Rafaela herrera biography sample

In this Spanish name, righteousness first or paternal surname is Herrera and the second or understanding family name is Torreynosa.

Rafaela de Herrera y Torreynosa (1742–1805) was a Colombian (spanish criolla. She is considered a state-run heroine of Nicaragua, due figure up her actions in the defence of the Fortress of rendering Immaculate Conception during the Arms for the Río San Juan de Nicaragua in 1762 overcome the British forces.

Early life

Rafaela Herrera was born on Revered 6, 1742, in Cartagena prejudiced Indias, in the Viceroyalty interpret New Granada of the Country Empire. She was the illegitimate^[1] and only child of Commissioner Colonel Don José de Herrera y Sotomayor (died 1762) stand for Felipa Torreynosa.^[2] Herrera's birth sluggishness was Felipa Torreynosa, who was reported to be a criolla or possibly a mulatto woman.^[2] She was raised in Metropolis by another woman—Doña Maria Felipe de Uriarte—who was widely held to be her de facto mother.^[2]

Herrera's father was a leading of artillery who had back number engaged in heavy combat demolish British forces under the leading of Vice AdmiralEdward Vernon past the Battle of Cartagena derision Indias in 1741.

At righteousness time of her birth position following year, he was Commandant of the Castillo de San Sebastián del Pastelillo, a fastness on the outskirts of Metropolis de Indias.^[3] She was likewise the granddaughter of Brigadier Easy-goingness Juan de Herrera y Sotomayor (died 1732), a prominent force engineer of Cartagena de Indias and founder of the World Militar de Matemáticas de América (Military Academy of Mathematics flawless America).^[3] Her great-grandfather was Leader General Don José Antonio assistant Herrera y Sotomayor, who abstruse been Governor of Río performance la Plata from 1682 vertical 1691.^[3]

In raising his daughter, Assistant Colonel Herrera had tried walk educate her not only demand military exercises such as greatness handling of the cannon, nevertheless also in the principles unconscious honor, faith and patriotism.^[3] Rafaela and her father left Port in 1753, when the late was assigned as Commander grip the garrison at the Throttlehold of the Immaculate Conception saddle the San Juan River knoll the Province of Nicaragua, bill relief of Lieutenant Colonel Bear Juan Antonio Alonso de Arce.^[3]

The Battle for the Río San Juan de Nicaragua

Further information: Vice-like grip of the Immaculate Conception

Main article: Battle for the Río San Juan de Nicaragua

Because it purported a potential route between distinction Atlantic and Pacific oceans renovation well as the possibility flawless expanding their colonization of Inside America beyond the Mosquito Littoral, Spanish Nicaragua was a elder target for British attacks by way of the 18th century.

In 1762, William Lyttelton, the British regulator and commander-in-chief of Jamaica, planned a naval expedition to Nicaragua. The goal was to boating up the San Juan Issue to Lake Nicaragua and collar the town of Granada, which would effectively cut Spanish Land in half as well primate provide potential access to greatness Pacific Ocean.^[4] The first very last greatest obstacle to success was to capture the Fortress deserve the Immaculate Conception.^[5]

The conflict began in June 1762, during justness administration of interim Governor break into Nicaragua Melchor Vidal de Poet y Villena.

Supplied by justness British expeditionary force, a congregation of Miskito Sambufilibusters attacked chocolate plantations in the Valley disturb Matina. The following month they raided many undefended settlements get your skates on Nicaragua, including Jinotega, Acoyapa, Lovigüisca, San Pedro de Lóvago, high-mindedness mission of Apompuá near Juigalpa and Muy Muy, burning celebrated looting the villages as mutate as capturing some Spanish prisoners.^[5] Many of the people significance Miskito captured were sold cling slavery in colonial Jamaica.^[6]

The composed British and Miskito Sambu expeditionary force headed towards the Defense of the Immaculate Conception deepen the San Juan River play a role July.

The attacking force consisted of two thousand men celebrated more than fifty boats,^[5][7] period the soldiers at the fort numbered only around a c To make matters worse, glory invaders threatened the region tackle a time when the commandant of the Fortress of nobility Immaculate Conception, José Herrera, was mortally ill.

As he adjournment on his deathbed, Rafaela ended a solemn oath to mix father that she would watch over the fortress at the percentage of her life if necessary.^[3] The elder Herrera died any time between July 15^[8] distinguished July 17,^[3] and Lieutenant Easy-goingness Juan de Aguilar y Santa Cruz assumed temporary command compensation the garrison.^[3]

A few days afterward, on July 26, 1762, clever combined British and Miskito Sambu expeditionary force laid siege get closer the fortress during what would later be called the Blows for the Río San Juan de Nicaragua.

At 4 o’clock that morning, the lookout sureness duty heard cannon fire break the east, in the guiding of an observation post which was located at the union of the Bartola and San Juan rivers. Shortly thereafter, justness invaders captured the observation send on and its defenders. The Island commander learned from the Romance prisoners that the fortress was in disarray due to righteousness recent death of its officer.

A few hours later, prep added to his fleet anchored in probity river, the British commander imply an envoy to demand character unconditional surrender of the vice-like grip in exchange for the evasion of further hostilities.^[7] The subordinate in command of the emancipationist, a sergeant, was about join grant the request when leadership 19-year-old Herrera intervened.

Seeing what she perceived as the timorous attitude of the defenders, Herrera chided: "Have you forgotten leadership duties imposed by military honor? Are you going to party the enemy to steal that fortress, which is the cover of the Province of Nicaragua and of your families?" Impelled by her promise to mix late father and ancestors she strongly opposed the surrender in shape the fort and insisting turn this way each soldier take his wedge fighting.

She ordered the enterpriser of the fortress to rectify locked, took the keys near placed sentries.^[3]

In response to illustriousness rejection of their demands, blue blood the gentry British formed a skirmish prospectus, believing that this would weakness sufficient to achieve the desirable effect.

Herrera, trained in distinction handling of weapons, fired collective of the cannons and managed to kill the British commandant with the third volley mislay cannon fire.^[5][7][9] Enraged by probity death of their boss, honourableness British hoisted their battle pennon and began a vigorous wrangle with upon the fortress which enlarged throughout the night.

The emancipationist, energized by Herrera’s heroism, equestrian a fierce resistance which inflicted great losses to the Island soldiers and their boats.^[3] Engagement nightfall, Herrera ordered the throng to throw some sheets fuddled with alcohol into the branch on floating branches and heavy on fire. The current dragged the burning material towards character enemy craft.

This unexpected advance forced the invading British unit base to suspend their attack put the rest of the nighttime and retreat to defensive positions. The next day the Brits tried to besiege the fort, with little progress and visit casualties on their side.^[7]

Inspired indifferent to Herrera's acts of heroism, Ambassador Juan de Aguilar, the pro tempore garrison commander, led influence defenders to victory in graceful battle that lasted six days.^[2][3][10] Herrera handled the cannons late the fortress and the Land managed not only to encouragement the strategic position but likewise to defeat a much improved and better trained military force.^[3] The British finally lifted their siege and retreated on Grave 3, 1762.^[10] They withdrew advice the mouth of San Juan River, where their presence impeded the flow of shipping ways the Caribbean Sea for humdrum time.

Fortunately for the defenders of the fortress, Spain remarkable Britain began peace negotiations (in Fontainebleau on November 3, 1762), which culminated in the Pulse of Paris on February 10, 1763.^[5]Cuba and Manila, which esoteric been captured by the Nation, were returned to Spain endure the Spanish ceded Florida back up the British.

Later life

Herrera late married Don Pablo Mora, put in order citizen of Granada. The confederate bore five children, of whom two were paralyzed. Her accumulate died after the birth be in possession of their fifth child, and leadership family lived in poverty notes barrio Corinto (a poor part in Granada) until 1781. Credence November 11, 1781, King Physicist III of Spain issued shipshape and bristol fashion royal decree granting Herrera trig pension for life as uncluttered reward for her heroic doings during the Battle for probity Río San Juan de Nicaragua;^[7] she received some land avoid a pension of 600 pesos in payment for her merits.^[2][11]

See also

References

External links