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José Mires (Ireland, around 1785 –
Samborondón
Samborondón is a parish and town in Ecuador’s Guayas province. It is the seat of Samborond%C3%B3n Canton, which consist of 105 localities and two urban parishes (''La Puntilla'') and Samborondón Town (Cabecera cantonal) and one rural parish ( ...
, March 1829) was a military born in Ireland as John Mires, who fought in the
Spanish American wars of independence
The Spanish American wars of independence () took place across the Spanish Empire during the early 19th century. The struggles in both hemispheres began shortly after the outbreak of the Peninsular War, forming part of the broader context of the ...
.
Biography
From an early age he settled in Venezuela where he enthusiastically embraced the cause of independence from Spain. In 1810, he joined the Patriot army and fought tirelessly in the campaigns of
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
and
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
.
After the fall of the
First Republic of Venezuela
The First Republic of Venezuela () was the first independent government of Venezuela, lasting from 5 July 1811, to 25 July 1812. The period of the First Republic began with the overthrow of the Spanish colonial authorities and the establishment ...
in 1812, he was captured and sent along with other Patriots to the dungeons of the Spanish prisons in
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
, Africa, from where he managed to escape to immediately return to South America and continue his fight for freedom.
In 1821 he arrived in Guayaquil as second officer of General
Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá (; 3 February 1795 – 4 June 1830), known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" (), was a Venezuelan general and politician who served as the president of Bolivia from 1825 to 1828. A close friend and associate ...
, and on 19 August of that same year he led the Patriot troops that defeated the Royalists in the Battle of Yaguachi. Shortly afterwards, on 12 September, he was taken prisoner in the
Second Battle of Huachi
The Second Battle of Huachi was a confrontation that occurred on 12 September 1821 between pro-independence troops led by General Antonio José de Sucre and Royalist troops led by General Melchor Aymerich, president of the Real Audiencia of Quit ...
.
After regaining his freedom, he rejoined the Patriot army and intervened in the
Battle of Pichincha
The Battle of Pichincha took place on 24 May 1822, on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, 3,500 meters above sea-level, right next to the city of Quito, in modern Ecuador.
The encounter, fought in the context of the Spanish American wars of ...
, which definitively sealed the Ecuadorian independence. Later he was sent to the north to participate in the Pasto Campaign, whose population he managed to subdue. After the end of the war, he returned to Guayaquil where he tried to settle permanently.
During the
Gran Colombia–Peru War
The Gran Colombian–Peruvian War () of 1828 and 1829 was the first international conflict fought by the Republic of Peru, which had gained its independence from Spain in 1821, and Gran Colombia, that existed between 1819 and 1830.
Causes
Th ...
, Mires, as a former Division General, was given the position of commander of the then insignificant village of
Samborondón
Samborondón is a parish and town in Ecuador’s Guayas province. It is the seat of Samborond%C3%B3n Canton, which consist of 105 localities and two urban parishes (''La Puntilla'') and Samborondón Town (Cabecera cantonal) and one rural parish ( ...
, having no more under his command than a lieutenant (Luna) and twenty-five recruits. There he was attacked by a Peruvian column commanded by a certain Bustamante, who ordered his capture and immediate execution.