Pedro Andrés del Alcázar facts for kids
Marshal Pedro Andrés del Alcázar y Rodríguez de Zapata (born December 12, 1752 – died September 28, 1820) was a brave soldier. He was an officer in the Spanish Army and later a hero of the Chilean War of Independence. He played a key role in helping Chile gain its freedom.
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Early Life and Military Start
Pedro Andrés del Alcázar was born in a fort called San Diego de Alcalá, located in Tucapel. His father, Andrés del Alcázar, was a captain in the army and commanded the fort. His mother was Feliciana Rodríguez de Zapata y Sanhueza.
Pedro began his military journey in 1773. He joined the Dragones de la Frontera cavalry regiment, which was part of the Spanish Army. When his official officer papers arrived from Spain, there was a small mix-up. The papers said "Pedro del Alcázar" instead of his real name, "Andrés del Alcázar." To fix this, his commander, Colonel Ambrosio O'Higgins, ordered his baptism record changed to "Pedro Andrés." This is the name he was known by from then on.
He quickly moved up the ranks. In 1776, he became an Alférez (a junior officer). By 1783, he was a Lieutenant, and in 1785, he became a Captain. In 1777, he married Clara de Zumelzu Obregón y Ruiz de Berecedo. They had seven children together: Carmen, Juan Andrés, Mateo (who became a priest), Antonia, Juana, Teresa, and José Antonio.
Fighting for Independence
Pedro Andrés del Alcázar strongly supported the side fighting for independence from the very beginning of the Chilean War of Independence. In 1811, the first Chilean government group, called the First Government Junta, sent him on an important mission. He was sent to help the government in Buenos Aires, which was being threatened by soldiers loyal to the Spanish King.
He took a special group of soldiers with him, known as the "disciplined troops." This group included 200 infantry soldiers (who fought on foot) and 100 cavalry soldiers from the Dragones de la Frontera. Among the officers with him were José Joaquín Prieto, who would later become President of Chile, and Manuel José Bulnes, whose son would also become president. They arrived in Buenos Aires on June 16. There, they helped José de San Martín and supported a new government group called the Second Triumvirate during a revolution on October 8.
The Patria Vieja Campaign
In April 1813, Alcázar asked the government in Buenos Aires for permission to return to Chile. He wanted to bring his troops back to help defend his home country. His troops left Buenos Aires on April 18. They bravely crossed the Andes mountains at the end of May and arrived in Santiago on June 4. The people of Santiago were very excited to see them return.
The Chilean government first sent the "disciplined troops" to protect Valparaíso, a major port city. Soon after, they were sent south to defend Talca. There, they joined a larger group called the Auxiliary Division. As part of this division, led by Colonel Marcos González de Balcarce, they helped capture several towns, including Longaví, Cauquenes, and Quirihue.
Later, after a Spanish ship called the Thomas was captured, Alcázar was given the important job of protecting José Ignacio Cienfuegos. Cienfuegos was carrying money and documents that had been taken from the Royalist army. Alcázar also served as second-in-command to Brigadier Juan Mackenna during the Battle of Cucha-Cucha on February 23.
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