Juan Alonso Zayas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan Alonso Zayas
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| Born | 1869 San Juan, Puerto Rico, Captaincy General of Puerto Rico |
| Died | October 8, 1898 (aged 28–29) Baler, Aurora, Captaincy General of the Philippines |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Spain |
| Service/ |
Spanish Army |
| Years of service | 1888–1898 |
| Rank |  Teniente (Lieutenant) |
| Commands held | 2nd Expeditionary Battalion stationed in Baler, Philippines. |
| Battles/wars | Tagalog War |
Juan Alonso Zayas (born in 1869 – died October 8, 1898) was a brave Puerto Rican soldier. He served as a second lieutenant in the Spanish Army. He led a group of soldiers called the 2nd Expeditionary Battalion. They were stationed in a place called Baler in the Philippines. Juan Alonso Zayas and his unit became famous for their part in the Siege of Baler.
Contents
Early Life and Interests
Juan Alonso Zayas was born and grew up in San Juan. This city is the capital of Puerto Rico. His father was an officer in the Spanish Army. He was from Barcelona, Spain. Because of his father's job, Juan received a very good education.
Juan had a special hobby: photography. He loved taking pictures and became a professional photographer when he was still young. In November 1888, when he was 19 years old, Juan Alonso Zayas decided to join the Spanish Army in San Juan.
Military Journey
Juan Alonso Zayas started his military career with the Infantry Regiment of Luchana N 28. In May 1889, he was sent to Cuba. There, he joined different army groups. He was later promoted to the rank of sergeant. He then went to a special school for sergeants in Madrid, Spain. This happened before the start of the Cuban Revolt of 1895.
By 1897, Zayas had become a second lieutenant. He received new orders to go to the Philippines. He was to be the commander of the 2nd Expeditionary Battalion. This group was stationed in Baler. He arrived in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in May 1897. From Manila, he took a ship to Baler, which is on the island of Luzon.
The Siege of Baler
Baler was far from Manila. It was about 100 kilometers (62 miles) away by sea. But traveling through the jungles and bad roads made it feel like 230 kilometers (144 miles). It was very hard to send messages between Manila and Baler. News usually only arrived by ship.
At this time, the Spanish government was facing many attacks. Local Filipino groups wanted to be free from Spanish rule. This was part of the Philippine Revolution. Juan Alonso Zayas's job was to make Baler stronger against these attacks. One of his plans was to turn the local church, San Luis de Tolosa, into a fort.
The Filipino independence fighters were called "insurgents" or "Tagalos" by the Spanish. Their leader was Colonel Calixto Vilacorte. On June 28, 1898, they demanded that the Spanish Army surrender. The Spanish governor of the area, Enrique de las Morena y Fossi, refused. The Filipinos immediately attacked Baler. This battle lasted for seven long months. Even though they were outnumbered, and faced hunger and sickness, the Spanish soldiers did not give up.
During this time, Zayas and his battalion did not know about the Spanish–American War. This big war was happening between the United States and Spain. In August 1898, the fighting between the United States and Spain ended. Spain gave up its control over the Philippine Islands to the United States. This was agreed upon in the Treaty of Paris.
The Spanish Surrender
In May 1899, the soldiers in Baler finally learned about the Spanish–American War. They found out that they had been fighting for a place that Spain no longer owned. On June 2, 1899, the battalion's commander, Lieutenant Saturnino Martín Cerezo, decided to surrender to the Tagalos. But he had some important conditions.
These conditions included:
- The Spanish soldiers would not be treated as prisoners of war.
- They would not be harmed on their way to a Spanish ship. This ship would take them back to Spain.
The 32 soldiers who survived from Zayas's battalion went to Manila. From there, they boarded a ship to their homeland. In Spain, they were welcomed as heroes. They became known as "Los Últimos de Filipinas" (lit. The Last of the Philippines). They were also called "Los Últimos de Baler" (lit. The Last of Baler).
Sadly, Second Lieutenant Juan Alonso Zayas was not among the survivors. He died on October 8, 1898, from a sickness called beriberi. He and several other soldiers were buried in the San Luis de Tolosa church in Baler.
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
