Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

José Antonio de Pareja y Mariscal (December 7, 1757 – May 21, 1813) was a

Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy, officially the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation ...

officer. He captained the ''Argonauta'' during the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...

in 1805 and in 1812 commanded Royalist troops during the

Chilean War of Independence The Chilean War of Independence (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Guerra de la Independencia de Chile'', 'War of Independence of Chile') was a military and political event that allowed the emancipation of Chile from the Spanish Empire, Spanish Mona ...

Biography

Youth and early career

Pareja was born in Cabra, near

Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...

, Spain and was fascinated with the Navy from childhood. He enlisted as a midshipman in 1771 and sailed in several naval task forces, attending many actions. He distinguished himself by taking the islands of St. Peter and St. Antiochus. From February 1778 to May 1782 he commanded a frigate and a private vessel as well as a brig. His wife was Josepha Septien. In 1782 Pareja had fought in the

Battle of Cape Spartel The Battle of Cape Spartel was an indecisive naval battle between a Franco- Spanish fleet under Admiral Luis de Córdova y Córdova and a British fleet under Admiral Richard Howe. These forces met on 20 October 1782 after Howe successfully re ...

and at

Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was part of the Province of Málaga un ...

, his ships on several occasions landing artillery, ammunition and food and at one point suffering a horrific fire. As commander of the frigate ''Perla'' he participated in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent on February 14, 1797. In the

Bay of Algiers A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

galley A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...

under his command fired for eight hours at the

Barbary corsairs The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...

Trafalgar

In 1803 Pareja commanded the ship ''San Agustin'' and in February 1805 he acquired the ship of the

Prince of Asturias Prince or Princess of Asturias () is the main substantive title used by the heir apparent, or heir presumptive to the monarchy of Spain, Spanish Crown. According to the Spanish Constitution of 1978: The title originated in 1388, when King J ...

and sailed to Cadiz with the combined fleets of France and Spain under the command of

Admiral Villeneuve Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve (; 31 December 1763 – 22 April 1806) was a French Navy officer who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was in command of a French and Spanish fleet which was ...

and Lieutenant General Gravina. There he was given command of the ''Argonauta''. The following October 20 he sailed with the combined fleet of the same generals, and found himself in combat against the English Admiral

Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

Cape Trafalgar Cape Trafalgar (; ) is a headland in the Province of Cádiz in the southwest of Spain. The 1805 naval Battle of Trafalgar, in which the Royal Navy commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson decisively defeated Napoleon's combined Spanish and French f ...

(21 October 1805). ''Argonauta'' suffered immense damage and sank the second day of the battle, which led to numerous deaths and injuries, including the injury of the Captain himself. Later that year Pareja was promoted to

. In June 1808, Pareja witnessed the battle and surrender of the French fleet of Admiral Rosily. After a period of leave in Madrid he was sent back to the department of Cadiz in 1809. He then commanded the ships ''Terrible'' and ''San Justo'' and in early 1810 all the forces of the

Isla de León The Isla de León is a historical name for the piece of land between the city of Cádiz and the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. In 1813, it was renamed San Fernando in honor of King Fernando VII of Spain for his courage in the defense of the cit ...

Chile

Pareja commanded the island until July 1810 when he was appointed Governor and Captain-General of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

, then in full insurrection. Pareja arrived in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

in 1811 as Governor-Intendant of the Chilean province of Concepción. There was, however, a change in plan. At the directive of the

José Fernando de Abascal José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...

, Viceroy of Peru, whose authority included the provinces of Chile, Pareja organized an expedition against Chiloé and

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder, Pedro de Valdivia, and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and ...

which had declared their independence. In late February 1813, Pareja gathered 2,400 men and took the little port of San Vicente, adjacent to

Talcahuano Talcahuano () (From Mapudungun ''Tralkawenu'', "Thundering Sky") is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation. Talcahuano is located in the south of the Central Zone of Chile. ...

. He then immediately marched upon Concepción, which he took possession of with the aid of the native militia. He augmented his forces to about 4,000 soldiers and at once marched upon

Chillán Chillán () is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of Ñuble Region, Diguillín Province, Chile, located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the center of the country. It has been the capital of the new Ñuble Region since ...

which surrendered without a fight and swelled his army with another 2,000 soldiers. In the meantime, Brigadier

José Miguel Carrera José Miguel Carrera Verdugo (; October 15, 1785 – September 4, 1821) was a Chilean general, formerly Spanish military, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most impor ...

, head of the Independentist government, had organized the resistance in

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 ...

. Both armies met at the

Battle of Yerbas Buenas The Battle of Yerbas Buenas developed during the Chilean War of Independence on April 27, 1813. It is also known as the Surprise of Yerbas Buenas. In the battle, the Chilean forces, under the command of Colonel Juan de Dios Puga, and the Spani ...

(April 27, 1813). The Independentists, who had attempted a night surprise, were forced to retreat. Pareja, sick with

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

, then decided to retreat himself back to Chillán. He was already so sick that he had to be carried on a stretcher. In Chillán he had to submit to a prolonged

siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

. While there, the port of Talcahuano was recaptured by the Independentists, who also managed to capture the frigate ''Tomas'' which was coming from Callao with re-enforcements. Pareja, already weakened by his pneumonia and aggrieved by these reverses, died shortly afterward. His command of the Royalist army was assumed by

Juan Francisco Sánchez ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philippi ...

Legacy

Pareja's son, Vice Admiral

José Manuel Pareja José Manuel de Pareja y Septien (8 February 1813 – 28 November 1865) was a Spanish Navy officer who commanded the Spanish forces during the Chincha Islands War. Biography Youth and early career Pareja was born in Lima in 1813, the son ...

(1813–1865) commanded the Spanish fleet during the

Chincha Islands War The Chincha Islands War, also known as Spanish–South American War (), 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 conflict began with Spain's seiz ...

(1864–1866).

References