Fernando Valerio
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Fernando Valerio Gil (1806 – 2 November 1863) was an agriculturalist and soldier from the Dominican Republic. He is considered a hero of the battles of
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
—together with José María Imbert—, and Sabana Larga —together with Juan Luis Franco Bidó—. He was commander in chief of the northern border. General Fernando Valerio Gil was born in 1806 in
Sabana Iglesia Sabana Iglesia is a town and municipality in the Santiago province of the Dominican Republic. Santiago is part of the northern valley of the country, otherwise known as the Cibao. Sabana Iglesia is located south of Santiago de los Caballeros, the ...
, in the
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
of Santiago. Described as
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
and blue-eyed, Valerio was born in a family of Spanish ancestry. His parents were Narciso Valerio and Elena Gil Tineo. Valerio married his first cousin once removed Petronila Suriel Fernández (c. 1801–1908) in 1827, with whom he begot 7 children. He also had offspring with other two women, with María Ignacia Gómez had two children and with Eduviges Peña had four children. During the Haitian regime that ruled Santo Domingo, Valerio belonged to the civic infantry in which he reached the rank of captain. After the Dominican Independence was declared in February 1844, the Haitian president Charles Hérard advanced with his troops to reconquer the rebel territory, but Valerio, at the head of a contingent, confronted him. This event, that was known as the "Charge of the Andulleros", was decisive for the Dominican victory at the Battle of Santiago (March 1844). When 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 ...
ended in 1856, Valerio was promoted to the rank of
Divisional General Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...
. He died on 2 November 1863.


Origins

Regarding the origin of General Fernando Valerio, there have been many speculations that whether he was from
San José de las Matas San José de las Matas, also known as Sajoma, is an important Municipalities of the Dominican Republic, municipality (''municipio'') of the Santiago Province (Dominican Republic), Santiago province in the Dominican Republic. The mayor of Sajoma is ...
,
Sabana Iglesia Sabana Iglesia is a town and municipality in the Santiago province of the Dominican Republic. Santiago is part of the northern valley of the country, otherwise known as the Cibao. Sabana Iglesia is located south of Santiago de los Caballeros, the ...
or whether he was born in
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
. According to data obtained personally, in the historical archive of Santiago and by articles published by the young historian Edwin Rafael Espinal Hernández, he concludes that Fernando Valerio was born in Santiago around the year 1801, son of Narciso Valerio and Elena Gil. The confusion comes because the entire area between
Sabana Iglesia Sabana Iglesia is a town and municipality in the Santiago province of the Dominican Republic. Santiago is part of the northern valley of the country, otherwise known as the Cibao. Sabana Iglesia is located south of Santiago de los Caballeros, the ...
,
Jánico Jánico ( ) is a small mountain town and Municipalities of the Dominican Republic, municipality (''municipio'') of the Santiago Province (Dominican Republic), Santiago province in the Dominican Republic. A part of the Central Mountain Range, it si ...
and
San José de las Matas San José de las Matas, also known as Sajoma, is an important Municipalities of the Dominican Republic, municipality (''municipio'') of the Santiago Province (Dominican Republic), Santiago province in the Dominican Republic. The mayor of Sajoma is ...
was known as the mountain area which for religious purposes was dominated by the latter municipality, that is, everything related to the civil registries of those baptized and permits to be able to marry had to be done in San José de las Matas, since the parish was based there. In one article, Hernández claimed that those born in this entire mountain area were considered "Naturals" of Santiago. Therefore Fernando Valerio, despite having been born in Sabana Iglesia, was considered "Natural" of Santiago, since no settlements were made in Sabana Iglesia for those born and San José de las Matas at that time was not a parish. Below is a translated excerpt from the article by the young historian to which it infers: The word “neighbor” also raises questions. Valerio testified that by then he was a farmer, which may lead us to consider that his domicile was not properly the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. It has been speculated that perhaps he lived in a rural community. In connection with this, it is striking that the company that he commanded as captain of the Civic Guard on March 30, 1844 in Santiago, was made up of andulleros from Sabana Iglesia. His condition as a man dedicated to agricultural work and his ties with mountain families could well have been the key to said integration."


Military career

Once Independence was proclaimed, he took up arms 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 ...
, commanding a contingent of troops from Sabana Iglesia, went to the defense of Santiago threatened by the Haitian army that was advancing along the Northwest Line. He was named Chief of the border and participated in all the campaigns of the independence war until the last battle." As a career soldier, he was assigned along with his troops to an outpost. He knew how to bravely defend his position, ordering in a moment of danger a machete charge against a Haitian advance party that was trying to cross the Yaque River. This load is known in history as ''The Load of the Andulleros'', because the people of Sabana Iglesia were mostly dedicated to the preparation of andullos (tobacco). His merits earned him the promotion to Division General with the position of Chief of the Northwest Line based in Guayubín where he lived for the rest of his life."


Later years and death

Like many other soldiers of Independence, he welcomed the reincorporation of the Republic into Spain." He died in 1862 in Guayubín and his remains rest in the Iglesia Mayor de Santiago, where they were transferred in 1928."


Ancestry


See also

* Pedro Eugenio Pelletier * Juan Erazo * Battle of Santiago


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valerio, Fernando Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent 1863 deaths 1806 births People from Santiago Province (Dominican Republic) Dominican Republic independence activists Dominican Republic revolutionaries People of the Dominican War of Independence People of the Dominican Restoration War Dominican Republic military personnel White Dominicans