Martin Miguel de Güemes
Martín Miguel de Güemes (born February 8, 1785 , Salta , Argentina , † June 17, 1821 , Cañada de la Horqueta , Province of Salta , Argentina) was a general of the Argentine War of Independence .
Life and military importance
Güemes grew up as the scion of a wealthy family. His father, Gabriel de Güemes Montero de la Bárcena Campero, was treasurer of the Spanish crown and gave his son a good education through private tutors. At the age of 14 Martín Güemes went to Buenos Aires , where he began his military career as an infantry cadet . During the invasion of the English in 1806, he fought against the invaders, at that time still for the Spanish crown. The successful resistance of the residents of Buenos Aires to the English, which led to the surrender of John Whitelocke in 1807 , spurred the consciousness of independence. De Güemes was committed to the awakening consciousness of independence on the Río de la Plata , and during the May Revolution of 1810, he served as deputy to the Argentine national hero Manuel Belgrano . He commanded the legendary gaucho army "Infernales", which successfully fought against Spanish troops loyal to the king in the Quebrada de Humahuaca gorge ( Jujuy province ) and in the valleys of Tarija and Lípez . He played a decisive role in the battle of Suipacha , which was victorious for the revolutionaries ; later he also took part in the siege of Montevideo and repeatedly protected the northwestern provinces of Argentina with the help of the guerrilla tactics of his Gaucho troops against incursions by Spanish troops who wanted to recapture the area. In 1815 Güemes was elected governor of the province of Salta and as such swore a year later on the independence of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (an area which later included Argentina, Uruguay and parts of today's Bolivia ); due to internal disputes with the governor of Tucumán , however, he lost support and was ambushed by Spanish troops in a surprise attack on Salta. During an attempt to escape on June 7, 1821, he was hit by an enemy bullet; ten days later he died in Cañada de la Horqueta as a result of this injury. His remains were buried in Salta Cathedral in 1822 by the then Governor of Salta, José Ignacio de Gorriti .
The city of General Güemes and the department of the same name are named after him. In Argentina, the bay otherwise known as Rockpepper Bay in Antarctica also bears his name as Ensenada Güemes , as does the Salta airport .
Web links
Salta Chamber of Deputies Güemes website (Spanish)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Güemes, Martín Miguel de |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | South American revolutionary |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 8, 1785 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Salta , Argentina |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 17, 1821 |
| Place of death | Cañada de la Horqueta , Argentina |