Lucas Evangelista de Peña (1823–1909) was a Dominican general who was an important figure in the Dominican Republic's struggles against Haiti and Spain.

Biography

He was born in 1823 in Villa Nueva,

Guayubín Guayubín is a town in the Monte Cristi province of the Dominican Republic. It is Monte Cristi's second-largest town. They hold annual festivities from August 1 until about August 10, where they celebrate their saint, which is San Lorenzo (Saint ...

. He was a veteran in the

Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence () was a war of independence that began when the Dominican Republic declared independence from the Republic of Haiti on February 27, 1844 and ended on January 24, 1856. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola ...

where he reached the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

. He was one of the heroes of the

Battle of Sabana Larga The Battle of Sabana Larga () was a major battle during the years after the Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence () was a war of independence that began when the Dominican Republic declared independence from the Re ...

. He fought victoriously under the command of General Juan Luis Franco Bidó, on January 24, 1856, against the troops of the Haitian emperor

Faustin Soulouque Faustin-Élie Soulouque (; 15 August 1782 – 3 August 1867) was a Haitian politician and military commander who served as President of Haiti from 1847 to 1849 and Emperor of Haiti from 1849 to 1859. Soulouque was a general in the Armed Forces ...

. By the end of the 1850s, he attained the rank of

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

. When the annexation to Spain was proclaimed in 1861, Lucas de Peña was already a brigadier general and became part of the Reserves. He lived in the section of El Pocito, Guayubín. On February 21, 1863 he led the battle against the taking of this town. The informant of Colonel Norberto Torres had put the Spanish on the trail of the movement that was brewing. Arrests began, and chief Lucas de Peña precipitated the beginning of the uprising. He himself led the assault on Guayubín.

Santiago Rodríguez Masagó Santiago Rodríguez Masagó ( – 27 May 1879), also known as Santiago Rodríguez, nicknamed "Chago" was a Dominican military leader. Little is known of his birth but sources suggest that he was either born in Cap-Haïtien or the area of Fort-L ...

reacted with upset: “Lucas already did it to me,” Rodríguez said. However, he supported De Peña and declared Sabaneta. Despite some initial successes, the movement failed and the devastating repression that caused the disbandment came. Lucas de Peña was tried by a military commission. He evaded capture by moving to

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

. And so, when the war reappeared on August 16, 1863, De Peña took his position as a patriotic soldier. Shortly after, he adopted a less militant attitude than was expected of a combatant of his category and suspicion arose around him, to the point that, under the presidency of

Pedro Antonio Pimentel Pedro Antonio Pimentel y Chamorro (1830–1874) was a Dominican Republic military figure and politician. He served as the 12th president of the Dominican Republic from March 25, 1865 until August 4, of that year. He also served as governor of ...

, he was kept in confinement in the city of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

, although for a very short time. After the end of the war, he refrained from participation from public life and spent his energy in private life and in caring for the herd of cattle that he had inherited from his parents. He died in 1909.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peña, Lucas de 1823 births 1909 deaths People from Monte Cristi Province Dominican Republic independence activists Dominican Republic revolutionaries People of the Dominican War of Independence People of the Dominican Restoration War