Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia Compañía Franca de Voluntarios de Cataluña
Active	1767–1815
Country	Spain
Branch	Spanish Army
Type	Light Infantry
Role	Garrison
Garrison/HQ	Guadalajara (1772–1800) El Perote (1800–1815)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Pere d'Alberní Pere Fages

The Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia was a special military group in the Spanish Army. They served in the Spanish colonial empire, mainly in areas that are now parts of Mexico and the United States. Their job was to protect Spain's lands and interests far from home.

A New Military Group

The company started in Barcelona, Spain, in 1767. King Carlos III wanted to make Spain's overseas lands safer. This was part of bigger changes called the Bourbon Reforms.

The company was made up of four officers and 100 soldiers. Many came from another group called the 2nd Regiment of Light Infantry of Catalonia. Their first leader was Captain Agustín Callis. He had fought in wars in Italy and Portugal.

Early Service in Sonora

In May 1768, the Catalan Volunteers arrived in Guaymas, Sonora (which is now in Mexico). They were part of a large group of 1,200 Spanish soldiers. Their mission was to stop a revolt by the Pima and Seri Native American groups.

After several years of fighting, the Volunteers returned to Mexico City in April 1771.

Exploring and Settling California

In September 1768, Lieutenant Pedro Fages and 25 Volunteers got a new order. They went to San Blas to join an expedition. This trip, led by Gaspar de Portolà, aimed to set up Spanish bases in Alta California (which is now California, USA).

After a long 110-day sea journey, the Volunteers reached San Diego Bay in April 1769. Many soldiers and crew members were very sick with scurvy. Twelve Volunteers died from illness while waiting for more supplies.

Despite these hardships, the Volunteers helped explore and establish San Diego and Monterey. They became the first soldiers to guard the Presidio of Monterey. Fages led them on trips to explore the San Francisco Bay area in 1770 and 1772.

In June 1770, Fages took charge of the military in California. He was sometimes harsh with soldiers and missionaries. Father Junípero Serra complained about him. Because of this, Fages was removed from his command. He and his Volunteers left Monterey in July 1774 to rejoin their main company.

One Volunteer, Jose Antonio Yorba, later settled in what is now Orange County, California. He became the head of an important family there. The city of Yorba Linda, California is named after his family.

How the Company Changed

In Sonora, the Catalan Volunteers worked with another group called the Fusileros de Montaña. In 1772, these two groups joined together. They formed two companies, each with 80 men and 3 officers.

The First Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia stayed under Captain Callis. The Second Company was led by Captain Antonio Pol. Both companies were based in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Guarding Central Mexico

The Volunteers were light infantry, meaning they were good at moving quickly. This made them perfect for duty in the mountains of central Mexico. Even though they were based in Guadalajara, small groups of Volunteers were often sent to other places.

They guarded areas like the Presidio of Mesa del Tonati and the Real del Monte mine. They also served as harbor guards at San Blas, an important naval base. Most of their work was routine, but sometimes they had to stop small rebellions.

Back to Sonora

Fages was promoted to captain in 1776 and given command of the Second Company. He and his new company went to Sonora, arriving in February 1777.

In April, the Second Company moved to the Presidio of El Pitic (modern Hermosillo). They were sent there because of new fighting with the Seris, who quickly surrendered.

Later, the company moved to the Presidio of Santa Cruz de Terrenate. This was to help protect the soldiers there from the Apaches. Fages helped bring order to the fort, but they couldn't stop the Apaches effectively.

In December 1780, Fages went to Mexico City to find new soldiers. While he was gone, the fort was moved to a safer location. The company soon returned to El Pitic to stop another Seri rebellion.

In September 1781, Fages led 40 men from the Second Company to the Yuma Crossing. They went to stop a rebellion by the Quechan people. They rescued Spanish prisoners and recovered items from destroyed missions. However, they could not fully defeat the tribe. The crossing remained closed to Spain for two more years.

During a third trip in 1783, Fages was made Governor of California. The Volunteers returned to Pitic without him. For the next few years, the Second Company fought Apaches and Seris in Sonora. In 1785, they moved to Chihuahua and continued fighting Apaches.

The Pacific Northwest and California

Pere d'Alberní became Captain of the First Company in 1782. In August 1789, his company was sent to the Pacific Northwest. This was because of the Nootka Crisis, a dispute with Britain over land.

They arrived at Nootka Sound in April 1790. They rebuilt Fort San Miguel, becoming the first regular European soldiers in what is now British Columbia, Canada.

The Volunteers' job was to protect Spain's claims in the Pacific Northwest. They wanted to stop British and Russian ships from entering Spanish territory. Alberni's men served as marines on ships. They explored the Pacific coast from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Kodiak Island.

The First Company returned to Guadalajara in 1792. Some Volunteers stayed in Nootka until 1794. In 1796, Alberni, now a Lieutenant Colonel, and his company were sent to California. They helped guard the forts in Monterey, San Diego, and San Francisco.

Alberni also tried to start a new town called the Villa de Branciforte in 1797. He hoped retired Catalan Volunteers would live there. But this plan didn't work out, and the project was stopped in 1802.

Alberni became Governor of California in 1800. José Font took over as Captain of the First Company. Font's soldiers worked to protect California from foreign ships, especially American ones. Despite more foreign activity, the First Company left California in 1803 and was not replaced.

The End of the Companies

Lt. Col. Alberni died in Monterey in 1802. He was the last of the original officers from 1767. By this time, most of the soldiers were no longer from Catalonia. They came from other parts of Spain or were criollos (people of Spanish descent born in Mexico).

In 1810, the Volunteers were called to fight against the revolt of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. The First Company in Guadalajara was reorganized and joined other units.

The Second Company was based at El Perote, near Mexico City. In 1812, they fought in the Siege of Cuautla against rebels led by José María Morelos. The Volunteers fought bravely but suffered many losses.

The company continued to fight in other battles until 1815. By then, they were no longer a separate unit. They had been absorbed into larger groups of soldiers.

Uniform

The Volunteers wore a blue coat with a yellow collar and cuffs. They also had a yellow waistcoat, blue pants, and a black hat with three corners. This hat had a red ribbon, which was a symbol of the Spanish royal family.

The company had two drummers. After 1760, Spanish army drummers wore the King of Spain's colors. This was a blue coat with a red collar and cuffs, and a red waistcoat. Both the coat and waistcoat had red lace with a white chain pattern. This style was similar to French uniforms before 1789. The Spanish kings were related to the French royal family, so they used similar designs.

Images for kids

The crest of the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, has a picture of a feathered leather helmet. This helmet represents the Catalan Volunteers. It honors their role in starting the military post there. However, it's unlikely the Volunteers actually wore these helmets in North America.

The Catalan Volunteers are shown in the 1955 American movie Seven Cities of Gold. This movie tells a fictional and not very accurate story about how Spanish California was founded. Lieutenant Fages is played by actor Victor Junco.

A soldier in a Catalan Volunteer uniform also briefly appears in the 1968 movie Guns of San Sebastian. This movie also stars Anthony Quinn. But the movie is set in 1746, which is 20 years before the Volunteers came to New Spain.

Images for kids

• 

  Emblem of the Spanish Army

• 

  Flag of Spain (1785-1931)

See also

In Spanish: Primera Compañía Franca de Voluntarios de Cataluña para niños