Antonio Pareja

Brigadier Manuel Antonio Pareja (b. 1757 - May 21, 1813) was a Spanish naval officer, who commanded Royalist troops during the Chilean War of Independence.

He was born in Cabra, near Córdoba, Spain. In 1805 he took part in the Battle of Trafalgar as captain of the ship "Argonauta". He arrived in Lima in 1811 as governor-intendant of the province of Concepción, in Chile. Instead, Viceroy José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa ordered him to Chiloé and Valdivia to organize forces for the reconquest of Chile, which had declared its independence.

Early in 1813, he landed at San Vicente with 2,000 men, occupied Talcahuano, and immediately marched upon Concepción, of which he took possession with the aid of the native militia. He augmented his forces to about 4,000 soldiers and at once marched upon Chillán, which surrendered without fight and swelled his army with about 2,000 extra soldiers.

In the meantime, Brigadier José Miguel Carrera, head of the independentist government, had organized the resistance in Santiago. Both armies met at the Battle of Yerbas Buenas. The independentists, that had attempted a night surprise, had to retreat while presenting a strong resistance. Pareja, sick with neumonia, decided then to retreat back to Chillán. He was already so sick that he had to be carried on a stretcher. In Chillán he had to submit to a prolongued siege. While there, the port of Talcahuano was recaptured by the independentists, who also managed to captured the frigate "Tomas" which was coming from Callao with re-enforcements. Pareja, already weakened by his pneumonia and grieved by these reverses, died shortly afterward. His command of the royalist army was assumed by Juan Francisco Sánchez.

His son, Admiral Juan Manuel Pareja commanded the Spanish fleet during the Chincha Islands War (1864 - 1866).

ee also

*Chilean Independence