down on local Puerto Rican customs and traditions. Padilla also feuded with Manuel del Palacio, a Spanish poet whose verses were offensive to the Puerto Rican people. In 1874, he published Para un Palacio un Caribe, in which he criticized Palacio. In 1880, Padilla received an award for his poem Contra el Periodismo Personal from the newspaper El Buscapie, owned by Manuel Fernández Juncos. From 1886-1888, El Caribe wrote for the newspaper El Palenque de la Juventud. Amongst his important works are: Nuevo Cancionero de Borinquen (1872) El Indio Antillano El Maestro Rafael (dedicated to the Puerto Rican educator Rafael Cordero) En la muerte de Corchado (dedicated to Manuel Corchado y Juarbe) Para un Palacio un Caribe (1874) Later years Padilla retired in 1888 and lived the remaining years of his life at his estate in Vega Baja. He died on May 26, 1896, while working on his last poem Canto a Puerto Rico. before his death. This poem is considered Padilla's magnum opus. It has been said that, had he not died prematurely, Padilla's Canto a Puerto Rico would have rivaled the Cantar de Mio Cid for literary and historical significance. His remains were interred in Cementerio Municipal de Vega Baja. Legacy Various towns in Puerto Rico have schools named after Padilla. The towns with schools named José Gualberto Padilla are Cayey, Arecibo and Vega Baja His daughter, Trinidad Padilla de