Departing from the U.S., he landed alongside his brother Manuel in Camagüey aboard the Galvanic in December 1868 in order to join the rebel forces.

Before the war ended, he left the island with his brother Manuel in 1876 to recover from his injuries and to search for weapons and supplies in the United States.

After the insurgent army capitulated in February 1878, he remained linked to the Cuban independence clubs in the United States.

Despite Maceo had given his word that his visit was purely personal, he tried to secure men, funds and weapons for a new uprising.

After the Cuban Republic became a reality in 1902, he did not intervene in politics, nor did he hold public office, unlike his brother Manuel.