Pedro Lagos
From Freepedia
Pedro Lagos (1832 – 18 January 1884) was a Chilean infantry commander in the War of the Pacific. He is best remembered for commanding the assault on the city of Arica during this war.
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Biography
Early life
He was born in Chillán in 1832 to Manuel Lagos y Jara Quemada and Rosario Marchant. The family moved to the countryside after the 1835 earthquake destroyed the city. Pedro was the first-born of 15 brothers of modest condition, started his studies in the first school founded on rebuilt Chillán, and soon continued them in the school founded by the Spaniard Jose Martinez. In 1846, at age 14, he joined the Military School, where he obtained the rank of 1st Corporal in February 1847. He married his cousin Juana Marchant Lagos, and had a single daughter.
Military career
In March 1849, he enlisted in the Chilean Army with the rank of 2nd Sergeant. He was assigned to the Chacabuco battalion, which rebelled against the government on 29 April 1851 under the command of Colonel Pedro Urriola. He did not become involved in the rebellion as the event surprised him in Valparaíso; much to the contrary, he embraced the pro-government cause, which won him a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant. In March 1852 he was promoted to Adjutant Major and by 1854 he was Captain, serving with the garrisons of Chillán and Concepción until 1857. During the Revolution of 1859 he supported the government of Manuel Bulnes and participated soon in the siege of Talca and, in the North, in the Battle of Los Loros. These actions won him the promotion to the rank of Sergeant Major.
Campaigns in the Araucanía
Towards 1860 participated actively in the campaign of occupation of the Araucanía. Their actions against the communities pehuenche of the Bio Bío, meant to him to promote to lieutenant colonel in 1866. He was the commander of the forces established in Malleco, in 1867, and designated commander of the seat of Angol. In this stage it contracted marriage and like most of the officials in campaign in the Araucanía it obtained earth, in this case in Mulchén. Between 1868 and 1869 it carried out his last campaigns in the Araucanía, after which one retired to the field near Chillán.
War of the Pacific
The second stage of the military career of Pedro Lagos defined its passage to history. In 1875, by decision of the President of the Republic, Federico Errázuriz, intendant of Ñuble was designated and, in 1878, he was commissioner like commander in Mulchén. In 1879 its participation in the War of the Pacific. In May of 1879 assumed Intendance of the Bío Bío Inicio', when it traveled to the North with the Santiago regiment. Soon it fought in the campaigns of Antofagasta, Tocopilla, Pisagua and Jaspampa. In January of 1880 chief of the general staff of the Army was named, position to which resigned by discrepancies with general Erasmo Escala, Army Commander-in-Chief in campaign. Again one retired to the South. In the middle of 1880 he took the arms again, like aide of general Manuel Baquedano, participating in the campaign of Tacna, with the Battle of Campo de la Alianza (the Alliance Field) in the Intiorco hill, in May 26,1880 it meant the end of the Peru-Bolivian Alliance. There, after becoming position of the Amunátegui division, he managed to disperse to the allied forces, that until their arrival were defeating the nationals.
The battle that registered in history the most outstanding action of Pedro Lagos, by its strategic cleverness and his bravery, was the Campaign of Arica with Assault and Take of the Morro de Arica (Arica Tall Hill), fact that happened in June 7, 1880. General Baquedano ordered the plan to him of capture of this city, and Lagos planned the assault with a contingent of 4,000 infants, divides in three groups. The targets were the fort of the East, the Fuerte Ciudadela (Little City Fort) and finally the Tall Hill. The defeat of the defenders of the inferior forts was fast, single handed over Peruvian the Morro, with its Morro Gordo (Fat Tall Hill) defense. The idea of Lagos was to hope to the Buin regiment in the Fuerte Ciudadela, nevertheless, according to is counted, somebody identified would not have shouted "¡Al morro muchachos!" ("To the Tall Hill, boys!"), causing the assault in mass. This action, altogether - since the inferior forts were taken until reaching the top of the Morro delayed 55 minutes. The feat had been made heroically. Lagos did not ask for more ammunition than the sufficient ones for one hour and average battle.
A military man until the end, Pedro Lagos had also a valuable participation in the Lima Campaign, where he fought in the battles of Battle of Chorrillos and Battle of Miraflores, after which he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. In March 1881 he was named Commander in Chief of the Occupation Army, in replacement of General Baquedano. On 18 June 1881, the Senate promoted him to Brigadier General, and joined the Services Examination Commission. Finally, he received the position of Commander-at-Arms of Santiago, on 23 November 1881.
He died on 18 January 1884, in the city of Concepción.
External links
- Icarito - Grandes Biografías de la Historia de Chile (in Spanish)
