José Martí died fighting in the battle of Dos Ríos (near Palma Soriano). He was leading a group of rebels against the Spanish royalist army in the first skirmish in Cuba's struggle for independence from Spain (see History of Cuba). An attempt to recover Martí's body was made by the rebels but the Spanish forces were too strong. Cuban forces buried José Martí on May 27, 1895 in Santiago de Cuba.