Francisco Burdett O'Connor

Francis Burdett O'Connor was born in Cork, Ireland, into a prominent Protestant family. His parents were Roger O'Connor and Wilhamena Bowen. His uncle Arthur O'Connor (1753–1852) was the agent in France for Robert Emmet's rebellion of the United Irishmen. His brother was the MP and Chartist leader Feargus O'Connor (1794–1855). He spent much of his childhood in Dangan Castle, former childhood home of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. O'Connor's father Roger was known for his eccentricities. After his wife died in 1806, he became increasingly erratic. Matters worsened in 1809 when there was a serious fire that destroyed part of the house. Francisco wrote in his autobiography 60 years later that he had accidentally started the fire himself when melting lead to create bullets. In 1817 his father was arrested for allegedly organising a mail robbery. He was acquitted, but local rumours continued to blame him for the crime. The family no longer felt welcome in the area. Francis and his brother Feargus decided to leave, stealing horses from their brother Roderic, travelling to London and asking to be taken in by family friend M.P. Francis Burdett. Burdett looked after them, and Francisco later added his name to his surname. ==The Spanish American wars of independence==

Campaigns in Venezuela and Colombia In 1819, Francis O'Connor enlisted in the Latin American independence cause of Simon Bolivar, and sailed from Dublin with 100 officers and 101 men of the Irish Legion under the command of Colonel William Aylmer. The force arrived at Margarita Island off the coast of Venezuela in September 1819 to find that conditions were squalid and nothing was prepared. O'Connor was sent to Panama in 1823, to train troops for the upcoming campaign in the Andes. He remained there until 1824, when Simon Boliviar sent for him. He arrived in Lima in 1824 and left for Huaraz, Bolivar's headquarters, with his newly trained troops. Campaigns in Peru and Bolivia O’Connor joined the United Army of Liberation in Peru in 1824, and, six months later, Bolívar appointed him chief of staff. He fought at the Battle of Junín in August 1824 against heavy odds, where he was nearly killed by a Spanish soldier. However, while he was marching south, he learned that Olañeta had been killed by his own troops at the Combat of Tumusla, suddenly ending the Campaign in Upper Peru. == The nascent years of the Bolivian Republic (1825-1829) ==

In 1826, Francisco O'Connor was appointed military governor of Tarija. In 1827, he published a proclamation encouraging Irish people to settle in the 'New Erin' of Tarija. Furthermore, Bolívar would send O'Connor to make a survey of the Bolivian coast and determine which location was the best for Bolivia's main port of Cobija. == The Presidency of Santa Cruz ==

O'Connor had retired to his hacienda in Tarija after the tragic end of President Blanco, where he planned to remain unless called upon by his country. The possibility of a Peruvian invasion and the souring of relations between Peru and Bolivia compelled President Andrés de Santa Cruz to recall O'Connor to active service. O'Connor accepted the President's call to arms, yet no war nor Peruvian invasion took place. Rather, after the defection of three Peruvian ships, Agustín Gamarra chose to sign a treaty with Bolivia to ensure peace. Quiroga's invasion never came, and Santa Cruz attempted to incorporate an uninterested O'Connor into his administration. He served on an interim basis as Minister of War yet again in the year 1833, and was made President of the Council of War, for which he participated in the infamous trial of Colonel Manrique. Santa Cruz had wanted a death sentence for the colonel, however, when O'Connor ruled to fire Manrique from the army instead, a clash between the President and the Irishman took place. O'Connor, insulted by said clash, decided to retire to the borderlands in Tarija, declaring he would never serve in his administration again. The war against Chile With the new Confederation secured, Santa Cruz made three major mistakes: the annulment of the treaty of peace and friendship with Chile; the promotion of the civilian Mariano Enrique Calvo to Division general; and marginalizing José Miguel de Velasco, who had served loyally under Santa Cruz, which led to his later defection in Tupiza in 1839. O'Connor describes these as "the major blunders which cost Santa Cruz", the first being the anger of the army at the promotion of Calvo:Congress passed a law... which had Doctor Mariano Enrique Calvo, Prosecutor of the Supreme Court and then appointed Vice President of Bolivia, in charge of the Executive Power in the absence of General Santa Cruz, promoted to division general. The soldiers of the army were very offended by the appointment of Calvo, and they told me that they did not want to accept a peso of the money that had been granted to them by Congress, and that they did not approve and could not approve the appointment of a civilian to the rank of division general.The second major blunder which O'Connor describes is the annulment of the treaty with Chile signed under Salaverry, which had led to the declaration of war by said nation:[As for the war with Chile], the cause was the decree passed by General Santa Cruz which annulled the treaty of peace, friendship, and trade concluded between Salaverry, the intrusive president of Peru, and the Government of Chile... and the Captain General [Santa Cruz] knew it and must have weighed on him; however, he was so proud as a result of the victory at Socabaya that he imagined himself in a position to do whatever occurred to him at will, without looking at one side or the other, and this fact, which seemed insignificant to him, was the cause of his downfall and that of all the Confederation.The third major blunder O'Connor mentions is the disrespect toward and marginalization of General Velasco, whose defection in 1839 would be the event which finally toppled Santa Cruz in Bolivia:I received from Lima the plaque of a Great Dignitary of the Legion of Honor of Bolivia, which was worth the pension of five hundred pesos for life. This dignity was not conferred on General Velasco, who had been Vice President of Bolivia for many years, and President also after the death of General Pedro Blanco, on the last night of 1828, and Chief of Staff of the Bolivian Army during the Battle of Yanacocha. Another reckless decision by General Santa Cruz, as this was the real cause behind the defection of General Velasco in Tupiza, and his pronouncement for the Restoration in February 1839, when he learned of the defeat of the Confederation Army in Yungay.The war with Chile continued when Diego Portales was assassinated by his own men, followed by a mutiny in Oruro against Santa Cruz. Sensing an opportunity, the Chileans invaded Peru and were able to occupy the city of Arequipa. The Army of the Confederation far outnumbered that of the Chilean Army in Arequipa. However, instead of achieving a decisive and crushing victory over Chile, Santa Cruz opted for the signing of a peace treaty, known as the Treaty of Paucarpata, celebrated on 17 November 1837. O'Connor vehemently disagreed with such a treaty, telling Santa Cruz that he did not believe the Chilean government would abide by such a treaty. After the treaty was signed, Santa Cruz negotiated with General Manuel Blanco Encalada the sale of all the horses in the Chilean Army in Arequipa, paying very high prices for the time. The war against Argentina The Argentine Confederation under Juan Manuel de Rosas had, like the Chileans, also declared war on Santa Cruz. O’Connor was sent hurriedly to Tarija alongside General Braun to prevent the Argentine army under Gregorio Paz from seizing the province. The Argentines intended to claim the province of Tarija, long disputed with Bolivia. Although the Bolivian high command believed the enemy was located in San Luis, the Argentines were actually advancing toward Tarija. O’Connor and Braun pursued Paz and eventually caught up to his army near the Montenegro mountain range, on the banks of the Bermejo River on 24 June 1838. The Bolivians led an uphill charge against the Argentines, who were holding a defensive position. Although Paz's men were firing ferociously, the Bolivians under O’Connor led an impressive charge which resulted in the Argentine army abandoning their positions and fleeing to safety. Braun eventually caught up with O’Connor to discover the Argentine troops fleeing and abandoning all their belongings in the process. Thus, the Battle of Montenegro came to an end with a decisive Bolivian victory. Previously, on 11 June, the second division of the Argentine army, led by Alejandro Heredia, was defeated at the Battle of Iruya, completely repelling the attack of the enemies. When General Heredia was suddenly assassinated, the war on the south essentially ended, with the threat of an Argentine invasion eliminated. == Death and legacy ==

He died in Tarija on 5 October 1871 at eighty years of age. O'Connor played a key role during the battles of Junin and Ayacucho, loyally serving Sucre and organizing with Santa Cruz what came to be among the fiercest and most well-trained armies in all of South America. This army united Peru and Bolivia and, although ephemeral, would score major victories against the armies of Chile and Argentina. He is among the few military officers during the Spanish American Wars of Independence to have received the title of Liberator. == Bibliography ==