Justo Arteaga Cuevas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Justo Arteaga Cuevas
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| Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army | |
| In office April 8, 1879 – July 18, 1879 |
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| President | Aníbal Pinto |
| Preceded by | Basilio Urrutia |
| Succeeded by | Erasmo Escala Arriagada |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 10, 1805 Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile |
| Died | July 9, 1882 (aged 77) Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile |
| Alma mater | Liberator Bernardo O'Higgins Military School |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Patria Vieja Patria Nueva Conservative Republic Liberal Republic |
| Branch |  Chilean Army |
| Years of service | 1814 – 1882 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars | Chilean War of Independence
1851 Chilean Revolution
Chincha Islands War
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Justo José Arteaga Cuevas was an important Chilean military leader. He was a Major General who took part in many of Chile's wars in the 1800s. He also served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army for a short time in 1879.
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Early Life and Military Start
Justo Arteaga Cuevas was the son of Domingo Arteaga Rojas, who also became a military officer. His father was a close friend and helper of Bernardo O'Higgins, a famous Chilean leader. When Justo was only nine years old, his father helped him join the Army as a cadet.
However, his military career was put on hold when the royalists won the Battle of Rancagua. This victory brought back the old colonial system, a period known as the Reconquest.
During a time called the Patria Vieja (Old Homeland), Justo finished his training. In 1819, he was promoted to second lieutenant in the "Grenadiers of the Honor Guard" Regiment. This group was in charge of protecting the supreme director of Chile. The next year, he became a second lieutenant, and in 1821, a first lieutenant.
Standing Up to the Government
On January 28, 1823, Justo's military unit decided to go against the government of Bernardo O'Higgins. Lieutenant Justo Arteaga was a helper to Colonel José Luis Pereira, who led the Guard of Honor. Justo followed his leader and joined the opposition.
He was told to tell General O'Higgins that he was not allowed to come near the Guard of Honor barracks. O'Higgins needed these soldiers to gain control over the Cabildo de Santiago (city council). So, he marched towards the barracks with his guards, and even Justo Arteaga's father was with him.
Lieutenant Arteaga knew his father and O'Higgins were in danger. He warned them that snipers were ready to shoot when they got close to the barracks. O'Higgins was very angry and demanded that Colonel Pereira meet him right away. Colonel Pereira agreed, and O'Higgins appeared with Justo Arteaga, stopping the snipers from firing.
Chiloé Campaign
In 1823, Justo was promoted to captain. In January 1826, he took part in the second military campaign against Chiloé. This campaign ended with Chile taking control of the island, even after strong resistance from Antonio de Quintanilla's forces. Captain Arteaga received a special medal for being part of the "Liberating Army of Chiloé."
On Chiloé Island, he fought in the attack on the batteries of San Carlos de Ancud, and in the Battle of Pudeto and the Battle of Bellavista. He was also present at the Treaty of Tantauco on January 19, 1826. In this treaty, the royalist general Antonio de Quintanilla finally gave Chiloé Island to the Chilean forces after seven years of fighting.
Fighting the Pincheira Brothers
In 1828, the Chilean Government was battling the Pincheira brothers. This was a well-known group of thieves and cattle rustlers who caused trouble between 1818 and 1832 in Chile and Argentina. Captain Arteaga joined the expedition against this group, supporting the government of Francisco Antonio Pinto.
On September 20, 1829, he was promoted to Sergeant Major. He was then assigned to the Army of the South, working under General Joaquín Prieto. He became General Prieto's trusted helper and fought in the Battle of Ochagavía the following year.
Chilean Revolution of 1851
In 1851, because of his political views, Justo Arteaga had to leave the country. However, he soon returned to join a revolution. He supported the forces that wanted fair elections and were against the unfair voting practices that led to Manuel Mont Torres becoming president.
But he made a controversial choice by not showing up for a fight in the Alameda de Santiago, known as the Sociedad de la Igualdad. He then fled to Cobija, Bolivia. There, he heard about an uprising in La Serena, led by José Miguel Carrera Fontecilla. Carrera's son appointed Arteaga as commander of the Army of Coquimbo. However, Arteaga was defeated in the Battle of Petorca by an enemy army that was twice as large.
After returning to La Serena, Arteaga carried out a "white coup." This meant he took command from Carrera and sent him to prison, which caused a split among the rebel officers.
La Serena was attacked by both the Chilean army and a British naval group. The British helped President Manuel Montt by capturing two rebel ships, the Arauco and Firefly. The Chilean navy at the time was made of sailing ships and couldn't fight well against these modern steamers. Also, from Copiapó, a group of 1,000 Argentine workers, who had fled a harsh ruler named Rosas, advanced. They were armed by José Joaquín Vallejo, who worked for Montt's government.
The forts in La Serena held out for a long time thanks to Justo Arteaga's engineering skills. He fought bravely, as did Carrera, who was allowed to leave his cell to join the fight. Many of the artillery soldiers were miners from Brillador and other mines in the Coquimbo province. Some of them were veterans from the War of the Confederation, and they were called "yungayes."
When Arteaga realized that the chances of winning were very small, he decided to take a ship and go into exile. He barely escaped being executed by a firing squad. Meanwhile, the other officers and soldiers continued fighting until December 31, 1851. They then retreated to Copiapó, where the revolution had first started under a merchant named Bernardino Barahona.
A group of scattered soldiers was stopped by Argentine workers. A Chilean priest helped both sides, and the soldiers agreed to put down their weapons. But once they were unarmed, the gauchos (Argentine cowboys) killed more than forty miners. A Chilean cavalry patrol finally arrived and stopped them. Among the Argentine leaders were Carlos Tejedor, Chacho Peñaloza, Juan Crisóstomo Álvarez, and Felipe Varela.
Chincha Islands War
Justo Arteaga was brought back into the Army in 1862, with the rank of colonel. In 1865, he was appointed by a special government order as the Commander General of Engineers. In 1866, he led the First Division of troops that defended Valparaíso during the Chincha Islands War.
War of the Pacific
In 1874, he was promoted to Major General. On April 8, 1879, he was named Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army in the field during the War of the Pacific.
However, his time in this role, which lasted until July 18, 1879, caused some debate. His appointment at 74 years old was unusual. Some people described Arteaga as being old and not very sharp. At this point, he was said to be overweight and seemed to have no special skills other than strong political support.
Erasmo Escala Arriagada took over from Arteaga after he resigned in July 1879.
See also
In Spanish: Justo Arteaga Cuevas para niños
