To talk about José de San Martín, we have to situate ourselves historically in South American independence of the Spanish colonies. If we place it chronologically, we will be talking about the beginning of the 19th century. While Europe was experiencing the ups and downs of a young French soldier, called Napoleonin America, the new enlightened currents, the new policies and a society prepared to govern its own futurelit the fuse Independence. If we talk about relevant and necessary figures to carry out such a company in South America, without a doubt we have to refer to Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Marti. In this article we will focus on Jose de San Martin, independence hero Argentina, Chile and Peru, cow was his life, his motivations, his military career and his pro-independence achievements, a man of firm convictions.
Jose de San Martin | Childhood and Youth
His full name was Jose Francisco de San Marti y Matorrasborn in Yapeyu or as it was called at its foundation, Nuestra Señora de los Santos Reyes Magos de Yapeyú, on February 25, 1778. His death occurred in France, on August 17, 1850, in a small town to the north, Boulogne-sur-Mer.
José de San Martín was the son of the lieutenant governor of Corrientes, Juan de San Martin and of Gregoria Matorras of Being, cousin of Jerónimo Matorras, governor and captain general of Tucumán. He was the youngest of 5 siblings, María Elena, Manuel Tadeo, Juan Fermín and Justo Rufino.
Both José de San Martín’s father and his mother were Spanish and if we take into account the convulsive moments that the colonies were experiencing with constant insurrections, the best option was return to Spain. in 1784, When José was 6 years old, the family moved first to Cádiz and later ended up settling in Málaga.
With just 9 years enters the Seminary of Nobles of Madrid, on Calle Princesa, it was an institution where young people from families belonging to the nobility and high society, as well as military men, were educated. He received classes in rhetoric, geography, science, drawing, Latin, French, and music.
In 1989, he entered the Murcia Regimentas a cadet since he was only 11 years old, but he soon began to stand out for his military skills, starting a brilliant military career. your baptism of fire was when he was only 13 years old, participating in the battle of Melilla, in 1791.
After the battle of Melilla, they were followed by the Roussillon and Orange wars in 1801. The young San Martín, little by little managed to ascend until in 1803was appointed infantry captain in the Major Field Volunteer Regiment.
He participated in the battle of Bailén in the year 1808where with great courage and courage he fought against the French invaders, in the Spanish War of Independenceobtaining the appointment for such value of cavalry lieutenant colonel.
Jose de San Martin | His family
He married in 1812 Mary of Climbing Remedies, practically a 14-year-old girl, from Buenos Aires and the daughter of a wealthy family. Despite her youth, it was an exemplary marriage, where María de los Remedios was a fundamental support for San Martín, in his ideological and patriotic struggle. In fact, the support of her family was key to creating the Horse Grenadier Regiment. She died in 1823 when she was only 25 years old, suffering from tuberculosis.
Mercedes Tomasa San Martin and ClimbingOn the other hand, she was the only daughter that General José de San Martín had. She lived much of her life in France, since José de San Martín retired to this country in 1824, disillusioned by the course things had taken in South America.
In France, they also had to retreat to a more secluded town called Boulogne-sur-Mer fleeing revolutionary uprisings. Subsequently, both José de San Martín and his daughter fell ill with cholera, this terrible disease brought something good to the family, her daughter would end up marrying the doctor who treated them, Mariano Severo Valcarce, with whom she had two daughters, dying in the town of Brunoy (France) at 58 years of age.
Jose de San Martin | Return to Rio de la Plata
Jose de San Martin, In a short time he had become a reference soldier, brave, intelligent and with leadership skills, a man with charisma and leadership. San Martin never kept out of what was happening in Americathe independence movements that were beginning to emerge, their contacts with the masonic lodgeslike that of Cádiz, very much in favor of independence, made him rethink his future.
The restoration of Fernando VII, the king’s oath before the Constitution, everything in Spain seemed to return to normal. But when the emancipatory revolution broke out in the American colonies and considering that, despite coming from Spanish parents and having lived in Spain practically all his life, a feeling of American patriotic identityattached to a liberal ideology that had emerged in Europe with the French Revolution and had already crossed the Atlantic, led him to join the cause and contribute militarily to the liberation of his country.
From this moment we have to talk about another Jose de San Martin, forging a historical character that together with Simon Bolivar would go down in history as great heroes and liberators of South America.
First, he disassociated himself from the Spanish army, requesting his discharge, and then moved to London where he would attend different conferences organized by the Great American Gathering, whose ultimate goals were the independence and formation of the new American peoples. It was at one of these meetings that he met his future wife. Maria Climbing Remedies.
Already within the Spanish regiments, he established contact with other South American companions related to the independence of Argentina. In 1811, aboard the frigate George Canning left England in the direction of Silver river, where he landed on March 9, 1812.
He arrived in Buenos Aires preceded by his excellent service record nevertheless, the years spent in the Spanish army were too heavy for some independentistas. Shortly after he created the Lautaro Lodgein order to achieve the country’s independence from the Spanish.
Jose de San Martin | triumphs in America
military weakness of this patriotic movement and not knowing how to approach the process, got the Governing Board to maintain his rank as lieutenant colonel of cavalry, which he had deservedly won in Spain, and ordered the creation of the Horse Grenadier Regimenta regiment that would give him multiple victories like the one obtained in the Battle of San Lorenzo.
José de San Martín: Triumphs in America | Fall First Triumvirate
The general Manuel Belgrano, had won the battle of Tucumán with the Army of the North. After this news, both San Martin as Alvear They prepared to make a military civic uprisingdirected and organized by the Lautaro Lodge, this uprising was known as Revolution of October 8, 1812.
overthrow the First Triumvirate was the main objective, a triumvirate that governed the designs of the country, but that for the rest of the population he considered them undecided for independence. When it had fallen and after pressure from the armed forces and the citizenry, a Second Triumvirate was appointed.
This time he was also forced to create a General Assembly, where all provinces were represented through their delegates, with the intention of declaring independence and writing the first drafts of a future constitution. But despite all the wishes, the fighting against the Spanish army continued to happen.
José de San Martín: Triumphs in America | The battle of San Lorenzo
It was about the first military action carried out by San Martín and his Regiment of Grenadiers on Horseback in American lands, their mission was to stop the royalist army of Montevideo in their incursions into the banks of the Parana riveran essential communication route for the area, since it is also the main tributary of the Río de la Plata.
On February 3, 1813, the troops of San Martín settled in the nearby convent of San Carlos BorromeoIn the town of San Lorenzo, where they met a contingent of 300 royalists. The situation was uncertain, given that San Martín still did not have the necessary confidence, as we have already mentioned, he had belonged to the Spanish army, raised in Spain and the son of Spaniards, he could be a traitor, the battle was going to take place against the troops representing Spain.
San Martin dispelled all doubts, at the head of his small contingent of horse grenadiers, he advanced without hesitation towards the front. He received a shot that ended the life of his horse and left him imprisoned against the saddle, at which point he was about to be executed by a royalist, if the brave soldier had not been close to him John Baptist Cabral, who with his body avoided the bayonet blows that were directed towards San Martín.
This heroic deed elevated the soldier Juan Bautista Cabral to the degree of Sergeant Cabral, which is how it is currently known.
The importance of this fight, which at first glance would not have seemed too important, was that from this moment the royalist fleets, who were looting the towns near the Paraná River, sAnd they would go away forever.
José de San Martín: Triumphs in America | The Army of the North
In January 1814, San Martín takes command of the Army of the North and befriends the general Dennis Belgrano. Since then, his main objective was to reach Lima with his troops. Faced with the impossibility of undertaking the battle through the usual routes, José de San Martín devised cross the Andean mountain range and attack the Peruvian capital from the sea, a move that no one would expect.
San Martin knew that the conquest of Chile was an obligatory step for the continental idea I had. The only way to end the Spanish yoke was to end their domination in the Pacific and the occupation of Peru, where the power of the region was really concentrated.
After a long illness, the general prepares his troops to cross the Andes Mountains. while in Argentina, the Declaration of Independence is accepted on July 9, 1816.
In January 1817 the path begins to Lima. About 5,000 men including infantry, artillery and cavalry, with a reasonable logistical plan and good preparation for battle, tackled the difficult Pasos de los Patos and Uspallata, and finally, on February 12, 1817, they engaged in battle against the royalists in Chacabuco. A few days later, General San Martin enters the Chilean capital of Santiago. had been achieved Chilean independence. The Cabildo, meeting on the 18th of that month, appointed him Supreme Director, but San Martin resigned in favor of Bernardo O’Higgins.
But the royalists rearmed and attacked the Chilean capital again in March, wounding O’Higgins, defeating them in the Battle of Cancharrayada. United Chileans and…