Melitón Carvajal facts for kids
Manuel Melitón Carvajal Ambulodegui (born March 10, 1847, in Lima, Peru; died September 19, 1935, in Lima) was a brave Peruvian naval officer. He was also an important government official. He served on the famous warship Huáscar during the War of the Pacific. During a big battle, he was hurt and captured, but he became a national hero. Later, he helped build up the Peruvian Navy and held many important jobs in the government. A school in Lima, the Melitón Carvajal National College, is named after him.
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Melitón Carvajal was the son of Manuel Ignacio Carvajal, a doctor from Colombia, and María del Pilar Ambulodegui. He went to school at the College of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Lima. In 1860, he joined the Naval College. He graduated as an Officer Cadet in 1863.
He stayed at the college as a teacher, teaching math and geography. The next year, he became an Ensign, which is a junior officer rank. He joined Colonel Mariano Ignacio Prado's group and fought in the Battle of Callao. After this battle, he was promoted to First Lieutenant.
Exploring Rivers and Serving Peru
Starting in 1867, Melitón Carvajal worked as a Captain of the Port in different places. He explored the Marañón and Huallaga rivers on a gunboat called Napo. He even managed to get through the dangerous Pongo de Manseriche area.
In 1872, he was an officer on the frigate Apurímac. He and other naval officers signed a paper saying they were against a coup led by Tomás Gutiérrez. Later, he helped measure how much guano (bird droppings used as fertilizer) was along the coast. This was an important job for Peru's economy at the time.
A Hero in the War of the Pacific
When the War of the Pacific began in 1879, Melitón Carvajal was a Frigate Captain. He joined the ironclad Huáscar as the Chief-of-Staff for the First Naval Division. He was part of every battle the Huáscar fought. This was under the command of Admiral Grau, a very famous Peruvian hero.
The Battle of Angamos
One of the most important battles was the Battle of Angamos. During this fight, Melitón Carvajal was badly hurt by an exploding grenade. This happened in the control tower of the ship. Because of his injuries, he could not take command of the Huáscar. This was after Admiral Grau and his second-in-command, Captain Elias Aguirre Romero, had both died.
Carvajal was taken as a prisoner. However, he was later set free in a prisoner exchange. When he returned to Peru, he was celebrated as a national hero for his bravery.
Important Roles After the War
In 1880, Melitón Carvajal traveled to Europe. His mission was to buy weapons and oversee the building of two gunboats, the Lima and the Callao, in England. In 1883, he was chosen to be a member of congress for Andahuaylas. He joined the congress that met in Arequipa, which was the temporary capital of Admiral Lizardo Montero's government.
Helping Peru Grow
In 1890, he led a group that went to Valparaíso to bring back the bodies of Peruvians who had died there during the war. Towards the end of President Remigio Morales Bermúdez's time in office, Carvajal became the Minister of Finance and Commerce. He held this important job until the president's death in 1894.
He continued to serve Peru in many ways. He was the Director of the Military Preparatory School from 1897 to 1898. He was also the Prefect of Junín Province in 1899. In 1900, he became the Director of the Military Academy and then the Minister of War. He was promoted to Admiral in 1901.
Later, he became the President of the Navy's Board of Governors in 1902. He made another trip to Europe to watch the building of two new cruisers, the Almirante Grau and the Coronel Bolognesi. He personally commanded these ships on their first journey to Peru in 1907.
In 1913, he was named Admiral of the Fleet. He also served another term as Minister of War from 1913 to 1914. He became the Second Vice President of Peru during the second term of President José Pardo (1915-1919). Melitón Carvajal retired in 1927, after serving his country for almost sixty years.
