Francisco Pelliza (1792–1879) was an Argentine patriot military officer who fought in the

Argentine War of Independence The Argentine War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de Argentina, links=no) was a secessionist civil war fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín a ...

. He took part in the defense and reconquest of Buenos Aires during the English Invasions and carried out the Emancipatory campaigns under the command of General Manuel Belgrano. He was taken prisoner after the defeat of

Ayohuma The Battle of Ayohuma ("dead man's head" in Quechua) was a military action fought on 14 November 1813 during the Spanish American wars of independence. The forces of the Royal Army of Viceroyalty of Peru, commanded by Spaniard General Joaquín ...

on November 14, 1813, and destined for the Casas Matas of

Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists o ...

jail where he was held for several years. He owed his freedom to a prisoner exchange made by General José de San Martín in 1820. He was rejoined the army that same year serving with the rank of Captain in the

Expedición Libertadora del Perú The Liberating Expedition of Peru ( es, Expedición Libertadora del Perú) was a naval and land military force created in 1820 by the government of Chile in continuation of the plan of the Argentine General José de San Martín to achieve the i ...

. He also took part in the Argentine Civil War, serving in the ranks of the Unitarian Army participated in the

Invasion of Lavalle to the Province of Buenos Aires An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishin ...

Biography

He was born in Buenos Aires, son of Luis Pelliza and María Molina, belonging to a distinguished Creole family. He did his elementary studies in the Colegio Real de San Carlos, and began his military career during the first British invasions of the River Plate, serving in the Regiment of Patricians. He was graduated as Ensign of the Patrician Regiment on July 30, 1808, then serving as second lieutenant of the same regiment from January 10, 1809. That same year the Regiment of Patricians under the command of Cornelio Saavedra took part in the actions against the rebel troops of Martín de Álzaga, who had risen up against the Viceroy Liniers (

Mutiny of Álzaga The Mutiny of Álzaga ( es, Asonada de Álzaga) was an ill-fated attempt to remove Santiago de Liniers as viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. It took place on January 1, 1809, and it was led by the merchant Martín de Álzaga (polit ...

). He supported the cause of the May Revolution, and was confirmed as officer of the Patricians by the new authorities. He toke part in the first battles produced in the War for Independence since 1810. In 1812 Francisco Pelliza served as Lieutenant in the Army of the North commanded by Manuel Belgrano. Under the command of General Belgrano, he participated in the battles Tucuman, Salta,

Vilcapugio The Battle of Vilcapugio ( qu, Sacred Well) was a major battle fought on October 1, 1813, during the second Campaign of Upper Peru in the Argentine War of Independence, where the United Provinces forces led by General Manuel Belgrano were defea ...

and

. On 14, November 1813, Pelliza was taken prisoner at the Battle of Ayohuma. He was imprisoned until 1820, when he was released in a prisoner exchange by General José de San Martin. In 1821, Pelliza was promoted to Captain, serving in the Escolta de Húsares. Francisco Pelliza retired from the Army with the rank of Sergeant major. In 1831, he was appointed to occupy the post of Chief of Campaña (Alcalde) in the town of Cañuelas (Buenos Aires Province). He and his family were active members of Freemasonry in the Río de La Plata.

Family

He married on September 12, 1812 in the

Buenos Aires Cathedral The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral ( es, Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires) is the main Catholic church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located in the city center, overlooking Plaza de Mayo, on the corner of San Martín and Rivadavia ...

, to María de los Santos Fernández Castro, daughter of Ramón de los Santos Fernández and Encarnación Molina. He and his wife were parents of Manuela Pelliza (born in 1812), married on August 17, 1826 in Santos Lugares to Sinforoso Camilo Canaveris, son of María de los Ángeles Rodríguez and

Manuel Canaveris Manuel Canaveris (1787– c. 1825) was an Argentine army officer, who took part in the defense and reconquest of Buenos Aires during the English Invasions. He served under Colonel Ignacio Álvarez Thomas in the Tercio de Cántabros Montañeses, 4th ...

, a lieutenant who served in the Regiment of Patricians. His grandson Francisco María Canaveris (1827-1861) was a cavalry lieutenant who took part in the war between the

Argentine Confederation The Argentine Confederation (Spanish: ''Confederación Argentina'') was the last predecessor state of modern Argentina; its name is still one of the official names of the country according to the Argentine Constitution, Article 35. It was the name ...

and the State of Buenos Aires. He took an active part serving in the defense of Buenos Aires against the besieging troops of General Hilario Lagos. Francisco Pelliza was the great-grandson of

Domingo Pelliza Domingo Pelliza (c. 1700 – c. 1770) was a politician and merchant of Genoese noble ancestry. He held several council posts in the City Council of the Viceroyalty of Peru, serving as Alcalde (Mayor) of "Hermandad" and Mayordomo of Buenos Aires. ...

, a

Genoese Genoese may refer to: * a person from Genoa * Genoese dialect, a dialect of the Ligurian language * Republic of Genoa (–1805), a former state in Liguria See also * Genovese, a surname * Genovesi, a surname * * * * * Genova (disambiguati ...

merchant established in Buenos Aires by 1738. He was also a descendant of

Domingo de Acassuso Domingo de Acassuso (1658–1727) was a Spanish politician and military man, who served as mayor of Buenos Aires in 1716. He was the founder of the city of San Isidro in Buenos Aires Province. Biography He was born in Zalla, province of Bisc ...

, founder of San Isidro, a city in the Buenos Aires Province. His son Mariano Aurelio Pelliza, was married to his cousin Virginia Pelliza Pueyrredón, daughter of José María Pelliza and Virginia Pueyrredón, in turn daughter of Juan Martín de Pueyrredón and Juana Sánchez. His family is also directly linked to the families Wilde and Mom.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pelliza, Francisco 1792 births 1879 deaths Argentine people of Italian descent Argentine people of Spanish descent Argentine Army officers Argentine independence activists Argentine Freemasons Argentine revolutionaries Canaveri family People from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata