Juan Guillermo More

Infobox Person
name=Juan Guillermo More


birth_date=birth date|1833|2|27|mf=y
dead=dead
birth_place=Lima, Peru
death_date=death date and age|1880|6|7|1833|2|27|mf=y
death_place=Arica, Chile

Juan Guillermo More Ruiz, (February 27, 1833 - June 7, 1880), was a Peruvian navy officer, who during his lifetime was considered as the man who "lost the War of the Pacific". He was killed during the Battle of Arica.

More (sometimes spelled "Moore" in some texts) was born in Lima, the son of John More, a scottish sailor and of Dolores Ruiz, a Peruvian lady. He joined the British Navy as an ensign in 1854. Later he returned to Peru and was commissioned in the Peruvian Navy. He served in the frigates "Apurímac", "Izcuchaca" and "Huaraz", as well as the "Guise" and the pontoon "Iquique". In 1866, during the Chincha Islands War, he was appointed commander of the corvette "Unión". A few months later, Captain More took a Peruvian Navy crew to the United States to bring the the ironclad Atahualpa to Peru. The monitor sailed from New Orleans, La. in early January 1869 arriving in Peru in June 1870. As a reward, he was appointed as commander of the frigate "Independencia" and in 1877, General Commander of the Southern Fleet. As such he directed the actions to recapture the monitor "Huáscar" which had been captured by Nicolás de Piérola and had rebelled against the central government.

During the War of the Pacific between Chile and Peru, he was appointed commander of the strongest unit of the Peruvian Navy, the armoured frigate "Independencia". As such, he participated in the Battle of Punta Gruesa, on May 21, 1879, where his ship was defeated and sunk by the Chilean schooner "Covadonga," commanded by Captain Carlos Condell. He was rescued from his sinking ship, imprisoned in Arica and court martialled by his own comrades. He was dismissed from the navy and forbidden to ever wear his uniform again. He decided to continue the war as a simple civilian, in order to regain his lost honor. During the siege of Arica, he was in charge of the batteries of the Cape, where he was killed during the Battle of Arica.

Capitán de Navío Juan Guillermo More Ruiz

Sus padres fueron el inglés John More y la peruana Dolores Ruiz. Ingresó como guardiamarina en Inglaterra en 1854, y fue embarcado en los buques que se estaban construyendo, quedando como dotación de la fragata Apurímac.

Se adhirió a la rebelión encabezada por Montero a favor de Vivanco. Ejerció la 2da. comandancia del Izcuchaca y luego del Huaraz, tomando parte en el bloqueo a Guayaquil a bordo del primer buque.

Fue también comandante del bergantín Guise y de la barca Iquique, participando en la exploración de las islas guaneras del norte.

Asistió al combate de Abtao a bordo de la fragata Apurímac. Fue nombrado comandante de la corbeta Unión en 1866, y en 1868 se le envió a los Estados Unidos para asumir el comando del monitor Atahualpa. Desempeñó también el cargo de comandante de la fragata blindada Independencia, y en 1877 fue Comandante General de la División de Operaciones del Sur, encargado de la captura del Huáscar sublevado por Piérola.

Continuó comandante de la mencionada fragata al iniciarse la Guerra con Chile en 1879, hasta su naufragio en Punta Gruesa el 21 de mayo del mismo año. Combatió como voluntario en el Morro de Arica, encontrando la muerte en el asalto del 7 de junio. Estuvo casado con Carmen Miranda Lama.