In the wake of the Battle of Bonilla and the retreat of Spanish troops to San Miguel de Bagá, Blas Villate, tasked with suppressing the rebellion, remained stationed while waiting for additional reinforcements.

[1] With his forces bolstered, Villate's column headed towards Eastern Cuba to reclaim Bayamo, while enduring ongoing harassment from the mambises of Camagüey.

[6] Mármol, instead of waiting for the enemy at the Cauto River and taking advantage of its natural defense, advanced to meet them at El Salado.

[7] Mármol aimed to trap and destroy Valmaseda's army by adopting the tactics previously employed by Generals Francisco Vicente Aguilera and Modesto Díaz at Guabatuabo.

Gen. Valmaseda, leveraging his superior experience, outflanked Donato Mármol and surprised the main body of the Cuban forces, resulting in a complete rout.