ESTRADA, Jose Dolores (estrah'dah), Nicaraguan general, born in Matagalpa in 1787; died near Granada, 12 August 1869. Up to his sixty-fourth year he lived quietly in the country, occupied in the cultivation of his estate, but in the civil war of 1851 offered his services to the conservative leader, Fruto Chamorro, and enlisted under the same chief against the democrats in the revolution of 1853. He participated in the nine months' defense of the City of Granada, and was wounded in the battle of 5 August 1854 ; but notwithstanding, when the enemy raised the siege, Estrada, as second in command, remained for twenty-four hours in the saddle in the pursuit of the retiring army. When the republic was invaded by Walker and his followers in June 1855 (see WALKER, WILLIAM), Estrada did his best in the defense of his country, and after the capture of Granada, 15 October 1855, he retired with a few followers to the northern department of Chinandega, and continued, with Generals Martinez and Fernando Chamorro, to oppose the forces under Walker's command.

After Walker had caused himself to be elected president in June 1856, and declared war on the rest of the Central American republics, Estrada marched with his little army to join the Costa Ricans, but, was intercepted by Walker's forces, and entrenched himself in a favorable position in San Jacinto. Early in the morning of 14 September 1856, the enemy, who attacked in three columns, stormed his position and one of his redoubts was taken. After many hours of fierce fighting, Estrada saw that his forces would soon be surrounded, and made a desperate sally at the head of his troops, throwing the enemy into such confusion that they fled, and were pursued as far as Tipitapa. After Walker had been driven from the country, Estrada left the army, and although, on the second invasion of Nicaragua by Walker, in November 1857, he offered his services again, he refused all honors and offices, and took part in the electoral campaign of 1863 only to avoid the unconstitutional reelection of the last president,. When the revolution of 1869 began, Estrada, although eighty-two years old, was appointed commander-in-chief of the army, and defeated the revolutionists in several encounters, but, a few days before the final pacification, he died in consequence of the fatigue that he had undergone. The congress of 1870 ordered a marble monument to be erected on his grave with the inscription " A1 general Estrada, vencedor de San Jacinto, el 14 de Setiembre 1866, la patria agradeeida."