Mariano Vargas Quintanilla was a Peruvian Colonel of the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific ( es, link=no, Guerra del Pacífico), also known as the Saltpeter War ( es, link=no, Guerra del salitre) and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought ...

. He was one of the main commanders during the

Lima campaign The Lima campaign is the third land campaign of the War of the Pacific, carried out by Chile between December 1880 and January 1881. The campaign ended with the Chilean occupation of the Peruvian capital and the establishment of the Chilean aut ...

and was known for his leadership during the Battle of La Rinconada de Ate.

Early military career

Vargas was born on July 1823 at

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

as the son of Juan Nepomuceno Vargas Guimet and Carmen Quintanilla. Two of his brothers, Juan Nepomuceno and Juan Rafael would also go on to participate in the

with equivalent ranks. He enlisted in the Peruvian Army on 1838 and fought in the

Battle of Yungay The Battle of Yungay (or Yungai) was the final battle of the War of the Confederation, fought on January 20, 1839, near Yungay, Peru. The United Restorer Army, led by Chilean General Manuel Bulnes, consisting mainly of Chileans and 600 North ...

by the next year. He would later participate in the Peruvian-Bolivian War and the

Chincha Islands War The Chincha Islands War, also known as Spanish–South American War ( es, Guerra hispano-sudamericana), was a series of coastal and naval battles between Spain and its former colonies of Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia from 1865 to 1879. The ...

with a promotion to colonel in 1865. Around this time he stated that he knew what "bullets are".

War of the Pacific

By January 4, 1881, Vargas was given command of the Ate Valley and when news of incoming Chilean soldiers under the command of

Orozimbo Barbosa Orozimbo Barbosa Puga (March 5, 1838 – August 28, 1891) was a Chilean politician and military figure who played a major role in the Occupation of the Araucanía (1861–1883), the War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific ( es, link=n ...

, he began to take immediate action. He began by sending several reconnaissance forces at Pampa Grande as well as in Portachuelo de Manchay which was in the north. He also requested Commander Pedro J. Roca y Boloña for resources to construct a defensive line which were allocated. Despite the increasingly difficult situation he found himself in, Vargas would continue to lead in the Battle of La Rinconada de Ate. After the battle, he was relieved of his position and would join the forces of

Nicolás de Piérola Jose Nicolás Baltasar Fernández de Piérola y Villena (known as "''El Califa''" ("The Caliph"); January 5, 1839 – June 23, 1913) was a Peruvian politician and Minister of Finance of Peru, Minister of Finance who served as the 23rd and 31 ...

and participate in the

Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos The Battle of San Juan, also known as the Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos, was the first of two battles in the Lima Campaign during the War of the Pacific, and was fought on 13 January 1881. This battle is really a group of smaller, yet fierce ...

and

Battle of Miraflores The Battle of Miraflores occurred on January 15, 1881 in the Miraflores District of Lima, Peru. It was an important battle during the War of the Pacific that was fought between Chile and the forces of Peru. The Chilean army led by Gen. Manuel ...

Later life

After the war, Vargas would continue to serve in the Peruvian Army and was made a member of the Council of General Officers. In 1899, a full pension was provided to Vargas. Two years before his death, "La Crónica" requested that Vargas be promoted to General.

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vargas, Mariano 1823 births 1916 deaths Peruvian Army officers People of the War of the Confederation People of the Chincha Islands War Peruvian military personnel of the War of the Pacific Military personnel from Lima