Francis Drummond (also known in Spanish as Francisco Drummond) (1798 – 1827) was an Argentinian naval sailor who died in the naval

Battle of Monte Santiago The naval Battle of Monte Santiago was fought on 7–8 April 1827, between the Argentine Navy and the Imperial Brazilian Navy, during the Cisplatine War. It was a decisive Brazilian victory, with the allied forces losing its best ships. The bat ...

against the Brazilian Imperial Navy on 8 April 1827. This battle was fought on 7–8 April 1827, during the

Cisplatine War The Cisplatine War (), also known as the Argentine-Brazilian War () or, in Argentine and Uruguayan historiography, as the Brazil War (''Guerra del Brasil''), the War against the Empire of Brazil (''Guerra contra el Imperio del Brasil'') or t ...

, between Argentina and Brazil. It was one of the most courageous and ferocious naval encounters in Argentine history. Sergeant Major Drummond was on the 22-gun brigantine ''Independencia''. He died on deck, firing his marooned ship's cannons instead of retreating.

Personal details

In Dundee the Old Parish Registers state that Francis Drummond was born on 20 September 1798 to Francis Drummond, Shipmaster and Catherine (née Young), daughter of John Young; he was baptized on 27 September 1798. On September 7, 1822, the Prince Regent of Brazil proclaimed independence from Portugal(known as Grito de Ipiranga). In London the recruitment of officers for the navy of the nascent state began and one of those summoned was Lord Cochrane. Drummond joined him as a naval officer. He participated in the capture of Marañón, the siege of Bahia and finally the victory over the Portuguese forces at Itapuã. After the war, with the rank of first lieutenant, he accompanied Lord Cochrane when he returned to England in 1825. When a new war was declared between the

Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and (until 1828) Uruguay. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom ...

and the Argentine Republic, Drummond requested the withdrawal of the

Imperial Brazilian Navy The Imperial Brazilian Navy (Portuguese: ''Armada Nacional'', commonly known as ''Armada Imperial'') was the navy created at the time of the independence of the Empire of Brazil from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. It exis ...

on February 8, 1826, and a month later he embarked for the Río de la Plata in the North American schooner with Captain Deverians, arriving in Montevideo on March 21. There he was arrested at the request of the two British naval officers in the service of the Imperial Navy,

John Pascoe Grenfell John Pascoe Grenfell (20 September 1800 – 20 March 1869) was a British officer of the Empire of Brazil. He spent most of his service in South America campaigns, initially under the leadership of Lord Cochrane and then Commodore Norton. He was ...

and James Norton, but was released by the intervention of the British consul. At the end of 1826 Drummond was finally able to join the Argentine squadron operating on the Uruguay River and on January 24, 1827 he was appointed captain, receiving command of the ''Maldonado Goleta'', formerly the ''Leal Paulistana'' that had been captured from the Brazilians on 21 September on Gorriti Island. At the

Battle of Juncal The naval Battle of Juncal took place between a squadron of the newly independent United Provinces of the River Plate under command of William Brown and a squadron belonging to the Brazilian Empire, commanded by Sena Pereira. It spanned two d ...

(February 8 and 9, 1827), Drummond fought against the schooner ''Bertioga'', commanded by Lieutenant John Broon. The ''Bertioga'' was a twin of his ship. He was finally able to capture her. For his bravery in battle, he was awarded the Silver Shield medal and promoted to Sergeant Major on March 23, 1827. At the time of his death he was engaged to Admiral Brown's daughter, Elisa. Drummond is buried in the Protestant Cemetery at Buenos Aires and registered as "Drummond, Captain Francis, Aberdeen or Dundee, Scotland 9/4/1827, Single, Killed in battle, Seaman."

Memorials

The Argentine Navy named a corvette class after him. , launched in 1977, is the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very complex and may ...

of the of three corvettes of the Argentine Navy. She is the second vessel to be named after him.

References

External links

official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drummond, Francis 1798 births 1827 deaths People of the Cisplatine War Burials at La Chacarita Cemetery Military personnel from Dundee 19th-century Brazilian military personnel Argentine Navy personnel Argentine military personnel killed in action