Gregorio Paz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregorio Paz
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| Born | 1797 |
| Died | 7 September 1869 (aged 71–72) |
| Nationality | Argentinian |
| Occupation | Soldier |
Gregorio Paz was an important Argentine soldier. He was born in 1797 and died in 1869. He fought in many big wars for his country. These included the War of Independence, a war against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, and several civil wars within Argentina.
Contents
Early Life and Military Start
Gregorio Paz was born in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, in 1797. His father, Juan Bautista Paz, was a minister in the province many times. His brother, Marcos Paz, later became a vice president.
Joining the Army
In 1814, Gregorio Paz joined the Northern Army. He took part in the Battle of Sipe-Sipe. After this, he joined the army of the Republic of Tucumán. He fought in the civil wars of the early 1820s. In 1823, he became the commander of the Amaichá Valley and Colalao Valley areas.
Fighting in Civil Wars
Paz served under important leaders like Javier López and Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid. He fought in the Battle of El Tala and became a colonel in November 1826. He helped create a group of soldiers for the War with Brazil. However, these soldiers were used in Argentina's own civil war instead.
He fought in the Battle of Rincon de Valladares. He also fought for the governor of Tucumán, Javier López, in the Battle of La Tablada against Facundo Quiroga. After this, he went to Catamarca Province. There, he tried to organize the provincial army. He led a fight against La Rioja Province, but it didn't go well because his forces were not well-organized. He was later captured in 1831.
Rise in the Military
The federal governor, Alejandro Heredia, made Gregorio's father, Juan Bautista Paz, his main minister. This helped Gregorio get a pardon and be set free.
Commander of Tucumán Forces
By 1835, Gregorio Paz showed great skill in the Battle of Famaillá in January 1836. In this battle, the former Governor Javier Lopez was finally defeated. Because of his excellent performance, Paz became the commander of the forces in Tucumán.
A few days later, he took control of northern Catamarca province. He did this to support Heredia, who defeated the governor of Catamarca, Felipe Figueroa, in the Battle of Chiflón. After this campaign, Tucumán province gave up more than half of its land to Catamarca.
New Role in Salta
In October 1836, Gregorio Paz married Ángela de Iramain. She was from Santiago del Estero. Soon after, he led an attack on Salta Province. There, Colonel Felipe Heredia was in charge of the government. Gregorio Paz was then made the commander of the armed forces in Salta province.
War Against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation
In April 1837, Gregorio Paz was sent to Buenos Aires. He went to meet with Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas. He was there to get support for Argentina's war against the Peru-Bolivian Confederacy. While in Buenos Aires, he was promoted to colonel major, which is like a general.
Leading Troops in Battle
During the war, Paz commanded a part of the Argentine army. He took control of the town of Humahuaca. Argentine troops fought in the Battle of Santa Bárbara on September 13, 1837. This battle did not have a clear winner.
Campaigns and Retreat
Moving to Orán, Paz led a campaign to Tarija. There, he got the military commander, Ildefonso Cuellar, to go against General Andrés de Santa Cruz. Commanders Virto Manuel and Manuel de la Barcena helped him in this campaign.
As they moved towards Tarija, Paz sent Virto to get back Iruya, but they were pushed back. On June 18, 1838, they met enemy groups. But on June 21, they had to start pulling back because of the failure at Iruya. Paz's army was caught and defeated by General Braun in the Battle of Coyambuyo, also known as the Battle of Montenegro. This loss happened partly because some of his soldiers left. He had to give up all the land he had won and return to Orán.
On August 22, Heredia ordered his army to leave. Chile's forces continued the war and eventually defeated Santa Cruz. On November 12 of that year, Governor Heredia was killed by one of his own officers.
Life in Buenos Aires
Heredia's death caused a lot of changes in northern Argentina. Governors who supported him were removed from their positions. The new governor of Tucumán, Barnabas Piedrabuena, made Paz leave his province. So, Paz moved to Buenos Aires in December 1838.
New Roles and Challenges
In Buenos Aires, Paz spoke out against the Unity Party. For a while, Rosas did not act against him, and Paz joined Rosas's army. In 1840, he became the commander of the southern part of Buenos Aires city. His job was to deal with the attack by Juan Lavalle. For the next few years, he held various quiet jobs in the Buenos Aires army.
Later Years and Retirement
In late 1852, after the Battle of Caseros and the revolution of September 11, Paz joined a revolution led by Hilario Lagos. This group fought against the government of Buenos Aires, led by Valentín Alsina.
Battle of San Gregorio
Paz was the chief of staff for the army. He led operations against the forces of Colonel Pedro Rosas y Belgrano. Paz's forces were trapped near the río Salado. He was defeated in the Battle of San Gregorio on January 22, 1853.
This battle led to the siege of Buenos Aires. For several months, Buenos Aires was close to falling to the federal forces. But the federal navy commander betrayed them, and the siege had to be stopped.
Paz then became the commander of Rosario, which was a very important position. The city government asked for Paz to be removed if they were not to attack Santa Fe province. This happened on the last day of 1854.
Retirement and Recognition
For the next two years, Paz checked on the military forces in the southern part of the country. He wrote a long report for President Justo José de Urquiza. On December 27, 1856, he retired with a pension. He lost his pension after the Battle of Pavón. However, he got it back in 1868 when he was added to the "List of Warriors of Independence." Gregorio Paz died in Buenos Aires on September 7, 1869.
See also
In Spanish: Gregorio Paz para niños
