Altagracia Calderón (1837, Jalacingo - October 17, 1917,

Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...

), nicknamed "La cabra" or "La charra", was a Mexican

nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

and militant. She fought against the French during the Second French Intervention in her country.

Biography

She was born in Jalacingo, a town which at that time was part of the municipality of

Teziutlán Teziutlán is a city in the northeast of the Mexican state of Puebla. Its 2005 census population was 60,597. It also serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding Teziutlán Municipality. The municipality has an area of 84.2 km2 (32.51 ...

. She joined the militias that formed in Teziutlán against the invading troops of the

Second French Empire The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...

alongside her husband, Gabino Ortega, commander of the cavalry troops, who was killed in military action. She joined the troops of

Ignacio Zaragoza Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín (March 24, 1829 – September 8, 1862) was a Mexican Army officer and politician. He is best known for leading a Mexican army of 3,791 men which defeated a 5,730-strong force of French troops at the battle of Puebla ...

to defend the city of

during the

Battle of Puebla The Battle of Puebla (; ), also known as the Battle of May 5 () took place on 5 May 1862, near Puebla de los Ángeles, during the second French intervention in Mexico. French troops under the command of Charles de Lorencez repeatedly failed to s ...

in May 1862. She worked in the infirmary of the army of the Federal Republic of Mexico, where she met

Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...

. In 1864, Calderón was injured when a bullet hit the left side of her neck, exiting through her mouth. She would often wear a shawl over her face, to cover the scarring. After being caught in

Papantla Papantla () is a city and municipality located in the north of the Mexican state of Veracruz, in the Sierra Papanteca range and on the Gulf of Mexico. The city was founded in the 13th century by the Totonacs and has dominated the Totonacapan reg ...

and imprisoned by imperial troops, she was freed by the troops of Porfirio Díaz after the Taking of Puebla in 1867. She remained in the liberal troops until 1872, when she received a pension from the government. She commanded troops during conflicts in San Juan de los Llanos, San Andrés,

Apulco Apulco is a city in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. The city serves as the administrative center for the surrounding municipality of Apulco. Apulco had a 2005 census population of 1,453 people.Huauchinango Huauchinango (formally, Huauchinango de Degollado, commemorating 19th-century liberal politician and soldier Santos Degollado) is a city in the far north of the state of Puebla in central Mexico. It is located in the rugged Sierra Norte de Puebla ...

and in San Juan Aquixtla. She died in 1917 in the city of Puebla. She was buried in the Municipal Pantheon of Puebla.

Personal life

Calderón was married to Gabino Ortega, who headed the Light Cavalry that formed in Teziutlán with deserters from the French army. Ortega was killed in combat in Tétela del Oro in 1863. Calderón, who was fighting alongside her husband, was forced to abandon his body in order to escape with their weapons. had several children, all of whom died during the Second French Intervention.

Legacy

A square in Teziuteca, Paseo Altagracia Calderón, is named after her.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calderón, Altagracia 1837 births 1917 deaths 19th-century Mexican people 19th-century Mexican women Mexican nurses People from Teziutlán People of the Second French intervention in Mexico