Domingo Sosa
Encyclopedia
Domingo Sosa was an Afro Argentine
soldier who became an army colonel
and took part in the wars of independence
and in the Argentine civil war
.
, though he subsequently managed to learn to read and write. He was enlisted into the Regimiento de Castas (a mixed-race regiment) of the city in 1808. From 1811 he took part in the two sieges of Montevideo
until their end, taking part in the attack in the Battle of Cerrito
, with the toughest part of the conflict borne by the "blacks" in the regiment of Colonel Miguel Estanislao Soler. On being mentioned in dispatches he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. In April 1813 he took part in a campaign under the orders of Domingo French, to secure the frontier area of the river Yaguarón against incursion from Portugese forces entering from Brasil.
In early 1815 he was sent to the Army of the North
, and participated in the Battle of Sipe Sipe. He was sent back to Buenos Aires
, where he was commissioned instructor of black soldiers.
In 1817 he applied for retirement at the rank of captain, but instead of agreeing, he was commissioned head of custody of the prison - really a concentration camp - Las Brusas, near present Dolores
; anyway he was promoted to the rank of captain.
He actively participated in the disorder of the Year Anarchy XX, under the orders of Soler, Pagola and Dorrego.
In 1822 he was retired by the military reform of Bernardino Rivadavia
, which damaged him greatly. He became a laborer and foreman in various jobs
He returned to the service in 1828, and at the end of that year he joined the forces of Dorrego, although it is not known whether he fought in the Battle of Navarro. The following year he was in the army of Juan Manuel de Rosas
, under whose orders he fought as officer in command of an infantry battalion in the Battle of Puente de Márquez, his immediate superior was Colonel Mariano Benito Rolón.
In 1831 he was in the army in the campaign against the League of the Interior, under the orders of Juan Ramón Balcarce
.
In 1833 he defended governor Balcarce from the Revolution of the Restorers
. As a result, he was retired later that year, and decommissioned in 1835. During the following years he served in several offices, and served several times as a police officer
in the city.
He rejoined the army in 1845 and was posted to command of a battalion of black soldiers from the city and its outskirts. He was promoted to the rank of colonel, and as such he participated in the Battle of Caseros
, in which he was seriously injured. His life was saved only by chance, because the victorious army's doctors (almost all from the Rosas Army were killed) cared for non-white injured soldiers only after white soldiers had been cared for.
After serving in personal guard of the Governor Vicente López y Planes
, he supported the revolution of September 11, 1852 and was elected a member of the province in October. He served with distinction in the defense against the siege of Buenos Aires
with Hilario Lagos's federal troops, and he was promoted to the rank of colonel on March 1, 1853.
He was a provincial conventional constituent in 1854, the most important political office that a black man has held in Argentina. He was also, along with Lorenzo Barcala
and José María Morales
one of the few black colonels in Argentina's history. Also, he returned to being an elected member of the province in 1856.
His first wife was Pascuala de la Roza Contreras, who died in 1851; he then married an older woman, Petrona Mauriño, who died in in 1859.
For the rest of his life he commanded a regiment of black militias, but did not fight in the Battle of Pavón
, forming part of the defense of the city of Buenos Aires. He died in Buenos Aires in May 1866.
Afro Argentine
The black population resulting from the slave trade during the centuries of Spanish domination of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata had a major role in Argentine history...
soldier who became an army colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and took part in the wars of independence
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
and in the Argentine civil war
Argentine Civil War
The Argentine Civil Wars were a series of internecine wars that took place in Argentina from 1814 to 1876. These conflicts were separate from the Argentine War of Independence , though they first arose during this period....
.
Biography
Born a slave and he had no educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, though he subsequently managed to learn to read and write. He was enlisted into the Regimiento de Castas (a mixed-race regiment) of the city in 1808. From 1811 he took part in the two sieges of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
until their end, taking part in the attack in the Battle of Cerrito
Battle of Cerrito
Battle of Cerrito , was a battle for the War of Independence of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, between the royalist forces who had control of the city of Montevideo and the rebel forces of the government of Buenos Aires.- Previous Situation :In the year 1811, the forces deployed by the...
, with the toughest part of the conflict borne by the "blacks" in the regiment of Colonel Miguel Estanislao Soler. On being mentioned in dispatches he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. In April 1813 he took part in a campaign under the orders of Domingo French, to secure the frontier area of the river Yaguarón against incursion from Portugese forces entering from Brasil.
In early 1815 he was sent to the Army of the North
Army of the North
The Army of the North , contemporaneously called Army of Peru, was one of the armies deployed by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in the Spanish American wars of independence. Its objective was freeing the Argentine Northwest and the Upper Peru from the royalist troops of the Spanish...
, and participated in the Battle of Sipe Sipe. He was sent back to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, where he was commissioned instructor of black soldiers.
In 1817 he applied for retirement at the rank of captain, but instead of agreeing, he was commissioned head of custody of the prison - really a concentration camp - Las Brusas, near present Dolores
Dolores
-Places:*Argentina**Dolores, Buenos Aires*Belize**Rancho Dolores*Colombia** Dolores, Tolima*Guatemala**Dolores, El Petén*Mexico** Dolores Hidalgo, a town in Guanajuato** Dolores, Baja California Sur** Dolores, Chihuahua*Philippines** Dolores, Abra...
; anyway he was promoted to the rank of captain.
He actively participated in the disorder of the Year Anarchy XX, under the orders of Soler, Pagola and Dorrego.
In 1822 he was retired by the military reform of Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827 . He was a politician of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, Argentina today...
, which damaged him greatly. He became a laborer and foreman in various jobs
He returned to the service in 1828, and at the end of that year he joined the forces of Dorrego, although it is not known whether he fought in the Battle of Navarro. The following year he was in the army of Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
, under whose orders he fought as officer in command of an infantry battalion in the Battle of Puente de Márquez, his immediate superior was Colonel Mariano Benito Rolón.
In 1831 he was in the army in the campaign against the League of the Interior, under the orders of Juan Ramón Balcarce
Juan Ramón Balcarce
Juan Ramón González de Balcarce was an Argentine military leader and politician.Juan was the older brother of Antonio González de Balcarce and of Marcos González de Balcarce. He fought against the British in 1807, and in the 1812 military campaign in Peru under General Manuel Belgrano. He was...
.
In 1833 he defended governor Balcarce from the Revolution of the Restorers
Revolution of the Restorers
The Revolution of the Restorers was a rebellion that took place in Buenos Aires in 1833. The governor Juan Ramón Balcarce was ousted from office and replaced by Juan José Viamonte. The rebellion was motivated by actions taken by Balcarce against former governor Juan Manuel de Rosas...
. As a result, he was retired later that year, and decommissioned in 1835. During the following years he served in several offices, and served several times as a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
in the city.
He rejoined the army in 1845 and was posted to command of a battalion of black soldiers from the city and its outskirts. He was promoted to the rank of colonel, and as such he participated in the Battle of Caseros
Battle of Caseros
The Battle of Caseros was fought near the town of Caseros, more precisely between the present-day train stations of Caseros and Palomar in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on 3 February 1852, between the Army of Buenos Aires commanded by Juan Manuel de Rosas...
, in which he was seriously injured. His life was saved only by chance, because the victorious army's doctors (almost all from the Rosas Army were killed) cared for non-white injured soldiers only after white soldiers had been cared for.
After serving in personal guard of the Governor Vicente López y Planes
Vicente López y Planes
Alejandro Vicente López y Planes was an Argentine writer and politician who acted as interim President of Argentina from July 7, 1827 to August 18, 1827...
, he supported the revolution of September 11, 1852 and was elected a member of the province in October. He served with distinction in the defense against the siege of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
with Hilario Lagos's federal troops, and he was promoted to the rank of colonel on March 1, 1853.
He was a provincial conventional constituent in 1854, the most important political office that a black man has held in Argentina. He was also, along with Lorenzo Barcala
Lorenzo Barcala
Barcala Lorenzo , was an Argentine military commander who participated in the Argentine civil wars on the side of the Unitarian Party, and one of the few black soldiers to reach the rank of colonel in that country.-Early military career:The son of slaves, he was also a slave during his childhood...
and José María Morales
José Maria Morales
José Maria Morales is a Spanish film producer. He produced The Milk of Sorrow, which won the Golden Bear at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010. He was a member of the jury at the 60th Berlin International Film...
one of the few black colonels in Argentina's history. Also, he returned to being an elected member of the province in 1856.
His first wife was Pascuala de la Roza Contreras, who died in 1851; he then married an older woman, Petrona Mauriño, who died in in 1859.
For the rest of his life he commanded a regiment of black militias, but did not fight in the Battle of Pavón
Battle of Pavón
The Battle of Pavón was a key battle of the Argentine civil wars fought in Pavón, in Santa Fé Province, Argentina, on September 17, 1861, between the Army of Buenos Aires, commanded by Bartolomé Mitre, and the National Army, commanded by Justo José de Urquiza...
, forming part of the defense of the city of Buenos Aires. He died in Buenos Aires in May 1866.
Bibliografía
- Cutolo, Vicente, Nuevo diccionario biográfico argentino, 7 volúmenes, Ed. Elche, Bs. As., 1968-1985.
- Scobie, James, La lucha por la Consolidación de la Nacionalidad Argentina, Ed. Hachette, Bs. As., 1965.
- Yaben, Jacinto R., Biografías argentinas y sudamericanas, Bs. As., 1939.