Regiment of Blandengues of the Frontier of Buenos Aires (''Spanish: Cuerpo de Blandengues de la Frontera de Buenos Aires'') was a military unit of the Spanish Empire.

History

This military unit was created during the reign of

Ferdinand VI of Spain Ferdinand VI (; 23 September 1713 – 10 August 1759), called the Learned (''el Prudente'') and the Just (''el Justo''), was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death in 1759. He was the third ruler of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty. He was the ...

, and had as main objective the defense of the borders of the

Province of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, officially the Buenos Aires Province, is the largest and most populous Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of the province an ...

against the indigenous incursions. It were composed of military professionals, landowners and Creole militiamen, who were armed with carbines, pistols and spears as general weaponry. In 1752, several companies of the Corps of Blandegues were formed for the persecution of the

Malón ''Malón'' (from the Mapuche language, Mapudungun ''maleu,'' to inflict damage to the enemy) is the name given to plunder raids carried out by Mapuche warriors, who rode horses into Spanish, Chilean and Argentine territories from the 17th to th ...

, among them was "La Valerosa", commanded by the Captain of the Fort of Buenos Aires, Don Juan Miguel de Esparza, and the "La Atrevida", led by Don

Juan de Lezica y Torrezuri Juan de Lezica y Torrezuri (1709–1784) was a Spanish nobleman, politician and merchant, who served as alcalde and regidor of Buenos Aires. Biography He was born in Cortézubi, Vizcaya, Spain, the son of Juan de Lezica y Gaçeaga and María ...

. This military unit took an active part during the

Guaraní War The Guaraní War (, ; literally, Guaranitic War) of 1756, also called the War of the Seven Reductions, took place between the Guaraní people, Guaraní tribes of seven Jesuit missions among the Guaraní, Jesuit Missions and joint Spanish-Portugue ...

, and in the expeditions of

Pedro de Cevallos Pedro Antonio de Cevallos Cortés y Calderón, also spelled Ceballos (29 June 1715 – 26 December 1778), was a Spanish military Governor of Buenos Aires between 1757 and 1766, and the first Viceroy of the Río de la Plata in 1776. Biography Ped ...

in the

Banda Oriental Banda Oriental (Eastern Bank), or more fully Banda Oriental del Río Uruguay, was the name of the South American territories east of the Uruguay River and north of Río de la Plata that comprise the modern nation of Uruguay, the modern state of Ri ...

. The Blandengues Regiment of Buenos Aires had an active participation in the construction of the Fortines of the Province of Buenos Aires. In 1777, Lt.

Casimiro Alegre Casimiro Alegre (1741–1825) was an Argentine politician and military man, who had an outstanding participation during the Viceroyalty of Peru and Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, serving as alcalde of campaign in the Province of Buenos Aires ...

led a caravan, destined to supply the elements for the construction of the Fort of

San Miguel del Monte San Miguel del Monte (also known as Monte) is a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the county seat of Monte Partido Monte Partido (also known as ''San Miguel del Monte'') is a partido in the eastern part of Buenos Aires Province in ...

References

{{reflist Military history of Argentina Regiments of Argentina Río de la Plata