Biography
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ScribdTranslationsBIOGRAPHY OF A LFONSO UGARTE
Alfonso Ugarte Vernal was born in Iquique, on July 13, 1847. His parents were
Narciso Ugarte and Rosa Vernal.
In Valparaíso he graduated as an accountant. He worked managing his family's
nitrate companies, and became Mayor of Iquique.
When the War against Chile broke out in 1879, Ugarte organized and armed the
“Iquique No. 1” Battalion, with nearly 500 Peruvians. He fought in the battle of
Tarapacá (11-27-1879), where he was wounded by a bullet to the head. He
survived the painful march to Arica, where he settled with the forces of
Francisco Bolognesi.
When the Chileans surrounded Arica, Ugarte supported Bolognesi's decision to
fight to the end for the honor of the Homeland. He fought bravely in the Battle of
Arica (06-07-1880), and was shot dead at the top of the hill. The Chileans threw
his body off the cliff, but it was found and buried in Arica. Shortly after, his
remains were brought to Lima, and today they rest in the Crypt of the Heroes.
BIOGRAPHY OF FRANCISCO BOLOGNESI
Francisco Bolognesi Cervantes was born in Lima on November 4,
1816. His parents were Andrés Bolognesi and Juana Cervantes. He
dedicated himself to business, until he entered the army in 1853.
In 1854, he fought in the Liberal Revolution of Ramón Castilla that
overthrew the corrupt regime of Rufino Echenique. In 1857 he
defended the Liberal Constitution of 1856 fighting against Manuel
Ignacio de Vivanco. In 1858 he accompanied President Ramón
Castilla to the conflict with Ecuador. In 1865, during the conflict with
Spain, President Juan A. Pezet commissioned him to acquire
cannons in Europe, which contributed to the defense of Callao in the
battle of May 2, 1866.
When the war with Chile broke out, he was entrusted with command
of the Second Southern Division and had notable participation in the
battles of San Francisco (11-19-1879) and Tarapacá (11-27-1879).
He was then entrusted with the general command of Arica.
In Arica, Bolognesi had 1,600 soldiers and nearly 7,000 Chileans
arrived in Arica under the command of Pedro Lagos, who offered a
"dignified surrender" to the Peruvians, promising to respect their
lives if they surrendered peacefully. Then, Bolognesi responded to
his historic phrase: "I have sacred duties and I will fulfill them until I
burn the last cartridge." Fulfilling his duty, he died fighting in the
battle of Arica, on June 7, 1880.
