Luis Daoiz de Torres
Encyclopedia
Luis Daoiz de Torres was a Spanish
artillery officer and one of the leaders of the Dos de Mayo Uprising
that signalled the start of the Spanish War of Independence
. Daoiz's surname is derived from the town of Aoiz in Navarre
and he was descended from a long line of Spanish gentry with soldiering associations dating to the Reconquista
. Daoiz's great grandfather married the daughter of the Count of Miraflores de los Angeles and Daoiz spent much of his early life in palaces owned by the family. He was born in Seville
and, after receiving a Catholic education, trained at the Royal School of Artillery
in Segovia
. Daoiz saw action against the Moors in Spanish North Africa, where he was commended for his bravery and promoted to lieutenant
. He also served against the French in the short-lived War of the Roussillon where he was captured. After refusing to serve in the French army, he was imprisoned.
After his release he served on secondment to the Spanish Navy during the Anglo-Spanish War
, participating in the Defence of Cadiz
and on convoy duty to the Americas, for which he was rewarded with promotion to captain. He tired of the sea and rejoined his artillery regiment. His subsequent duties included assisting in the manufacture of new guns for the horse artillery
, attending the signing of the Treaty of Fontainebleau
with France and participating in the 1807 invasion of Portugal. He returned to Madrid in 1808 and was a leader of the Dos de Mayo Uprising
in which he assisted civilians resisting French efforts to remove the royal family from Spain. His defence of the barracks at Monteleón was the only action that day in which the Spanish army fought the French and, although ultimately unsuccessful, it inspired the Spanish War of Independence
. He died in the fighting and has been commemorated as a national hero.
and fought in the Reconquista
of Spain from the Moors
. Members of the family subsequently served in the militia, including Don García Garcés D´Aoiz who fought at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
in 1212, a decisive Christian victory and a turning point in the Reconquista. Other ancestors fought in the 15th century Granada War
, the 16th century conquest of Naples
and in 17th century Flanders. Luis's great grandfather, Joaquín D´Aoiz, was sheriff of Gibraltar
in the mid-17th century when he was forced to hand the territory over to the British, the family subsequently moving to El Puerto de Santa María
and changing their surname to Daoiz. Joaquín's grandson Martin married Francisca Torres Ponce de León, daughter of the Count of Miraflores de los Angeles, in 1766 and their son Luis was born in a palace owned by the Miraflores family in Calle del Horno, Seville
.
. He was educated at the Colegio de San Hermenegildo Jesuit college in Seville up to the age of 15, when his parents decided that he would become an officer in the Spanish Army
, which their families considered a career suitable for a gentleman. Daoiz's father was able to arrange the necessary paperwork for him to enter the elitist artillery
corps which only permitted noblemen to take commissions.
Daoiz entered the Royal School of Artillery
at Segovia
as a cadet on 10 February 1782 and graduated as an ensign
on 9 February 1787. According to his entrance report he had a dark complexion, brown hair, large eyes and a small stature, being less than five feet tall. At the school Daoiz excelled at mathematics and sports, in particular saber fencing and was able to speak French, English, Italian and Latin in addition to his native Spanish. After graduation Daoiz was assigned to the Real Regimiento de Artillería (Royal Regiment of Artillery) at Puerto de Santa Maria. He was able to use a considerable private income from property and farms owned by his family around Gibraltar to supplement his official salary.
against the Moors
in 1790 and was given command of an artillery battery. He remained in North Africa to assist with the defence of Oran
in 1791, spending part of the time with a unit of miner
s. Daoiz was commended by his superiors, including artillery Brigadier Andres Aznar, for his courage and zeal in the battles and was promoted to lieutenant
on 28 February 1792. After Spain joined the First Coalition
against Revolutionary France, Daoiz participated in the War of Roussillon
, in the Pyrenees
, from March 1794 but was captured in a French counterattack on 25 November 1794. He was held as a prisoner of war
at Toulouse
where he turned down an offer of freedom and a commission in the French Army
, which was short of artillery officers. After the Peace of Basel
ended the war between France and Spain on 22 July 1795, Daoiz was released and made his way back to El Puerto de Santa Maria.
Spain signed the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
in 1796, allying itself with France against Great Britain and beginning the Anglo-Spanish War
. On 11 July 1797 Daoiz was placed in charge of a gunboat
in the Defence of Cadiz
, commanded by Admiral Jose de Mazarredo y Salazar
, against the British blockading squadron. During the defence his gunboat, No. 5, was involved in an attack on the British third-rate
HMS Powerful
. Later that year he was seconded to the Spanish Navy
, which was short of trained officers, for service aboard the 74 gun ship
San Ildefonso. Daoiz sailed twice with the vessel to the Americas, escorting galleon
s. During this time he assisted the ship's captain, Jose de Iriarte, by acting as a translator during negotiations with foreign officials and found time to write a short treatise
on the instruction of soldiers and sailors. Whilst with the ship in Havana
, Cuba
, in November 1800 Daoiz was reading back issues of a gazette
and was surprised to find that he had been promoted to captain on 4 March 1800, whilst at sea. He did not enjoy the long trips away from Spain and requested a land based posting, serving initially as a lieutenant in the infantry before joining the newly formed 3rd Artillery Regiment of Seville on 7 July 1802. Had he stayed aboard the San Ildefonso Daoiz may have seen action with the ship at the Battle of Trafalgar
in 1805.
On 2 December 1803 Daoiz was ordered by General Godoy to be seconded to the Royal Bronze Foundry. There he sat on a committee, headed by Brigadier Maria Vicente Maturana, to decide the design and oversee the production of new light guns for the horse artillery
. Daoiz agreed to wed a noblewoman from Utrera
in 1807, the marriage ceremony taking place in spring the next year. In 1807 Daoiz was commander of the Spanish artillerymen that attended the signing of the Treaty of Fontainebleau
, an agreement between Spain and France to split up Portugal into three smaller states, and was part of the Franco-Spanish force that invaded Portugal to enforce that treaty. He moved with his regiment to Madrid
in 1808 and took command of a battery of the 2nd company (some sources say 3rd company) at the former palace of the Duke of Monteleón. He became known to the men under his command as "el Abuelo" ("the grandfather") due to his relative age and good temperament.
As part of the Treaty of Fontainebleau, French troops began to arrive in Spain and occupy strategic points. Marshal
Joachim Murat
was ordered to Madrid with 30,000 troops and began taking control of the main palaces and barracks of the city, which had just 2-4,000 Spanish troops in its garrison. The presence of a French garrison was resented by much of the populace and Daoiz himself had to be restrained from fighting a duel with a French soldier he overheard insulting Spain in a tavern. On 2 May a crowd, hearing of French plans to send members of the Spanish royal family away to France, gathered outside the Royal Palace in Madrid to protest. It is not known how the fighting started, but the British consul, John Hunter, recorded that by 11 am French troops were firing musket volleys into the crowded square and fighting had spread across Madrid. French troops were dispatched to take possession of the Spanish barracks to secure their arms and ammunition.
Daoiz, the highest ranking officer at the Monteleón barracks found himself in command of just 4 officers, 3 NCO
s and 10 men. He sought reinforcements at his regimental headquarters and returned with the 3rd company of the 2nd Battalion, a further 33 men and 2 officers. Daoiz's orders from the local junta
were to remain in the barracks and co-operate with French forces but, after conferring with Captain Pedro Velarde y Santillán
, he decided that the French troops were hostile to Spain and that they would defend the barracks against any French interference. By this time a large crowd of civilians had gathered at the barracks, requesting weapons with which to oppose the French, and Daoiz ordered the armoury opened to them. With 9 cannon, and 120 soldiers and armed civilians under his command, Daoiz now made arrangements for the defence of the barracks. A battery of 24 pounder guns were placed at the main gate facing into the street and were loaded with canister shot
by their military and civilian crews. A small detachment of French stationed near the barracks were captured by Verlarde and their weapons and ammunition distributed to civilians.
According to Hunter, when the first French troops advanced up the street to take possession of the barracks they were fired upon and several were killed before they halted to await reinforcements and occupy neighbouring buildings. Soon the French commanding officer, General Joseph Lagrange, had around 2,000 men in the area. French battalions, including a unit of Imperial Grenadiers, made two assaults on the guns, but both were repulsed, and the Spaniards captured a French colonel. A third wave of French troops reached the artillery lines and fired into the barracks, killing many of the defenders including Velarde, before charging with fixed bayonets. Hunter claimed that Daoiz, who had been shot in the hip, continued to issue orders despite his wound and was wounded twice more whilst fighting the French with his sabre. Daoiz is said to have been stabbed in the back with a bayonet and killed whilst approaching a French officer waving a white flag of truce. The dying Daoiz was dragged away by his men, who continued to fight within the barracks buildings before surrendering at the request of Spanish Captain-General the Marquis de San Simón. The Spanish at Monteleón had held out against superior French numbers for around three hours. Daoiz was 41 years old when he died, and had over 26 years of continuous service in the Spanish Army.
Marshal Murat convened a military tribunal, chaired by General Emmanuel Grouchy, that morning to summarily try and sentence anyone found in possession of a potential weapon. Many Spaniards lost their lives, and artist Francisco Goya
, who witnessed the aftermath of the executions, painted his famous painting The Third of May 1808
to commemorate this event. The fighting and executions claimed at least 154 French and 409 Spanish lives and inspired resistance to the French across the country, signalling the start of the Spanish War of Independence
. After Doaiz's death his wife entered a convent
in Seville.
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Daoiz is commemorated as a leader of the initial resistance against French rule in Spain and, along with Velarde, is remembered in many monuments across the country. The ashes of Daoiz and Velarde, with those of others involved in the Dos de Mayo uprising, were transferred to the Monumento a los Caidos por España
in Madrid after its construction in 1840. The monument originally served as a memorial to those who lost their lives on the Dos de Mayo but on 22 November 1985 King Juan Carlos I redesignated it in memory of all Spaniards who died in war and it now serves as Spain's national Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
.
In 1852 a plaque was erected on the spot where Daoiz's house stood in Seville, being replaced in 1869 by a twice lifesize statue depicting the pivotal moment of the Dos de Mayo when Daoiz decided to disobey his orders and resist the French. A monument commemorating the "Martyrs of Liberty" who died on 2 and 3 May stands on the spot of Murat's executions and contains representations of both Daoiz and Velarde. A monument to Daoiz also stands in Segovia, where he studied at the artillery academy and in Madrid the two statues of lions that stand outside of the Spanish Congress of Deputies building are popularly known as Daoiz and Velarde. The Premio Daoíz military honour is awarded once every five years to an artillery officer in the Spanish Army. The award in memory of Daoiz is for services to the nation in the preceding five years and the honorary sabre is presented by the monarch in a ceremony held at the Alcázar of Segovia on 2 May.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
artillery officer and one of the leaders of the Dos de Mayo Uprising
Dos de Mayo Uprising
On the second of May , 1808, the people of Madrid rebelled against the occupation of the city by French troops, provoking a brutal repression by the French Imperial forces and triggering the Peninsular War.-Background:...
that signalled the start of the Spanish War of Independence
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. Daoiz's surname is derived from the town of Aoiz in Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
and he was descended from a long line of Spanish gentry with soldiering associations dating to the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
. Daoiz's great grandfather married the daughter of the Count of Miraflores de los Angeles and Daoiz spent much of his early life in palaces owned by the family. He was born in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
and, after receiving a Catholic education, trained at the Royal School of Artillery
Alcázar of Segovia
The Alcázar of Segovia is a stone fortification, located in the old city of Segovia, Spain. Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores near the Guadarrama mountains, it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape - like the...
in Segovia
Segovia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
. Daoiz saw action against the Moors in Spanish North Africa, where he was commended for his bravery and promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. He also served against the French in the short-lived War of the Roussillon where he was captured. After refusing to serve in the French army, he was imprisoned.
After his release he served on secondment to the Spanish Navy during the Anglo-Spanish War
Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808)
The Anglo-Spanish War between 1796 and 1802, and again from 1804 to 1808, was a part of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. The war ended in a alliance....
, participating in the Defence of Cadiz
Blockade of Cádiz (1797)
The Assault on Cadiz was a part of a protracted naval blockade of the Spanish port of Cadiz by the Royal Navy, which comprised the siege and the shelling of the city as well as an amphibious assault on the port itself from June to July 1797. After the battle of Cape Saint Vincent the British fleet...
and on convoy duty to the Americas, for which he was rewarded with promotion to captain. He tired of the sea and rejoined his artillery regiment. His subsequent duties included assisting in the manufacture of new guns for the horse artillery
Horse artillery
Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving and fast-firing artillery which provided highly mobile fire support to European and American armies from the 17th to the early 20th century...
, attending the signing of the Treaty of Fontainebleau
Treaty of Fontainebleau (1807)
The Treaty of Fontainebleau was signed on 27 October 1807 in Fontainebleau between Charles IV of Spain and Napoleon I of France. The accord divided Portugal and all Portuguese dominions between the signatories. Individuals such as M. Izquierdo, councilor of Charles IV, and Don Manuel de Godoy were...
with France and participating in the 1807 invasion of Portugal. He returned to Madrid in 1808 and was a leader of the Dos de Mayo Uprising
Dos de Mayo Uprising
On the second of May , 1808, the people of Madrid rebelled against the occupation of the city by French troops, provoking a brutal repression by the French Imperial forces and triggering the Peninsular War.-Background:...
in which he assisted civilians resisting French efforts to remove the royal family from Spain. His defence of the barracks at Monteleón was the only action that day in which the Spanish army fought the French and, although ultimately unsuccessful, it inspired the Spanish War of Independence
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. He died in the fighting and has been commemorated as a national hero.
Ancestry
Luis's oldest known ancestor is Don Berenguer D'Aoiz, who was named for the town of Aoiz in NavarreNavarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
and fought in the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
of Spain from the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
. Members of the family subsequently served in the militia, including Don García Garcés D´Aoiz who fought at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of Al-Uqab , took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain...
in 1212, a decisive Christian victory and a turning point in the Reconquista. Other ancestors fought in the 15th century Granada War
Granada War
The Granada War was a series of military campaigns between 1482 and 1492, during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, against the Nasrid dynasty's Emirate of Granada...
, the 16th century conquest of Naples
Battle of Garigliano (1503)
The Battle of Garigliano was fought on December 29, 1503 between a Spanish army under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba and a French army commanded by Ludovico II, Marquis of Saluzzo.-Preliminary phase:...
and in 17th century Flanders. Luis's great grandfather, Joaquín D´Aoiz, was sheriff of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in the mid-17th century when he was forced to hand the territory over to the British, the family subsequently moving to El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María is a municipality located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Spain. , the city has a population of c...
and changing their surname to Daoiz. Joaquín's grandson Martin married Francisca Torres Ponce de León, daughter of the Count of Miraflores de los Angeles, in 1766 and their son Luis was born in a palace owned by the Miraflores family in Calle del Horno, Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
.
Early life
Luis Daoiz was born on 10 February 1767 and baptised the same day as "Luis Gonzaga Guillermo Escolástica Manuel José Joaquín Ana y Juan de la Soledad Daoiz Torres". Daoiz lived for much of his childhood at the palace in Calle del Horno, spending some of his summers at a house in Calle Iglesia (now renamed Calle de Daoiz) in Mairena del AlcorMairena del Alcor
Mairena del Alcor is a city located in the province of Seville, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 18.710 inhabitants.-External links:** - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía...
. He was educated at the Colegio de San Hermenegildo Jesuit college in Seville up to the age of 15, when his parents decided that he would become an officer in the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
, which their families considered a career suitable for a gentleman. Daoiz's father was able to arrange the necessary paperwork for him to enter the elitist artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
corps which only permitted noblemen to take commissions.
Alcázar of Segovia
The Alcázar of Segovia is a stone fortification, located in the old city of Segovia, Spain. Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores near the Guadarrama mountains, it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape - like the...
at Segovia
Segovia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
as a cadet on 10 February 1782 and graduated as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
on 9 February 1787. According to his entrance report he had a dark complexion, brown hair, large eyes and a small stature, being less than five feet tall. At the school Daoiz excelled at mathematics and sports, in particular saber fencing and was able to speak French, English, Italian and Latin in addition to his native Spanish. After graduation Daoiz was assigned to the Real Regimiento de Artillería (Royal Regiment of Artillery) at Puerto de Santa Maria. He was able to use a considerable private income from property and farms owned by his family around Gibraltar to supplement his official salary.
Army career
Daoiz volunteered to help defend CeutaCeuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
against the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
in 1790 and was given command of an artillery battery. He remained in North Africa to assist with the defence of Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
in 1791, spending part of the time with a unit of miner
Miner
A miner is a person whose work or business is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners lack social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance....
s. Daoiz was commended by his superiors, including artillery Brigadier Andres Aznar, for his courage and zeal in the battles and was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 28 February 1792. After Spain joined the First Coalition
First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition was the first major effort of multiple European monarchies to contain Revolutionary France. France declared war on the Habsburg monarchy of Austria on 20 April 1792, and the Kingdom of Prussia joined the Austrian side a few weeks later.These powers initiated a series...
against Revolutionary France, Daoiz participated in the War of Roussillon
War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees refers to the Pyrenees front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. Also known as Great War, War of Roussillon, or War of the Convention, it pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal from March 1793 to July 1795 during the...
, in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, from March 1794 but was captured in a French counterattack on 25 November 1794. He was held as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
at Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
where he turned down an offer of freedom and a commission in the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
, which was short of artillery officers. After the Peace of Basel
Peace of Basel
The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving France .* The first of the three treaties of 1795, France made peace with Prussia on 5 April; , * The Second was with Spain on 22 July, ending the War of the Pyrenees; and*...
ended the war between France and Spain on 22 July 1795, Daoiz was released and made his way back to El Puerto de Santa Maria.
Spain signed the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
The Second Treaty of San Ildefonso was signed on August 19, 1796 between the Spanish Empire and the First French Republic. Based on the terms of the agreement, France and Spain would become allies and combine their forces against the British Empire.-See also:...
in 1796, allying itself with France against Great Britain and beginning the Anglo-Spanish War
Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808)
The Anglo-Spanish War between 1796 and 1802, and again from 1804 to 1808, was a part of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. The war ended in a alliance....
. On 11 July 1797 Daoiz was placed in charge of a gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
in the Defence of Cadiz
Blockade of Cádiz (1797)
The Assault on Cadiz was a part of a protracted naval blockade of the Spanish port of Cadiz by the Royal Navy, which comprised the siege and the shelling of the city as well as an amphibious assault on the port itself from June to July 1797. After the battle of Cape Saint Vincent the British fleet...
, commanded by Admiral Jose de Mazarredo y Salazar
Jose de Mazarredo y Salazar
Don Jose de Mazarredo y Salazar de Muñatones Cortázar Order of Santiago was a Spanish Basque naval commander, cartographer, ambassador, astronomer and professor of naval tactics...
, against the British blockading squadron. During the defence his gunboat, No. 5, was involved in an attack on the British third-rate
Third-rate
In the British Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks . Years of experience proved that the third rate ships embodied the best compromise between sailing ability , firepower, and cost...
HMS Powerful
HMS Powerful (1783)
HMS Powerful was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 3 April 1783 at Blackwall Yard, London.In 1805 the ship arrived too late to take part in the Battle of Trafalgar but was then detached to reinforce the East India squadron. On 13th June 1806 she captured the French...
. Later that year he was seconded to the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
, which was short of trained officers, for service aboard the 74 gun ship
Seventy-four (ship)
The "seventy-four" was a type of two-decked sailing ship of the line nominally carrying 74 guns. Originally developed by the French Navy in the mid-18th century, the design proved to be a good balance between firepower and sailing qualities, and was adopted by the British Royal Navy , as well as...
San Ildefonso. Daoiz sailed twice with the vessel to the Americas, escorting galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
s. During this time he assisted the ship's captain, Jose de Iriarte, by acting as a translator during negotiations with foreign officials and found time to write a short treatise
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
on the instruction of soldiers and sailors. Whilst with the ship in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, in November 1800 Daoiz was reading back issues of a gazette
Gazette
A gazette is a public journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.In English- and French-speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name Gazette since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers bear the name The Gazette.Gazette is a loanword from the...
and was surprised to find that he had been promoted to captain on 4 March 1800, whilst at sea. He did not enjoy the long trips away from Spain and requested a land based posting, serving initially as a lieutenant in the infantry before joining the newly formed 3rd Artillery Regiment of Seville on 7 July 1802. Had he stayed aboard the San Ildefonso Daoiz may have seen action with the ship at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
in 1805.
On 2 December 1803 Daoiz was ordered by General Godoy to be seconded to the Royal Bronze Foundry. There he sat on a committee, headed by Brigadier Maria Vicente Maturana, to decide the design and oversee the production of new light guns for the horse artillery
Horse artillery
Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving and fast-firing artillery which provided highly mobile fire support to European and American armies from the 17th to the early 20th century...
. Daoiz agreed to wed a noblewoman from Utrera
Utrera
Utrera is a municipality in south-west Spain. It is in the province of Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. As of 2008 it has a population close to 50,202....
in 1807, the marriage ceremony taking place in spring the next year. In 1807 Daoiz was commander of the Spanish artillerymen that attended the signing of the Treaty of Fontainebleau
Treaty of Fontainebleau (1807)
The Treaty of Fontainebleau was signed on 27 October 1807 in Fontainebleau between Charles IV of Spain and Napoleon I of France. The accord divided Portugal and all Portuguese dominions between the signatories. Individuals such as M. Izquierdo, councilor of Charles IV, and Don Manuel de Godoy were...
, an agreement between Spain and France to split up Portugal into three smaller states, and was part of the Franco-Spanish force that invaded Portugal to enforce that treaty. He moved with his regiment to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in 1808 and took command of a battery of the 2nd company (some sources say 3rd company) at the former palace of the Duke of Monteleón. He became known to the men under his command as "el Abuelo" ("the grandfather") due to his relative age and good temperament.
Dos de Mayo
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
was ordered to Madrid with 30,000 troops and began taking control of the main palaces and barracks of the city, which had just 2-4,000 Spanish troops in its garrison. The presence of a French garrison was resented by much of the populace and Daoiz himself had to be restrained from fighting a duel with a French soldier he overheard insulting Spain in a tavern. On 2 May a crowd, hearing of French plans to send members of the Spanish royal family away to France, gathered outside the Royal Palace in Madrid to protest. It is not known how the fighting started, but the British consul, John Hunter, recorded that by 11 am French troops were firing musket volleys into the crowded square and fighting had spread across Madrid. French troops were dispatched to take possession of the Spanish barracks to secure their arms and ammunition.
Daoiz, the highest ranking officer at the Monteleón barracks found himself in command of just 4 officers, 3 NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s and 10 men. He sought reinforcements at his regimental headquarters and returned with the 3rd company of the 2nd Battalion, a further 33 men and 2 officers. Daoiz's orders from the local junta
Junta (Peninsular War)
In the Napoleonic era, junta was the name chosen by several local administrations formed in Spain during the Peninsular War as a patriotic alternative to the official administration toppled by the French invaders...
were to remain in the barracks and co-operate with French forces but, after conferring with Captain Pedro Velarde y Santillán
Pedro Velarde y Santillán
Pedro Velarde y Santillán was a Spanish artillery captain famous for his heroic death in the Dos de Mayo uprisings against the French occupation of Madrid...
, he decided that the French troops were hostile to Spain and that they would defend the barracks against any French interference. By this time a large crowd of civilians had gathered at the barracks, requesting weapons with which to oppose the French, and Daoiz ordered the armoury opened to them. With 9 cannon, and 120 soldiers and armed civilians under his command, Daoiz now made arrangements for the defence of the barracks. A battery of 24 pounder guns were placed at the main gate facing into the street and were loaded with canister shot
Canister shot
Canister shot is a kind of anti-personnel ammunition used in cannons. It was similar to the naval grapeshot, but fired smaller and more numerous balls, which did not have to punch through the wooden hull of a ship...
by their military and civilian crews. A small detachment of French stationed near the barracks were captured by Verlarde and their weapons and ammunition distributed to civilians.
According to Hunter, when the first French troops advanced up the street to take possession of the barracks they were fired upon and several were killed before they halted to await reinforcements and occupy neighbouring buildings. Soon the French commanding officer, General Joseph Lagrange, had around 2,000 men in the area. French battalions, including a unit of Imperial Grenadiers, made two assaults on the guns, but both were repulsed, and the Spaniards captured a French colonel. A third wave of French troops reached the artillery lines and fired into the barracks, killing many of the defenders including Velarde, before charging with fixed bayonets. Hunter claimed that Daoiz, who had been shot in the hip, continued to issue orders despite his wound and was wounded twice more whilst fighting the French with his sabre. Daoiz is said to have been stabbed in the back with a bayonet and killed whilst approaching a French officer waving a white flag of truce. The dying Daoiz was dragged away by his men, who continued to fight within the barracks buildings before surrendering at the request of Spanish Captain-General the Marquis de San Simón. The Spanish at Monteleón had held out against superior French numbers for around three hours. Daoiz was 41 years old when he died, and had over 26 years of continuous service in the Spanish Army.
Aftermath
The French surgeon is said to have insisted on treating Daoiz before tending to his own men, but his efforts were in vain and Daoiz was buried in the Church of St Martin alongside his men. Velarde, who spearheaded the uprising alongside Daoiz, was also killed, but another artillery officer, Lieutenant Ruiz, managed to escape. Members of the Junta went around the city asking for resistance to stop, and by 2am the next morning calm had been restored.Marshal Murat convened a military tribunal, chaired by General Emmanuel Grouchy, that morning to summarily try and sentence anyone found in possession of a potential weapon. Many Spaniards lost their lives, and artist Francisco Goya
Francisco Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Goya was a court painter to the Spanish Crown, and through his works was both a commentator on and chronicler of his era...
, who witnessed the aftermath of the executions, painted his famous painting The Third of May 1808
The Third of May 1808
The Third of May 1808 is a painting completed in 1814 by the Spanish painter Francisco Goya, now in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. In the work, Goya sought to commemorate Spanish resistance to Napoleon's armies during the occupation of 1808...
to commemorate this event. The fighting and executions claimed at least 154 French and 409 Spanish lives and inspired resistance to the French across the country, signalling the start of the Spanish War of Independence
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. After Doaiz's death his wife entered a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
in Seville.
Legacy
Monumento a los Caidos por España (Madrid)
The Monumento a los Caídos por España , popularly known as the 'Obelisco' or the 'Monumento a los Héroes del Dos de Mayo' , is a monument in Madrid, Spain located in the Plaza de la Lealtad, between the Madrid Stock Exchange Building and the Ritz Hotel, next to the Paseo del Prado.The monument is...
in Madrid after its construction in 1840. The monument originally served as a memorial to those who lost their lives on the Dos de Mayo but on 22 November 1985 King Juan Carlos I redesignated it in memory of all Spaniards who died in war and it now serves as Spain's national Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a grave in which the unidentifiable remains of a soldier are interred. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified...
.