Andrés Avelino Caceres - A Stan Klos Biography
Andrés Avelino Caceres
CACERES, Andrés Avelino,
Peruvian soldier, born in Huanta, 12 April, 1831. He was a law
student at the University of Lima in 1852, when Castilla headed a revolt to
abolish slavery in Perú, and joined the revolutionary troops as a second
lieutenant. He distinguished himself in the attack upon Arequipa, a place very
well fortified, and defended by Vivanco, and General Castilla promoted him to
the rank of captain and appointed him military attaché to the Peruvian legation
at Paris, where he remained from 1857 till 1860.
On his return to Perú in the latter year he defended the
government of Perú in several revolutions, and accompanied Prado at Callao
during the attack against that place by the Spanish fleet in 1866. Then Cáceres
won the rank of colonel, and was given command of the Zepita regiment, at the
head of which he fought against Pierola from 1876 till 1878. During the war with
Chile he was prominent, especially at the battle of Dolores, 2 November, 1879,
when he successfully resisted the Chilean troops and captured some of their
guns.
At the battle of Tacna, won by the Chileans, 26 May, 1880,
he commanded a brigade and fought well, after which he offered his services to
the dictator Pierola, who gave him command of a division camped near Lima, which
was attacked and defeated by the Chileans, 14 January, 1881.
When the Chilean army occupied Lima, Cáceres and Pierola
retreated with the rest of their forces to Arequipa, the former being appointed
brigadier-general, and authorized by congress to continue the hostilities
against the Chileans as well as against the Peruvian General Iglesias, who had
established a government of his own at Cajamarca.
He made several unsuccessful attacks upon the Chilean
troops, and, after much suffering in a three months' march through the Sierras,
could not carry out the orders of congress to destroy Iglesias' government, for
he was defeated by a Chilean division under Gorostiaga near Huamacucho, 14
November, 1881. Cáceres then went to the interior, raised a revolution against
Iglesias, put himself at the head of a considerable force, and was again
defeated near Lima.
But he persistently worked to depose Iglesias, collected
more troops, routed those of the government, and finally entered the capital in
March, 1885, and at once directed the election of a special board to govern
until a new congress and president were chosen. He was elected president on 3
December, 1885, and his inauguration took place on 28 July, 1886.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001 VirtualologyTM
CACERES, Andr6s Avelino, Peruvian soldier, born in Huanta, 12 April, 1831. He was a law student at the University of Lima in 1852, when Cas-tilla headed a revolt to abolish slavery in Peru, and joined the revolutionary troops as a second lieutenant. He distinguished himself in the attack upon Arequipa, a place very well fortified, and defended by Vivanco, and General Castilla promoted him to the rank of captain and appointed him military attache to the Peruvian legation at Paris, where he remained from 1857 till 1860. On his return to Peru in the latter year he defended the government of Pezet in several revolutions, and accompanied Prado at Callao during the attack against that place by the Spanish fleet in 1866. Then CAceres won the rank of colonel, and was given command of the Zepita regiment, at the head of which he fought against Pidrola from 1876 till 1878. During the war with Chili he was prominent, especially at the battle of Dolores, 2 November, 1879, when he successfully resisted the Chilian troops and captured some of their guns. At the battle of Tacna, won by the Chilians, 26 May, 1880, he commanded a brigade and fought well, after which he offered his services to the dictator Pierola, who gave him command of a division camped near Lima, which was attacked and defeated by the Chilians, 14 January, 1881. When the Chilian army occupied Lima, Caceres and PiSrola retreated with the rest of their forces to Arequipa, the former being appointed brigadier-general, and authorized by congress to continue the hostilities against the Chilians as well as against the Peruvian General Iglesias, who had established a government of his own at Cajamarca. He made several unsuccessful attacks upon the Chilian troops, and, after much suffering in a three months' march through the Sierras, could not carry out the orders of congress to destroy Iglesias's government, for he was defeated by a Chilian division under Gorostiaga near Huamacucho, 14 November, 1881. Caceres then went to the interior, raised a revolution against Iglesias, put himself at the head of a considerable force, and was again defeated near Lima. But he persistently worked to depose Iglesias, collected more troops, routed those of the government, and finally entered the capital in March, 1885, and at once directed the election of a special board to govern until a new congress and president were chosen. He was elected president on 3 December, 1885, and his inauguration took place on 28 July, 1886.
