The Literary Battalion was a

military company A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a captain. Most companies are formed of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure. ...

composed of students from the

University of Santiago de Compostela , established = , type = Public , budget = €228 million (2011) , rector = Prof. Dr. Antonio López Díaz , city = Santiago de Compostela , state = Galicia , country = Spain , undergrad = 23,835 , postgrad = 1,716 , doctoral = 2,697 ...

in Spain. Although there were a number of different incarnations of the group, the most notable fought in the

Spanish War of Independence 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, ...

(1808–1814).

History

The Literary Battalion was first formed in 1663, in the face of the Portuguese attacks on the town of

Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...

, after the revolt of Portugal against Spain in 1640. It formed again in 1665, 1808 and in 1846 (during the

Solís Uprising The Solís Uprising ( es, Levantamiento de Solís) was an unsuccessful military uprising in Galicia (Spain) in 1846. The soldiers executed after the defeat became known as the Martyrs of Carral ( es, Mártires de Carral). Context The Moderate Decad ...

). However, the 1808 unit is by far the most famous.

1808 campaign

The unit was formed in 42 days, after a meeting held in the cloisters of the university presided over by Rafael Múzquiz, Archbishop of Compostela. In 1808, Juan Ignacio de Armada Caamaño Ibáñez de Mondragón y Salgado de Sotomayor (Marquis of Santa Cruz de Rivadulla) agreed to lead the unit and provide financial support. According to Alfonso Armada Comyn, the marquis at the time, "In order to be able to lead the university students he was made a doctor in all the faculties". The unit's

colours Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

(which are today preserved in the Assembly Hall of the Faculty of Law of the university) were the blue and white of the

Flag of Galicia The flag of Galicia appeared for first time in the 19th century, probably based on the colours of the ancient medieval flags of the Kingdom of Galicia. Originally, the flag was probably a blue St Andrew's Cross over a white field – St Andrew ...

and carried two shields: that of the ancient

Kingdom of Galicia The Kingdom of Galicia ( gl, Reino de Galicia, or ''Galiza''; es, Reino de Galicia; pt, Reino da Galiza; la, Galliciense Regnum) was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire north ...

and the coat of arms of the university. This was surmounted by a royal crown and an inscription. The soldiers also carried a scroll containing a brief poem: "To rescue Fernando ( King Fernando VII) and to put an end to Bonaparte

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...

and

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...

are united." On 18 July 1808 the battalion left to join the troops of General

Joaquín Blake Joaquín Blake y Joyes (Vélez-Málaga, 19 August 1759 – 27 April 1827) was a Spanish military officer who served with distinction in the French Revolutionary and Peninsular wars. Early military career Partially of Irish descent his mother ...

, where the Navarrese volunteers were joined by the vanguard. Among the multiple recorded exploits was that of entering incognito the city of

A Coruña A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and s ...

, taken by French Marshal

Michel Ney Michel Ney, 1st Duke of Elchingen, 1st Prince of the Moskva (; 10 January 1769 – 7 December 1815), was a French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one o ...

, to reconnoitre the batteries. In 1810 General

Francisco Javier Castaños Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father of ...

ordered the disbandment of the Literary Battalion, promoting the few survivors to the rank of officer in the military corps.

Remembrance

A commemorative plaque in in the city of

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...

bears the inscription: :A LOS HEROES DEL BATALLON LITERARIO DE 1808 :LOS ESCOLARES COMPOSTELANOS DE 1896 Y LOS AYUNTAMIENTOS DE 1822 1865 Y 1896 :(To the heroes of the Literary Battalion of 1808 :The Compostela scholars of 1896 and the city councils of 1822 1865 and 1896)

References

Bibliography

* * *{{cite book, last = Tettamancy Gastón , first = Francisco , author-link= :es:Francisco Tettamancy , title= Batallón Literario de Santiago: Diario de campaña (años 1808 al 1812), year = 1910 , location= A Coruña, publisher = Imprenta y Fotograbado de Ferrer

External links

A Tribute to the Heroes of the Literary Battalion, in the ''Correo Gallego''
Military units and formations of Spain History of Galicia (Spain) Military units and formations of the Napoleonic Wars