Francisco Casimiro Marcó del Pont y Ángel (; June 25, 1770 – May 19, 1819) was a Spanish soldier and the last
Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General. There were 66 such governors or captains du ...
. He was one of the main figures of the
Chilean independence process, being the final Spaniard to rule as
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General. There were 66 such governors or captains du ...
from 1815 to 1817, when he was deposed and captured by the patriot forces after the
Battle of Chacabuco
The Battle of Chacabuco, fought during the Chilean War of Independence, occurred on February 12, 1817. The Army of the Andes of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, led by Captain–General José de San Martín, defeated a Spanish for ...
.
Early career
Marcó del Pont was born in
Vigo
Vigo ( , , , ) is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality in the province of Pontevedra, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Penins ...
, Galicia, Spain, the son of
Buenaventura Marcó del Pont y Porí and of Juana Ángel Díaz y Méndez. He began a brilliant military career by joining the Infantry Regiment of
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
. He served with distinction during the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
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 ...
, achieving the rank of General before being taken prisoner during the capture of
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
in 1809. He was tried by a French military tribunal and sentenced to death, with the possibility of saving his life by swearing loyalty to the invading power. He refused and thus won the respect of
Joseph Bonaparte
it, Giuseppe-Napoleone Buonaparte es, José Napoleón Bonaparte
, house = Bonaparte
, father = Carlo Buonaparte
, mother = Letizia Ramolino
, birth_date = 7 January 1768
, birth_place = Corte, Corsica, Republic of ...
, who commuted his sentence to life imprisonment.
In 1814, Marcó del Pont was liberated as a consequence of the general retreat of the French forces from Spain. He was still quite young, being under 45 years old, when he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, and appointed military chief and governor of
Tortosa
Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain.
Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buin ...
. In September 1815 he was promoted to Captain General and
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General. There were 66 such governors or captains du ...
, where he arrived to take over his position on December 26 of the same year.
Governor of Chile
In 1815 Marco del Pont was named Governor of the then-Spanish colony of Chile, arriving at
Valparaíso
Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
at the end of the year. Once he assumed the head of the Reconquista government he sent spies to
Cuyo in order to obtain information about the
Army of the Andes
The Army of the Andes ( es, Ejército de los Andes) was a military force created by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (Argentina) and mustered by general José de San Martín in his campaign to free Chile from the Spanish Empire. In 181 ...
being amassed by exiled pro-independence leaders such as Bernardo O'Higgins in the
Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
province of
Mendoza. This army, under
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and cent ...
, would later cross the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
to liberate Chile. Internally, he sought to solidify Spanish control through the brutal repression of all those associated with the independence movement who had remained in Chile. A number of notables were deported to the barren
Juan Fernández Islands
The Juan Fernández Islands ( es, Archipiélago Juan Fernández) are a sparsely inhabited series of islands in the South Pacific Ocean reliant on tourism and fishing. Situated off the coast of Chile, they are composed of three main volcanic i ...
, and others suffered the depredations of group of soldiers led by the infamous captain
Vicente San Bruno Vicente San Bruno Rovira (died April 12, 1817) was a Spanish military officer, infamous for his cruelty during the Chilean War of Independence.
Military career
Vicente San Bruno was born in Aragon, and in his youth he took minor order in a Francisc ...
.
Marco del Pont's rule ended on February 12, 1817, when the defeat of the Royalist forces under the command of
Rafael Maroto
Rafael Maroto Yserns (October 15, 1783 – August 25, 1853) was a Spanish general, known both for his involvement on the Spanish side in the wars of independence in South America and on the Carlist side in the First Carlist War.
Childhood a ...
in the
Battle of Chacabuco
The Battle of Chacabuco, fought during the Chilean War of Independence, occurred on February 12, 1817. The Army of the Andes of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, led by Captain–General José de San Martín, defeated a Spanish for ...
allowed the patriot forces to enter the capital. The governor Marco del Pont tried to escape to Valparaíso to catch a transport leaving for
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, but he was intercepted by an advance column of the patriot army at an ''
hacienda
An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...
'' called "Las Tablas" near
El Quisco
El Quisco is a Chilean city and commune in San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region. Located in the country's central coast, it serves as a popular summer resort for the population of Santiago and forms part of the Coast of Poets, a cultural spa ...
. After his capture, he was interviewed by San Martín, who sent him to Mendoza and later
San Luis. His days ended after a final move to the hacienda of Pedro Ignacio de Mujica, near Renca, in
Luján a city close to
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, when he died in prison in 1819.
Additional information
See also
*
Chilean War of Independence
*
Mariano Osorio
Mariano de Osorio (; 1777–1819) was a Spanish general and Governor of Chile, from 1814 to 1815.
Early career
Osorio was born in Seville, Spain. He joined the Spanish army and as many of his contemporaries, his military career began during the ...
*
Rafael Maroto
Rafael Maroto Yserns (October 15, 1783 – August 25, 1853) was a Spanish general, known both for his involvement on the Spanish side in the wars of independence in South America and on the Carlist side in the First Carlist War.
Childhood a ...
*
Vicente San Bruno Vicente San Bruno Rovira (died April 12, 1817) was a Spanish military officer, infamous for his cruelty during the Chilean War of Independence.
Military career
Vicente San Bruno was born in Aragon, and in his youth he took minor order in a Francisc ...
*
Antonio de Quintanilla
Antonio Quintanilla ( Pámanes, Spain; 1787 - † Almería, Spain; 1863) was a Spanish brigadier and Governor of Chiloé from 1820–1826. He was the last royalist to hold the position.
Background
Quintanilla was the son of Francisco de Quinta ...
*
Juan Francisco Meneses
Juan Francisco Meneses Echanes (June 24, 1785 – December 25, 1860) was a Chilean priest and political figure.
Early life
Meneses was born in Santiago, the son of José Ignacio Meneses and of Micaela Echanes. He studied humanities, philosophy a ...
*
Ventura Miguel Marcó del Pont
Buenaventura Miguel Marcó del Pont Ángel Díaz y Méndez (15 November 1768 – 28 December 1836) was a Spanish merchant and treasurer for the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.
Marcó del Pont was born in Vigo, Spain
, image_flag ...
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Marco del Pont, Francisco
1770 births
1819 deaths
People from Vigo
Royal Governors of Chile
Knights of Santiago
Spanish generals
People of the Chilean War of Independence
Royalists in the Hispanic American Revolution
Spanish commanders of the Napoleonic Wars