About This Image

Titled in a period hand in ink with penciled notations on mount recto. On the image, notations to the colorist indicating the portions of the uniforms that should be tinted red, black or green.The soldier on the left wears a full dress uniform, those in the center are in campaign dress, and the soldier on the right wears the everyday or service dress uniform.

During the mid-1840s and through the mid-1850s the United States tried to purchase Cuba from Spain several times, and each time their offer was refused. There were several attempts by U.S. soldiers and anti-Spanish factions to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule through filibustering expeditions. Here, Spanish soldiers appear ready to defend their territory.