History

  Introduction

By the end of XVII century, Spain had to face a series of particular circumstances that motivated that the system for the defense of the Virreynato became obsolete. Thanks to the requests of the successive virreyes, the Spanish Court decided to make a military reorganization. The “regulation for the Military services disciplines of Infantry and Cavalry of the Virreynato de Buenos Ayres, 1801, contained the norms for the new organization of all the virreinato. Although the Regulation did not give special dispositions for the formation of urban military services, established that all the inhabitants listed in the bodies of disciplined military services did not belong to the urban ones, for being general to have to take the arms in defense from the King and the religion.

The voluntary military service  The bad performance of the virreinales forces, proven by the fall of Buenos Aires by the end of June of 1806 into the hands of a small British contingent, showed the inefficiency of the military services without instruction neither discipline, badly armed and commanded, when facing troops or trained actually of the war. The action of Reconquista, also showed the importance of union of the moral forces. Taking advantage of the great enthusiasm that the victory had caused in the town and being headless the main authority by absence of the Virrey Sobremonte, the Town hall of Buenos Aires, caused the meeting of a general congress “to affirm the victory”. This way Buenos Ayres was prepared for which they intuited would be a second attempt of occupation.

Virreinal Buenos Aires. In the image part of the Fort, recova, the Town hall can be observed.

Cronology

1806  14 of August. It is solved to order to a military meeting  to the study and solution “of the way to affirm the victory, arranging the number of troops whom the city needs and its coast to resist to the reinforcement that is even afraid and assures that the English waited for our enemies; the pay that is to win and from where it is had to pay so far”.

Designated Santiago de Liniers by imposition of the town of Buenos Aires, Commander of the arms dedicates all to his activity and initiative to fulfill the difficult order that had trusted to him. The Meeting military, led the study and deliberations for the organization of the new forces and the determination of the measures to assure the defense the capital and its coast. As a result of these activities they were created more than twelve peninsular and American ethnic group or volunteerses of different regions. These were: Patricios; of Patriotic of the Union; of Natural, Pardos; Tercio de Montañeses;  of Andalusia; of Galician Volunteers, of Vizcaínos and Urban Volunteers of Catalonia.

Santiago de Liniers y Bremond (1753-1810), organizer of the urban military services that defended Buenos Aires in 1807.

          

Laminae representing the milicianos bodies of the River Plate, of Doldan

 

6 of September.  The proclamation of Liniers takes place, for the creation of the urban Bodies for the defense of Buenos Aires

9 of September.  Part of the order of Santiago de Liniers for the call of the urban military services.

18 of September. The Tercio of Montañeses  is created, constituted by the Cantabrian neighbors who lived in that city. The personnel of this unit composed the children of the region that in the future would form the province of Santander. The Body had like pattern to the Santísima Trinidad, invocation of the First Church of the city.

The Body was formed by Don Jose of the Oyuela, of Castilian origin, being the second commander the captain Pedro Andrés Garci'a, born in Santander, and member of one of the families but distinguished of Buenos Aires and notary public.

Cuadro de texto: Pedro Andrés García (1758-1833) Héroe de la Defensa, apoyo a Liniers en 1809 y  participo activamente en el movimiento revolucionario del 25 de mayo de 1810. “This troops are made up of the neighbors who voluntarily have armed themselves for the defense of the country; they have consumed many interests in uniforming itself; they do not have more subordination than the one of his own enthusiasm”

9 of November. The flags of the Volunteers Montañeses or Cantabrians, receive the blessing next to the flags of the Legion of Patricios, in Santa Iglesia Cathedral of Buenos Aires. The mass is pronounced by the Zamudio archdeacon and blessed by the bishop Monsignor Benito de Lue and Riega. By this fact the Body of Montañeses has the privilege to go to the vanguard of the other volunteerses.

10 of November. The 3 battalions of the Patricios Legion and the Body of Mountain dwellers are named safekeeping of the Real standard of the city of Buenos Aires.

Pedro Andrés Garci'a (1758-1833) Hero of

Defense, supported to Liniers in 1809 and participate 

in the revolutionary movement of 1810.

 

1807 28 of June. Disembark of British forces to the control of general John Whitelocke, in the Cove of Barragán.

 

Composition of the Third of Mountain dwellers at the beginning of 1807 July: Commander-in-Chief:  Colonel Don Pedro Andrés Garcia

2° Commander: Adjutant Don Juan Simón Gomez… (more)

1-2 of July. Liniers takes positions unfolding its front line: The right Wing, Balbiani Division; the Center, Elio Division; Left wing, Division Velazco and the Reserve, Division Gutiérrez of the Shell. In this last one it unfolded the Third of mountain dwellers along with the Dragoons, the third battalion of Patricios, the company of Miñones - outstanding with the Third of Mountain dwellers -, two cavalry squadrons and fourteen pieces, with a total of 1580 men. After a confrontation with the English forces (in the corrals of Miserere), the Division of Balbiani, next to the reserve of Of the Shell, backs down from their positions of the Brook to the Greater Seat.

Manuel Jose Garcia Son

of Colonel P.A. Garcia

5 of July. Colonel Garcia is the one in charge, in times of the night to organize with his Body, the corners of the left sector of the disposition of the  Buenos Aires.  They are located on the streets Belgrano and Defensa, in defense of the Church of  Sto Domingo.

 6 of July. The advance of the British forces begins on Buenos Ayres… after a series of stumbles, the forces of Craufurd enter by Venezuela the church of Santo Domingo and they are positioned in the tower.

   

Lieutenant colonel Denis Pack (1772-1823), one of the officials who participated in the first invasion. Before the risk of being lynched by the multitude once capitulated the British forces in There Sto Domingo, was left same prisoner until power to be evacuated surely in times of the night.

During the night corners are constructed as will serve like fundamental pieces

of the urban resistance. On the bottom of the oil the church of Santo Domingo is observed.

 

Brigadier general Robert Craufurd, Faced Liniers his “light Infantry”, forcing the Creole forces to disperse. Later and to his grief he would capitulate in Santo Domingo. Nicknamed “Black Bob” by his valentía, hero in the Napoleonic war, would later die few years in an assault to a Spanish strength in hold of French.

Although initially placed in ambush and having undergone important losses, the mountain dwellers retained the position (illustration C. Bonvecchiato)

“The enemy - the Cnel informed Pedro Andrés Garcia - lost all hope of take the position , forced an auxiliary door of the convent and occupied the claustros and church, the heights, vaults, choir and tower, from where he fired dominant and certain to us, safe from the walls, and even entrenched of mattresses and furniture, in the few flanks that we could discover to him.”  The howitzer was advanced from the Small seat to the height of the present Venezuela street, protected by the fire of a company of Cantabrians, supported by 2ª Company of Cantabrians of the Lieutenant Jose Gabriel Oyuela, beginning between all these forces an intense fire of fusilade and tube that beat the four flanks of the convent. This way the British were surrounded by the Creole forces.

 

To 13:00, in the noon, Craufurd designed a maneuver to be able to revert a situation that became exasperating per moments. Its plan was to send two columns to take the howitzer that as much damage was doing to its troops intrenched in the Convent. The Major Trotter and Colonel Guard were the designated ones to implement it. In their brief passage towards the objective, both columns were destroyed in a rain of bullets shot from all the roofs. Trotter was dead and its column, completely annihilated. Guard lost 56 men “in two or three minutes”.  16:00, already without options, Craufurd one was forced to capitulate.

 

In the convent of Santo Domingo the British units to the control of general Craufurd and the lieutenant colonel Denis Pack, surrender in their totality before the body of Montañeses and Patricios.

 

Losses suffered by the companies of the Third of Mountain dwellers during the Defense of Buenos Aires between

days 2 and 5 of 1807 July.

 

List of hurt deads and during the combats of the 5 of 1807 July

20 of August. Liniers emphasizes in a report to the Court of Spain, the excellent conduct of the Cantabrian mountain dwellers and their head Colonel Don Pedro Andrés Garcia, which was worth to this one the allocation of first Commander, granting him to it also a earth prize.

19 of July. A Tedeum in commemoration of the victory against the British is celebrated in the Cathedral of Buenos Aires. The Body of Mountain dwellers appears with its flags and the standard of the 71 that was recaptured by a soldier of this body when the British surrendered in the church of Santo Domingo.

The 95 soldiers of th. Part of the Brigade of Craufurd, constituted by several companies of 1º and 2º Battalion of 95th (Rifle) welded by the others with ample military experience to its backs, “(...) the Slight Division, and 95th was the best gunners, information collectorsof all the British Army. Their ability in the firing “the Bakers” made them deserving carry new rifles. All these elements would soon have a decisive paper in the Napoleonic wars.

1808 3 of November. The commanders of the Patricios Legion and mountain Cantabrians, colonels Cornelio Saavedra and Pedro Andrés Garcia, appear before the Virrey Liniers to come up to him with a sedititious blow, putting to their quarters in alert status, hoping events.

31 of December. Colonel Pedro Andrés Garcia, knowing the details the conspiracy that prepared Martin de Álzaga, is united to the colonel of the patricios Cornelio Saavedra, and they go to see Liniers to warn to him of the imminent blow.

 

1809 1 of January. Revolt of the Thirds of Vizcaínos, the Catalan Gallegos and, who demand the resignation of the Virrey Liniers. The incited to rebellion troops occupy the Greater Seat, the Town hall and the houses of the City council. Saavedra with the three battalions of its body penetrates in the Fort. Pedro Andrés Garci'a, with 100 artillerymen, with his body of mountain Cantabrians, the one of chaste and other groups who had gone, settles down a flying train of eight pieces of artillery. The highland ones, under the arms from the previous night, cover the seat with arms and the park or house of Mistos. To the dusk of the day the loyal columns to the Virrey, formed a column of 2,000 men and marched towards the Greater Seat, giving in front of the sedititious troops and assigning the directed base lines and a howitzer of 36 towards their adversaries. The day finishes with the retirement and dissolution of the incited to rebellion troops and the ratification of Santiago de Liniers in its position.

11 of September. The virrey Cisneros, dictates to a providence determining the new organization of the voluntary forces of the capital. Five infantry battalions form: 4° with the Third of Mountain dwellers, (1), with an effective force to the equal one of the veteran unit, of a company of grenadiers and eight of infantry, being made up its Flat greater one of a commander with the colonel degree, a sergeant major, two assistants, two flagmen, a chaplain, a surgeon, a greater drum and two pífanos.

 

1810 25 of May. Revolution of May. When settling down the Governmental Provisional Meeting is supported by colonel the Garci'as and the 4 battalion (Mountain).

 29 of May. The Governmental Provisional Meeting recognizes the preexisting military structure, elevating to Regiments the military units of Buenos Aires.

 4 of July. The fusion is had the regiments 4 N° and N° 5, in a new N° 4 that followed with same Flat the Greater one, being declared veteran.

 12 of July. Part from Castro Mount - “the expedition from aid to the Inner Provinces” to the control of Colonel Ortiz de Ocampo. The same one I form with the existing bodies, a total of 1176 men: “… Two companies of Regiment 4.”

 

1811 December. 4° Regiment - ex- mountain dwellers - is reinforced with elements of the ex- body of highland.

 

1812 September. 4° Regiment is covered with the transformation of the Blandengues of Montevideo, of cavalry, in a new N° 4 of Infantry with 8 one, infantry companies of grenadiers and one of hunters.

 

1813-1814 Participates in the Campaign and site of Montevideo.

 

1815  Leaves from the campaign against Artigas in Santa Fe.

 

1820 4° regiment lets exist in the middle of 1820 with the fall of the Directory.