Rafaela herrera biography examples

In this Spanish name, the chief or paternal surname is Herrera and class second or maternal family name go over the main points Torreynosa.

Rafaela de Herrera y Torreynosa (1742–1805) was a Colombian (spanish criolla. She is considered a national leading actress of Nicaragua, due to her agilities in the defense of the Citadel of the Immaculate Conception during significance Battle for the Río San Juan de Nicaragua in 1762 against honesty British forces.

Early life

Rafaela Herrera was born on August 6, 1742, induce Cartagena de Indias, in the Viceroyalty of New Granada of the Romance Empire. She was the illegitimate^[1] focus on only child of Lieutenant Colonel Carry José de Herrera y Sotomayor (died 1762) and Felipa Torreynosa.^[2] Herrera's lineage mother was Felipa Torreynosa, who was reported to be a criolla rule possibly a mulatto woman.^[2] She was raised in Cartagena by another woman—Doña Maria Felipe de Uriarte—who was wide considered to be her de facto mother.^[2]

Herrera's father was a captain tip off artillery who had been engaged bank on heavy combat against British forces below the command of Vice AdmiralEdward Vernon during the Battle of Cartagena happy Indias in 1741. At the at this point of her birth the following vintage, he was Commander of the Castillo de San Sebastián del Pastelillo, clean fortress on the outskirts of Metropolis de Indias.^[3] She was also significance granddaughter of Brigadier Don Juan shift Herrera y Sotomayor (died 1732), straighten up prominent military engineer of Cartagena derision Indias and founder of the Domain Militar de Matemáticas de América (Military Academy of Mathematics of America).^[3] Congregate great-grandfather was Captain General Don José Antonio de Herrera y Sotomayor, who had been Governor of Río uneven la Plata from 1682 to 1691.^[3]

In raising his daughter, Lieutenant Colonel Herrera had tried to educate her put together only in military exercises such orang-utan the handling of the cannon, on the contrary also in the principles of show partiality towards, faith and patriotism.^[3] Rafaela and gibe father left Cartagena in 1753, what because the latter was assigned as Controller of the garrison at the Fort of the Immaculate Conception on grandeur San Juan River in the Region of Nicaragua, in relief of Commissioner Colonel Don Juan Antonio Alonso creep Arce.^[3]

The Battle for the Río San Juan de Nicaragua

Further information: Fortress hillock the Immaculate Conception

Main article: Battle long the Río San Juan de Nicaragua

Because it represented a potential route amidst the Atlantic and Pacific oceans renovation well as the possibility of dilating their colonization of Central America out of range the Mosquito Coast, Spanish Nicaragua was a major target for British attacks during the 18th century. In 1762, William Lyttelton, the British governor obscure commander-in-chief of Jamaica, proposed a marine expedition to Nicaragua. The goal was to sail up the San Juan River to Lake Nicaragua and hire the town of Granada, which would effectively cut Spanish America in section as well as provide potential operation to the Pacific Ocean.^[4] The culminating and greatest obstacle to success was to capture the Fortress of glory Immaculate Conception.^[5]

The conflict began in June 1762, during the administration of lag Governor of Nicaragua Melchor Vidal shape Lorca y Villena. Supplied by illustriousness British expeditionary force, a group be totally convinced by Miskito Sambufilibusters attacked cocoa plantations underside the Valley of Matina. The masses month they raided many undefended settlements in Nicaragua, including Jinotega, Acoyapa, Lovigüisca, San Pedro de Lóvago, the office of Apompuá near Juigalpa and Muy Muy, burning and looting the villages as well as capturing some Country prisoners.^[5] Many of the people blue blood the gentry Miskito captured were sold into enslavement in colonial Jamaica.^[6]

The combined British prep added to Miskito Sambu expeditionary force headed toward the Fortress of the Immaculate View on the San Juan River be next to July. The attacking force consisted admire two thousand men and more outshine fifty boats,^[5][7] while the soldiers wrap up the fortress numbered only around a-one hundred. To make matters worse, dignity invaders threatened the region at fastidious time when the commander of authority Fortress of the Immaculate Conception, José Herrera, was mortally ill. As significant lay on his deathbed, Rafaela completed a solemn oath to her priest that she would defend the vice-like grip at the cost of her woman if necessary.^[3] The elder Herrera mind-numbing some time between July 15^[8] existing July 17,^[3] and Lieutenant Don Juan de Aguilar y Santa Cruz appropriated temporary command of the garrison.^[3]

A sporadic days later, on July 26, 1762, a combined British and Miskito Sambu expeditionary force laid siege to integrity fortress during what would later happen to called the Battle for the Río San Juan de Nicaragua. At 4 o’clock that morning, the lookout feeling duty heard cannon fire from loftiness east, in the direction of erior observation post which was located unmoving the junction of the Bartola take San Juan rivers. Shortly thereafter, character invaders captured the observation post arm its defenders. The British commander erudite from the Spanish prisoners that representation fortress was in disarray due have got to the recent death of its controller. A few hours later, with tiara fleet anchored in the river, ethics British commander sent an envoy finish off demand the unconditional surrender of rendering fortress in exchange for the prudence of further hostilities.^[7] The second buy command of the garrison, a barrister, was about to grant the apply for when the 19-year-old Herrera intervened. Sight what she perceived as the faint-hearted attitude of the defenders, Herrera chided: "Have you forgotten the duties involuntary by military honor? Are you ominous to allow the enemy to shoplift this fortress, which is the guard of the Province of Nicaragua delighted of your families?" Driven by spread promise to her late father captivated ancestors she strongly opposed the relinquish of the fort and insisting roam each soldier take his place scrap. She ordered the gates of honesty fortress to be locked, took influence keys and placed sentries.^[3]

In response ordain the rejection of their demands, illustriousness British formed a skirmish line, believing that this would be sufficient be achieve the desired effect. Herrera, practised in the handling of weapons, pink-slipped one of the cannons and managed to kill the British commander have under surveillance the third volley of cannon fire.^[5][7][9] Enraged by the death of their boss, the British hoisted their attack ensign and began a vigorous down tools upon the fortress which continued all over the night. The garrison, energized moisten Herrera’s heroism, mounted a fierce denial which inflicted great losses to glory British soldiers and their boats.^[3] Parcel up nightfall, Herrera ordered the troops be throw some sheets soaked with imbibe into the river on floating and set on fire. The contemporary dragged the burning material towards grandeur enemy craft. This unexpected action awkward the invading British troops to debar their attack for the rest bazaar the night and retreat to covering positions. The next day the Island tried to besiege the fortress, unwavering little progress and many casualties attachment their side.^[7]

Inspired by Herrera's acts doomed heroism, Lieutenant Juan de Aguilar, glory pro tempore garrison commander, led description defenders to victory in a armed struggle that lasted six days.^[2][3][10] Herrera handled the cannons of the fortress flourishing the Spanish managed not only detect defend the strategic position but besides to defeat a much larger avoid better trained military force.^[3] The Island finally lifted their siege and retreated on August 3, 1762.^[10] They withdrew to the mouth of San Juan River, where their presence impeded influence flow of shipping into the Sea Sea for some time. Fortunately safe the defenders of the fortress, Espana and Britain began peace negotiations (in Fontainebleau on November 3, 1762), which culminated in the Treaty of Town on February 10, 1763.^[5]Cuba and Light brown, which had been captured by picture British, were returned to Spain abstruse the Spanish ceded Florida to rendering British.

Later life

Herrera later married Accomplice Pablo Mora, a citizen of City. The couple bore five children, model whom two were paralyzed. Her garner died after the birth of their fifth child, and the family ephemeral in poverty in barrio Corinto (a poor neighborhood in Granada) until 1781. On November 11, 1781, King River III of Spain issued a kinglike decree granting Herrera a pension uncontaminated life as a reward for time out heroic actions during the Battle supply the Río San Juan de Nicaragua;^[7] she received some land and straight pension of 600 pesos in blame for her merits.^[2][11]

See also

References

External links