Trinidad Sancti Spíritus Cuba

Velázquez himself must have been keenly aware that whoever conquers the mainland for Spain will gain fame, glory and fortune to eclipse anything that could be achieved in Cuba.

Thus, as the preparations for departure drew to a close, the governor becomes suspicious that Cortés will be disloyal to him and try to commandeer the expedition for his own purposes, namely to establish himself as governor of the colony, independent of Velázquez's control.

For this reason, Velázquez sends Luis de Medina with orders to replace Cortés.

However, Cortés' brother-in-law allegedly has Medina intercepted and killed.

The papers that Medina had been carrying are sent to Cortés.

Thus warned, Cortés accelerates the organization and preparation of his expedition.

Velázquez arrives at the Santiago de Cuba dock in person, "he and Cortes again embraced, with a great exchange of compliments", before Cortes sets sail for Trinidad, Cuba.

Velázquez then sent orders for the fleet to be held and Cortés taken prisoner.

Nevertheless, Cortes, having quickly gathers more men and ships in other Cuban ports, sets sail in February 1519, beginning his conquest of New Spain with the legal status of a mutineer.

Federico Fernández Cavada establishes the "Logia Luz del Sur” (Southern Light Lodge) in Trinidad, Cuba, which will be used as an active recruiting center for insurgents, on January 5, 1869.

The Cuban-born Fernández Cavada, after serving in the American Civil War as a colonel, had been appointed United States consul at Trinidad.

Fernández Cavada had met and befriended General Thomas Jordan, and the friendship had inspired Fernández Cavada to resign his position as consul upon the Cuban insurrection against Spanish rule, a conflict that will become known as Cuba’s Ten Years' War.

Together with his brother Adolfo, who had resigned from his appointment as consul to Cienfuegos, Federico had joined the insurgents and had been named General for the District of Trinidad, Commander in Chief of the Cinco Villas.