Rosa Montás de Duvergé (1813 – October 19, 1895), also known by her alias ''Madame Bois'', was a Dominican independence heroine and the wife of patriot General

Antonio Duvergé Antonio Duvergé Duval (1807 – April 11, 1855), was a Dominican Republic general, considered one of the most relevant figures during the Independence of the Dominican Republic. He is primarily remembered both for the battles he commanded in t ...

. Montás was born in 1813 and played a significant role 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 ...

. Following the proclamation of the

First Dominican Republic The First Dominican Republic (Spanish: ''Primera República Dominicana'', ''Primera República'') was a predecessor of the currently existing Dominican Republic, and began on 27 February 1844 with the proclamation of the Dominican Republic, and ...

on February 27, 1844, her husband devoted himself entirely to the nation’s defense. Rosa Montás supported him throughout this period, often accompanying him during military campaigns. In the southern regions, she witnessed key battles such as those at Ocoa, Las Matas, Cambronal, and the third confrontation at Cachimán. During these campaigns, Montás tended to wounded soldiers and provided logistical support, using her personal resources to supply rations to the troops stationed along the borders. On several occasions, she donated household items, including bedsheets, to be repurposed as bandages for the injured in the liberating army. Following the execution of her husband in 1855 on the orders of President

Pedro Santana Pedro Santana y Familias, 1st Marquess of Las Carreras (June 29, 1801June 14, 1864) was a Dominican soldier and politician who served three times as the president of the First Dominican Republic (1844–1861) and was the first governor-genera ...

, Montás relocated to

Higüey Higüey (), or in full Salvaleón de Higüey, is the capital city of the eastern La Altagracia Province, in the Dominican Republic, and has 415,084 inhabitants, according to the 2022 census. The Yuma River (Dominican Republic), Yuma River flows t ...

, where she lived in poverty until her death on October 19, 1895. She died invalid and destitute in the home she had occupied since her husband's demise. Rosa Montás was buried in the church of Higüey, though her grave remains unmarked, with no tombstone to honor her legacy.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montas de Duverge, Rosa 1813 births 1895 deaths Mixed Dominicans People of the Dominican War of Independence Women in the Dominican War of Independence Dominican Republic independence activists Dominican Republic revolutionaries

See also

References