During the heat of the Battle of Stones River in Tennessee, Cuban born officer and Union patriot Julius Peter Garesché was killed by cannon fire on December 31, 1862. Garesché graduated from West Point Military Academy, and served with distinction during the Mexican American War. A devout Christian and Catholic, he organized a charitable society in the state… Continue reading Julius Peter Garesché, Union Army Officer 1862
Tag: 1862
Federico Degetau, First Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico 1862
Federico Degetau, Puerto Rico’s first Resident Commissioner after it became a US territory, was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on December 5, 1862. Degetau was a man of many talents, and his career roles included politician, art collector, author, lawyer, coffee grower, and educator. He studied in Puerto Rico and at the University of Madrid,… Continue reading Federico Degetau, First Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico 1862
Garibaldi Brigade 1862
On May 28, 1862, the newly formed Garibaldi Brigade (39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment) marched out of the state of New York to defend the struggling US Government. The bloody Civil War (1861 to 1865) between the northern and southern states was raging, and many immigrants enlisted to support the Union. Many of the… Continue reading Garibaldi Brigade 1862
Mexican Independence Day?
Mexican Independence Day? Not exactly. May 5, or Cinco de Mayo, celebrates the 1862 Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexican Army defeated the French Army. What were the French doing there? It’s complicated. After costly civil wars, Mexican President Benito Juárez issued a moratorium suspending all foreign debt payments for two years. Their impatient… Continue reading Mexican Independence Day?
“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” 1862
“Damn the torpedoes. Four bells, Captain Drayton, go ahead. Jouett, full speed”, commanded David Glasgow Farragut on April 24, 1862. He shouted this now famous tweet during the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay, and the condensed version of his words have become a fixture in American language to connote courage and decisiveness. (“Drayton” and “Jouett” refer… Continue reading “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” 1862
Union Officer Fernandez Cavada 1862
Soaring through the air in a hot air balloon over the dangerous, flaming battlefield on April 19, 1862, Union officer Fernandez Cavada quickly and accurately sketched the deployments of enemy Confederate troops on the Virginia peninsula. Cavada was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, to a Cuban father and North American mother. After her husband’s death, Cavada’s… Continue reading Union Officer Fernandez Cavada 1862
Néstor Montoya, Editor and Politician 1862
April 14, 1862 is the birthday of editor and politician Néstor Montoya in Old Albuquerque, New Mexico. Montoya worked tirelessly for the inclusion of Latinx in the political and social life of New Mexico. In 1889, he founded the weekly Spanish-language newspaper, “La Voz del Pueblo”, which advocated statehood for New Mexico. In 1910 Montoya… Continue reading Néstor Montoya, Editor and Politician 1862
Union Officer Miguel E. Pino 1862
February 20, 1862 marked the start of the Battle of Valverde during the American Civil War. Union officer and Latinx Miguel E. Pino commanded the 2nd Regiment of New Mexico in the fight against the Confederate Army. The Confederates claimed victory but suffered heavy casualties. Pino and his men fought the Confederates the next month… Continue reading Union Officer Miguel E. Pino 1862