Miguel IGLESIAS - A Stan Klos Biography
IGLESIAS, Miguel, Peruvian soldier, born in
Cajamarca, 18 August, 1822. He studied law and was graduated in the University
of San Carlos at Lima, but did not practise at the bar, having to assist his
father in the management of his landed property in Cajamarca. Although he was
several times president of the department council of Cajamarca, he did not enter
into general politics until he was elected deputy to the Federal congress in
1861.
From that date till 1876 he was several times elected to
the Federal senate, and in 1879, when Chile declared war against Peru and
Bolivia, he formed and equipped a battalion at his own expense, and at its head,
accompanied by his three sons, he appeared at Lima and offered his services to
the government. The president, General Prado, appointed him colonel in the
National Guard and chief of the battalion which he had raised.
Pierola assumed the direction of the nation on 22
December, 1879, after President Prado's flight, he called Iglesias to be
Secretary of War, and in that capacity the latter did excellent service in
putting the nation in a state of defense and forwarding new levies to the seat
of war. Colonel Iglesias took part with his force in the battle of Los Angeles,
22 March, 1880, and in that of Tacna on 26 May.
After the defeat of Tacna he again assumed the portfolio
of war, and displayed much activity in preparing the fortifications of the lines
of Chorrillos, San Juan, and Miraflores, against the expected Chilean invasion.
Shortly afterward, as commander of the lines of Morro-Solar, he offered a heroic
resistance to the Chilean forces, but surrendered on 13 January, 1881, when his
army had been totally surrounded.
After the battle of Miraflores, 15 January, the
independent congress of notables, who had not submitted to the Chileans, gave
him the rank of general, and he continued to resist the invaders in the
mountains of his native department, defeating a strong Chilean force at San
Pablo in 1882.
After the government of the provisional president,
Garcia-Calderon, had been terminated by his imprisonment on 28 September, 1881,
and the constitutional vice president, Montero, refused to treat with the
invaders, General Iglesias was elected to the presidency early in 1883. A few
months afterward he concluded a treaty of peace with Chile, and at the same time
took energetic measures to suppress the revolutionary movements of those who
considered the treaty derogatory to the national honor.
Afterward his administration was fairly prosperous, he
twice put down the revolutionary movements of General Caceres and dismissed a
great part of the standing army, introducing great economy in the government
expenditures. On 6 September, 1885, a new expedition of General Caceres was
directed against General Iglesias in Lima, and, after a valiant personal defense
or the government palace, he surrendered to the leader of the revolutionary
forces and retired to Spain, where he has since lived in retirement.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001
StanKlos.comTM
IGLESIAS, Miguel, Peruvian soldier, born in Cajamarca, 18 August, 1822. He studied law and was graduated in the University of San Carlos at Lima, but did not practise at the bar, having to assist his father in the management of his landed property in Cajamarca. Although he was several times president of the department council of Cajamarca, he did not enter into general politics until he was elected deputy to the Federal congress in 1861. From that date till 1876 he was several times elected to the Federal senate, and in 1879, when Chili declared war against Peru and Bolivia, he formed and equipped a battalion at his own expense, and at its head, accompanied by his three sons, he appeared at Lima and offered his services to the government. The president, General Prado, appointed him colonel in the National guard and chief of the battalion which he had raised. When Pierola assumed the direction of the nation on 22 December, 1879, after President Prado's flight, he called Iglesias to be secretary of war, and in that capacity the latter did excellent service in putting the nation in a state of defence and forwarding new levies to the seat of war. Colonel Iglesias took part with his force in the battle of Los Angeles, 22 March, 1880, and in that of Tacna on 26 May. After the defeat of Tacna he again assumed the portfolio of war, and displayed much activity in preparing the fortifications of the lines of Chorrillos, San Juan, and Miraflores, against the expected Chilian invasion. Shortly afterward, as commander of the lines of Morro-Solar, he offered a heroic resistance to the Chilian forces, but surrendered on 13 January, 1881, when his army had been totally surrounded. After the battle of Miraflores, 15 January, the independent congress of notables, who had not submitted to the Chiiians, gave him the rank of general, and he continued to resist the invaders in the mountains of his native department, defeating a strong Chilian force at San Pablo in 1882. After the government of the provisional president, Garcia-Calderon, had been terminated by his imprisonment on 28 September, 1881, and the constitutional vice president, Montero, refused to treat with the invaders, General Iglesias was elected to the presidency early in 1883. A few months afterward he concluded a treaty of peace with Chili, and at the same time took energetic measures to suppress the revolutionary movements of those who considered the treaty derogatory to the national honor. Afterward his administration was fairly prosperous, he twice put down the revolutionary movements of General Caceres and dismissed a great part of the standing army, introducing great economy in the government expenditures. On 6 September, 1885, a new expedition of General Caceres was directed against General Iglesias in Lima, and, after a valiant personal defence or the government palace, he surrendered to the leader of the revolutionary forces and retired to Spain, where he has since lived in retirement.