Elías Piña (soldier)
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Colonel Elías Piña (1799 – August 1845) was a Dominican soldier who fought in the
Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence () was a war of independence that began when the Dominican Republic declared independence from the Republic of Haiti on February 27, 1844 and ended on January 24, 1856. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola ...
. He took part in the border clashes against Haitian forces during the second campaign of 1845, in which he was fatally wounded and died of his injuries at the end of the campaign.


Biography

He was born in 1799 in Margarita, a border point and former place of Las Matas de Farfán. He was of full Indigenous ancestry. He has one brother, Francisco, who was said to have military experience. Not much is known about his upbringing, but it is presumed that he was poorly educated and had worked as a peasant.


Dominican War of Independence

In 1844, the
First Dominican Republic The First Dominican Republic (Spanish: ''Primera República Dominicana'', ''Primera República'') was a predecessor of the currently existing Dominican Republic, and began on 27 February 1844 with the proclamation of the Dominican Republic, and ...
declared its sovereignty from neighboring
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
. However, this would not come easily, and the Dominicans would have to fight a series of wars against invading Haitian armies to maintain its sovereignty. Piña, along with his brother, enlisted in the
Dominican Army The Dominican Army (), is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic, together with the Dominican Navy, Navy and the Dominican Air Force, Air Force. The Dominican army with 28,750 active duty personnel consists of s ...
, and quickly reached the rank of
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
. During the
Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence () was a war of independence that began when the Dominican Republic declared independence from the Republic of Haiti on February 27, 1844 and ended on January 24, 1856. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola ...
, he fought in several bloody clashes in the border towns. He took part in the Siege of Fort Cachimán and the Battle of Estrelleta with General
Antonio Duvergé Antonio Duvergé Duval (1807 – April 11, 1855), was a Dominican Republic general, considered one of the most relevant figures during the Independence of the Dominican Republic. He is primarily remembered both for the battles he commanded in t ...
and General
José Joaquín Puello José Joaquín Puello de Castro (1805 – December 23, 1847) was a Dominican revolutionary and government minister who stood out as a key leader in the Dominican War of Independence. His participation in the proclamation of Independence on ...
. At some point, in 1845, Piña was commanding the Las Matas Regiment while attacking the fortified position of
Bánica San Francisco de Bánica, or simply Bánica, is a town and municipality in the northwest region of Dominican Republic in the Elías Piña Province, Elías Piña Provinces of the Dominican Republic, province. It is located on the Dominican Republicâ ...
. He was badly wounded when he was struck by an enemy bullet. In August 1845, his wound proved fatal, and he eventually died of his injures at the age of 46. His brother, Francisco Piña, who was at his side during that campaign, and died of canon fire.


Legacy

In the 1970s, the province of
Elías Piña Elias ( ; ) is the hellenized version for the name of Elijah (; ; , or ), a prophet in the Kingdom of Israel (Samaria), Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several holy books. Due to Elias' role in the scriptures and to ...
would be named after him.


See also

*
Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence () was a war of independence that began when the Dominican Republic declared independence from the Republic of Haiti on February 27, 1844 and ended on January 24, 1856. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola ...
*
Elías Piña Province Elías Piña () is one of the 32 Provinces of the Dominican Republic, provinces of the Dominican Republic, located in the westernmost part of the country, along the border with Haiti. It is divided into 6 municipalities and its capital city is Co ...
*
Battle of Fort Cachimán The Battle of Fort Cachimán took place during the Dominican War of Independence on 6 December 1844 at the border close to Elías Piña. A force of Dominican troops, a portion of the Army of the South, led by General Antonio Duvergé Antoni ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Piña, Elías 1799 births 1845 deaths People from Elías Piña Province Dominican Republic military personnel Dominican Republic independence activists Dominican Republic revolutionaries People of the Dominican War of Independence African diaspora in the Dominican Republic Freedmen Elías Piña Province