Carlos Frederico Lecor, Viscount of Laguna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Viscount of Laguna
Carlos Frederico Lecor, Viscount of Laguna
President of Cisplatina Province
In office January 20, 1817 – February 3, 1826
Monarch	João VI Pedro I
Preceded by	Miguel Barreiro (Governor of the Oriental Province)
Succeeded by	Francisco de Paula Magessi
Personal details
Born	October 6, 1764 Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	August 2, 1836 (aged 71) Rio de Janeiro, Empire of Brazil
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Portugal United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves  Empire of Brazil
Rank	Marshal of the Army (Brazil) Lieutenant General (Portugal/United Kingdom)
Battles/wars	Peninsular War Battle of Garris Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental Cisplatine War

Carlos Frederico Lecor (born October 6, 1764 – died August 2, 1836) was an important general and politician. He was born in Portugal but also became a key figure in Brazil. He was known as the first Baron of Laguna in Portugal. Later, he became the Viscount of Laguna in Brazil.

Lecor was a unique leader. He was the first Portuguese officer to command a division of British troops. This happened during the Peninsular War under Wellington. He also led Portuguese forces that took over a region called Banda Oriental in 1816. This area is now Uruguay.

Carlos Lecor's Early Life and Army Start (1764–1807)

Carlos Frederico Lecor was born in Lisbon, Portugal. His father, Louis Pierre Lecor, was French. His mother, Quitéria Maria Krusse, had German, Dutch, and Spanish family roots.

His family worked in trade and business. As the oldest of five children, Carlos was expected to follow in their footsteps. But he chose a different path. In 1770, his family moved to Faro. In 1793, at age 29, he joined the Portuguese Army. He started as a gunner, a soldier who operates cannons.

He was first stationed at a fortress in Tavira. There, he quickly rose to the rank of sergeant. He then became an assistant to the military commander in Portimão. In 1794, he became a first lieutenant in the Artillery Regiment of Algarve. He was second in command of a gunner company.

In 1795 and 1796, he served on a large ship called the Nau Príncipe da Beira. This ship was part of a fleet protecting trading vessels going to Salvador, Brazil. After returning to Lisbon, he was promoted to captain. He joined an experimental army unit called the Light Troops Legion. He became an aide-de-camp (a personal assistant) to General Marquis of Alorna. Through this role, he was promoted to major in 1802 and lieutenant-colonel in 1805.

Lecor's Role in the Peninsular War (1807–1814)

The Peninsular War was a big conflict. It involved France, led by Napoleon, invading Portugal and Spain. In November 1807, French forces invaded Portugal for the first time. Carlos Frederico Lecor was the one who spotted the invading army. He personally told the Prince-Regent, who later became King John VI.

Lecor did not want to serve in the French army. So, he escaped to Plymouth, England. He hoped to travel to Brazil. But he heard about Portuguese people fighting back in June 1808. He then helped create the Loyal Lusitanian Legion. This was a military group formed by Portuguese people living in England. He returned to Portugal with Colonel Robert Wilson. In December 1808, he became the colonel of the 23rd Infantry Regiment in Almeida.

From 1809 to 1813, Lecor commanded several units in the Portuguese Army. He often led groups of soldiers called brigades. He also served as the military commander for the Beira Baixa region. He was promoted to brigadier general on May 8, 1811. For a short time in 1811, he commanded the Portuguese Brigade. This brigade was part of the Allied 7th Division. He fought in the Bussaco campaign and helped defend the Lines of Torres Vedras.

Before the Vitoria Campaign in 1813, Lecor was again put in charge of the Portuguese Brigade. This brigade was part of the 7th Division of the Anglo-Portuguese Army. He was promoted to major general on June 4, 1813. He then fought in the Battle of Sorauren and the Battle of Nivelle. During the Battle of Nivelle, he even commanded the entire 7th Division. He then took command of the Portuguese Division. He led this division until the war ended. He also took part in the Battle of the Nive.

Service in Brazil and Uruguay (1815–1829)

After the Peninsular War ended in mid-1814, Lecor returned to Portugal. For a short time, he was the military governor of Alentejo.

In June 1815, he was promoted to lieutenant general. He was put in charge of a special army unit called the Prince's Royal Voluntary Division. This unit was sent to serve in Brazil. It was made up mostly of experienced soldiers.

In 1816, he led a successful invasion called the Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental. This was against the Federal League led by José Gervasio Artigas. Artigas had freed the Banda Oriental (which is now Uruguay) from Spanish rule the year before.

Lecor personally governed the newly conquered area, which was named the Cisplatina Province. He ruled until the Cisplatine War began in 1825. During this war, he successfully defended the city of Montevideo against an attack by Argentine and Uruguayan forces. However, when Uruguay became an independent country through a peace treaty, Lecor had to return to Brazil.

See also

• In Spanish: Carlos Federico Lecor para niños