Arturo O'Neill de Tyrone y O'Kelly (January 8, 1736 – December 9, 1814) was an Irish-born Spanish

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

who served the

Spanish crown , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

as governor of several places in

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...

. He came from a lineage that occupied prominent European positions and titles, since at least the 12th century.

Biography

Early years and military career

Arturo (Arthur) O'Neill was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

ONEILL-L Archives. Consulted in May 22–26, 2010 (although his ancestors were from

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional Counties of Ireland, counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an admini ...

, now in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

''Florida Irish: Hereditary Center. ARTHUR O’NEILL. First Governor of Spanish West Florida (1781 to 1793)''. Magazine.), on January 8, 1736. He was the third of five children of Henry O’Neill and Ana O’Kelly. One of his brothers was

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Niall O'Neill (later Nicolás O'Neill y O'Kelley). His family lost their lands in Ireland, which forced them to emigrate. His parents carried Arturo and his brothers to Spain. In 1752, O'Neill joined the

Irish regiment The Irish military diaspora refers to the many people of either Irish birth or extraction (see Irish diaspora) who have served in overseas military forces, regardless of rank, duration of service, or success. Many overseas military units were p ...

in Ireland, as a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

under the command of his cousin, the regimental commander José Camerford. The following year, O'Neill was transferred to the

Regiment of Hibernia The Regimiento ''Hibernia'' ("Regiment of Hibernia") was one of the Spanish army's foreign regiments (''Infantería de línea extranjera''). Known by many in Spain as "O'Neill's Regiment", it was formed in 1709 from Irishmen who fled their own cou ...

, to which he belonged for the next 28 years of his military career. In addition, he was sub-lieutenant for nine years, and he attained the ranks of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

and

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

.Casares G. Cantón, Raúl; Duch Colell, Juan; Antochiw Kolpa, Michel; Zavala Vallado, Silvio (1998). ''Yucatán en el tiempo'' ("Yucatán in Time"). Mérida, Yucatán He served in the campaign of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

in 1762. Later, he was part of the garrison of

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, and, in 1775, he participated in the military campaign of

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

. He was also involved in the campaign against

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, which contributed to the seizure of Fort Santa Cruz, Santa Catalina Island, where he served as governor until the end of the war. His military skills enabled him to obtain a promotion to Assistant Major of the Hibernia Regiment in 1764. In addition, in 1773, while serving in

Pamplona, Spain Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...

, O'Neill obtained the rank of captain of the regiment. O'Neil was promoted to

of the regiment, after serving with distinction against the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

at the

Siege of Pensacola The siege of Pensacola was a siege fought in 1781, the culmination of Spain's conquest of the British province of West Florida during the Gulf Coast campaign. Background When Spain entered the War in 1779, Bernardo de Gálvez, the energeti ...

in March 1781.''Marqués del Norte, Arturo O'Neill''. (in Spanish: Marquis of North, Arthur O O'Neill). Magazine.

Governor of West Florida

At the battle's conclusion on May 9, 1781, he was appointed governor of

Spanish West Florida Spanish West Florida (Spanish: ''Florida Occidental'') was a province of the Spanish Empire from 1783 until 1821, when both it and East Florida were ceded to the United States. The region of West Florida initially had the same borders as the er ...

in the service of

, proving to be an effective diplomat and an able administrator. Later he became a member of the Supreme War Council and a lieutenant general of allies against

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, replacing Governor Miguel de Uztaraiz on the council. In late May or early June 1784, O'Neill participated in the Creek Conference, during which Spain and the Creeks signed a treaty of friendship. In addition, Creeks,

Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. Their traditional territory was in the Southeastern United States of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee as well in southwestern Kentucky. Their language is classified as ...

s, and

Cherokees The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

sought help from O'Neill to defend against American encroachment or invasion, so the military commandant and governor sent reinforcements to the areas of these peoples. In 1786, McGillivray informed O'Neill that the Americans were trying to make friends with the Creeks. So, fearing that the alliance could be detrimental to

West Florida West Florida ( es, Florida Occidental) was a region on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico that underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history. As its name suggests, it was formed out of the western part of former S ...

, Spanish officials negotiated another treaty with Native Americans in

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

. (At that time, West Florida extended all the way to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

, exclusive of New Orleans.) In late 1787, O'Neill, based on the fact that he had ruled Florida for six years (when five was customary), asked the

if he might ascend to the title of brigadier and be appointed the Governor of

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

or to a similar position. He did not receive the requested transfer. O'Neill's health began to fail in 1788, and he requested a temporary leave of absence in order to recover. The crown accepted and replaced O'Neill as governor for the interim by Francisco Cruzat, former

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. In addition, O'Neill was promoted to brigadier general in 1789. When O'Neill returned to

Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ci ...

the following year, he organized the Third Battalion of the Regiment of Louisiana Infantry to strengthen its military position. On March 10, 1792, O'Neill became ''Marqués del Norte'' (Marquess of the North). In order to defend Florida and help the guard there, he recommended creating at least six

Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...

companies formed by 100 soldiers each. Along with Amerindians, the

mestizos (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturally European even though their ...

also belonged to those companies.Leitch Wright, James (1986)
Creeks & Seminoles: The Destruction and Regeneration of the Muscogulge People
University of Nebraska Press. Page 124. O'Neill wanted to increase the number of mestizos, proposing marriage between the Spanish and the Native Americans, because he considered that mestizo people kept a more friendly relationship with

whites White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as " ...

.Perdue, Theda (2005)
Mixed Blood Indians: Racial Construction in the Early South
University of Georgia Press. Page 73. To do this, he planned to send a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

to the Native American villages and encourage

miscegenation Miscegenation ( ) is the interbreeding of people who are considered to be members of different races. The word, now usually considered pejorative, is derived from a combination of the Latin terms ''miscere'' ("to mix") and ''genus'' ("race") ...

between the

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Amerindians and the Spanish. In addition, he considered mestizos an important group in terms of the military and the economy. He left the office of Governor of West Florida in November 1792,Cahoon, Ben
U.S. States F-K
and was succeeded by Carlos Howard.

Governor of Yucatán and last years

On December 13, 1792, he was appointed governor and

captain general Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Command ...

Yucatán Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the political divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. I ...

, and . On January 20, 1793, the office of governor was expanded. During his government, he took urgent measures to prevent the spread of the

rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vi ...

, which came to represent a public health risk in the Yucatán. He expanded the supply of teachers for schools and also had to tackle smuggling that was done from across the province of

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

and the islands the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

. O'Neill carried out the seizure of the ship ''La Bella Jane'' in

San Francisco de Campeche San Francisco de Campeche (; yua, Ahk'ìin Pech, ), 19th c., also known simply as Campeche, is a city in Campeche Municipality in the state of Campeche, Mexico on the shore of the Bay of Campeche of the Gulf of Mexico. Both the seat of the muni ...

. O'Neill wrote a book entitled ''Description, population and census of the Province of Yucatán in New Spain'' in 1795, which was never printed. In 1798, he led an unsuccessful attack on British colonial settlements in Belize in the

Battle of St. George's Caye The Battle of St. George's Caye was a military engagement that lasted from 3 to 10 September 1798, off the coast of British Honduras (present-day Belize). However, the name is typically reserved for the final battle that occurred on 10 Septemb ...

. The Spanish force under his command attempted to force their way into the settlements and rout the Baymen (British settlers), but proved unable to do so. After two hours of confused fighting, the Spanish retreated, with neither side sustaining a single casualty. He served as governor of Yucatán until October 19, 1800, when he gave the charge to Benito Perez Valdelomar. Back in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, he was appointed Minister of the Royal and Supreme Council of War. His last position was as a soldier in the army of Spain against

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. O’Neill died in

on December 9, 1814, and was buried in a

niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

in the cemetery of the . He was unmarried and had no children.

References

External links