Mariano Montilla
Encyclopedia
Mariano Montilla was a Major General of the Army of Venezuela
in the Venezuelan War of Independence
.
.
As a young man he went to Spain where he joined the American bodyguard company. In 1801, under the command of Manuel Godoy, he fought in the War between Spain and Portugal and was wounded at the battle of Olivenza. He then returned to Caracas. In 1808 he was active in the emerging revolution for the independence of Venezuela. In 1810 he was sent to Jamaica
and Curaçao
to spread the news about events in Venezuela. Later that year he was appointed commander of a squadron of militia volunteers from the valleys of Aragua. Subordinate first to the Marquis del Toro, then to Francisco de Miranda
, in 1811 he fought in the insurgency that erupted in Valencia. Between 1811 and 1812 he retired to Philadelphia in the United States
to recover his health.
and was engaged in several battles between 1813 and 1814. In 1814, following defeat by the royalists, he was forced to emigrate to Cartagena de Indias, where he undertook the defense of the city against the siege imposed by the Spanish general Pablo Morillo
. He was named military governor of the city and promoted to Colonel in 1815. When the city fell to Morillo on December 6, 1815 he escaped to Haiti
, and later aided Simón Bolívar in the unsuccessful naval expedition of Los Cayos. After a period of residence in the United States, in 1817 he took command of the island of Margarita
, from which base he led the campaigns against Barcelona and Cumana.
In 1820, in Margarita, he took command of the Irish Legion which had newly arrived under the leadership of William Aylmer
and Francis O'Connor
. As commanding general he led in the battles of Fonseca, Tablazo and Molino, the withdrawal from Valledupar and the successful battle of Laguna Salada. Later in 1820 he landed in Sabanilla, in the province of Cartagena, opened the port for trade, defeated the royalists at Pueblo Nuevo and established communications with Bolivar's forces in the interior of New Granada.
In September 1821 he was promoted to brigadier general and October 22 of that year conducted the pivotal siege of Cartagena assisted by naval forces under José Prudencio Padilla
. The city fell on October 1, 1821 after a siege lasting 159 days. Among the defenders who surrendered was Brigadier Gabriel Torres, commander of the royalist forces. The patriots captured large stores of gunpowder, lead, rifles and field pieces. In 1823 Maracaibo
fell to the forces sent by the Spanish Field Marshal Francisco Tomás Morales. Montilla moved to Riohacha
to establish a base of operations for the liberation of Maracaibo, which was achieved after a naval battle fought on July 24, 1823 isolated the Spanish from relief.
. In 1828 he was appointed leader of department of the Isthmus (Panama) and Magdalena Zulia. In 1830 he was involved in a movement that supported Rafael Urdaneta
as president of Gran Colombia
. As a result, in January 1832, the Ministry of War and Navy of New Granada passed a decree deemed him a traitor to the fatherland and expelled him from New Granada. However, in January 1833, Congress allowed him to return, and in November 1833 Montilla was appointed minister plenipotentiary to restore friendly relations with England and France and to seek recognition of Venezuelan independence from Spain, a mission that was largely successful. He died in 1851, and in 1896 his remains were moved to the National Pantheon of Venezuela in Caracas.
He died at Caracas in 1851.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in the Venezuelan War of Independence
Venezuelan War of Independence
-The First Republic:Criollos resented the mercantilist policies of Spain. Trade was only allowed in Pacific ports which was a terrible burden for Argentina, Paraguay and the Caribbean colonies. This is significant as Cuba and Puerto Rico were forced to allow free trade in 1763 by Britain and...
.
Youth
Montilla was born at CaracasCaracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
.
As a young man he went to Spain where he joined the American bodyguard company. In 1801, under the command of Manuel Godoy, he fought in the War between Spain and Portugal and was wounded at the battle of Olivenza. He then returned to Caracas. In 1808 he was active in the emerging revolution for the independence of Venezuela. In 1810 he was sent to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
to spread the news about events in Venezuela. Later that year he was appointed commander of a squadron of militia volunteers from the valleys of Aragua. Subordinate first to the Marquis del Toro, then to Francisco de Miranda
Francisco de Miranda
Sebastián Francisco de Miranda Ravelo y Rodríguez de Espinoza , commonly known as Francisco de Miranda , was a Venezuelan revolutionary...
, in 1811 he fought in the insurgency that erupted in Valencia. Between 1811 and 1812 he retired to Philadelphia in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to recover his health.
War of Independence
After the campaign of 1813 Mariano Montilla joined the forces of Simón BolívarSimón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
and was engaged in several battles between 1813 and 1814. In 1814, following defeat by the royalists, he was forced to emigrate to Cartagena de Indias, where he undertook the defense of the city against the siege imposed by the Spanish general Pablo Morillo
Pablo Morillo
Pablo Morillo y Morillo, Count of Cartagena and Marquess of La Puerta, aka El Pacificador was a Spanish general....
. He was named military governor of the city and promoted to Colonel in 1815. When the city fell to Morillo on December 6, 1815 he escaped to Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, and later aided Simón Bolívar in the unsuccessful naval expedition of Los Cayos. After a period of residence in the United States, in 1817 he took command of the island of Margarita
Isla Margarita
Margarita Island is the largest island of the state of Nueva Esparta in Venezuela, situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua. The capital city of Nueva Esparta is La Asunción, located in a river...
, from which base he led the campaigns against Barcelona and Cumana.
In 1820, in Margarita, he took command of the Irish Legion which had newly arrived under the leadership of William Aylmer
William Aylmer
William Aylmer from Painstown, County Kildare, Ireland was a leader of the United Irishmen in the 1798 Rebellion against the British government. At the Battle of Ovidstown on 19 June 1798 he led a fierce battle against superior forces in which 200 insurgents died. Aylmer retreated into the...
and Francis O'Connor
Francisco Burdett O'Connor
Francisco Burdett O'Connor was an officer in the Irish Legion of Simón Bolívar's army in Venezuela. He later became chief of staff to Antonio José de Sucre and minister of war in Bolivia....
. As commanding general he led in the battles of Fonseca, Tablazo and Molino, the withdrawal from Valledupar and the successful battle of Laguna Salada. Later in 1820 he landed in Sabanilla, in the province of Cartagena, opened the port for trade, defeated the royalists at Pueblo Nuevo and established communications with Bolivar's forces in the interior of New Granada.
In September 1821 he was promoted to brigadier general and October 22 of that year conducted the pivotal siege of Cartagena assisted by naval forces under José Prudencio Padilla
José Prudencio Padilla
Admiral José Prudencio Padilla López was a Colombian military leader who fought in the Spanish American wars of independence...
. The city fell on October 1, 1821 after a siege lasting 159 days. Among the defenders who surrendered was Brigadier Gabriel Torres, commander of the royalist forces. The patriots captured large stores of gunpowder, lead, rifles and field pieces. In 1823 Maracaibo
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
fell to the forces sent by the Spanish Field Marshal Francisco Tomás Morales. Montilla moved to Riohacha
Riohacha
Riohacha, Rio Hacha or Rio de la Hacha , is a city in the Riohacha Municipality in the northern Caribbean Region of Colombia by the mouth of the Ranchería River and the Caribbean sea, capital city of the La Guajira Department. Founded by conquistador Nikolaus Federmann in 1535, Riohacha was named...
to establish a base of operations for the liberation of Maracaibo, which was achieved after a naval battle fought on July 24, 1823 isolated the Spanish from relief.
Later career
In 1824, Montilla was appointed commanding general of the department of Zulia and promoted to divisional general. The following year he returned to Cartagena, where he served as commander of the department of MagdalenaMagdalena
Magdalena is the original version of the name Magdalene , and is used in Czech, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Bulgarian, Polish, Slovak, Georgian, Slovene among other languages.Magdalena may also refer to:...
. In 1828 he was appointed leader of department of the Isthmus (Panama) and Magdalena Zulia. In 1830 he was involved in a movement that supported Rafael Urdaneta
Rafael Urdaneta
Rafael José Urdaneta y Faría was a Venezuelan General and hero of the Spanish American wars of independence in several countries in northern South America.- Biographic data :...
as president of Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia is a name used today for the state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. This short-lived republic included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. The...
. As a result, in January 1832, the Ministry of War and Navy of New Granada passed a decree deemed him a traitor to the fatherland and expelled him from New Granada. However, in January 1833, Congress allowed him to return, and in November 1833 Montilla was appointed minister plenipotentiary to restore friendly relations with England and France and to seek recognition of Venezuelan independence from Spain, a mission that was largely successful. He died in 1851, and in 1896 his remains were moved to the National Pantheon of Venezuela in Caracas.
He died at Caracas in 1851.