Antonio Maria de la Guerra
Encyclopedia
Antonio Maria de la Guerra, (1825 - November 28, 1881), Mayor of Santa Barbara, California
, several times a member of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, California State Senator and Captain of California Volunteers in the American Civil War
.
Antonio Maria de la Guerra, was a Californio
born in 1825 in Alta California
, as the youngest son of José de la Guerra y Noriega
an officer of the Mexican army. His father became a wealthy and influential man with extensive landholdings and a great house in Santa Barbara. He was educated by California mission padres and then in a Chilean college for several years.
In 1849, at the age of 24, he became secretary to the Santa Barbara ayuntamiento
. In 1853, he served in the California Senate, and in 1857 was appointed Adjutant General for the Santa Barbara District of the California militia. He served as Mayor of Santa Barbara and was several times on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, including once being elected Chairman.
On July 27, 1864, he became captain of Company C, 1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers
recruited among the Californios of Santa Barbara for the United States Civil War. After training at Drum Barracks
at Wilmington, California, he led his company to Arizona Territory
in 1865. There they were stationed in Tubac
and later at Fort Mason
a little to the south where they were involved in the pursuit of troops the Mexican Empire
that had raided into Arizona and fought against the Apache
.
While in Arizona, Captain de la Guerra fell sick with a venereal disease and was disabled, returning to Santa Barbara in February 1866. His health never recovered and he became totally blind in 1873. He eventually became paralyzed, suffering greatly during the last years of his life. His family physician believed his health has ruined by the mercury
used to treat him during his illness in Arizona. Never married, he died on November 28, 1881, at the age of 56. He was buried at the La Patera or Cieneguitas Catholic Cemetery, in Goleta, California
on the Goleta Road, now Hollister Avenue.
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, several times a member of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, California State Senator and Captain of California Volunteers in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Antonio Maria de la Guerra, was a Californio
Californio
Californio is a term used to identify a Spanish-speaking Catholic people, regardless of race, born in California before 1848...
born in 1825 in Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
, as the youngest son of José de la Guerra y Noriega
José de la Guerra y Noriega
José Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega was a soldier and early settler of California.-Biography:José de la Guerra was born 1779 at Novales, Cantabria, Spain. As a boy he wished to be a friar...
an officer of the Mexican army. His father became a wealthy and influential man with extensive landholdings and a great house in Santa Barbara. He was educated by California mission padres and then in a Chilean college for several years.
In 1849, at the age of 24, he became secretary to the Santa Barbara ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . is the general term for the council of a municipality, or sometimes the municipality itself, in Spain and Latin America. Historically Ayuntamiento was often preceded by the word excelentísimo , when referring to...
. In 1853, he served in the California Senate, and in 1857 was appointed Adjutant General for the Santa Barbara District of the California militia. He served as Mayor of Santa Barbara and was several times on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, including once being elected Chairman.
On July 27, 1864, he became captain of Company C, 1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers
1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers
The 1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers was a cavalry battalion in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Recruits were largely drawn from the Californio population , though its ranks included Yaqui and Mission Indians as well as immigrants from Mexico, Latin America and...
recruited among the Californios of Santa Barbara for the United States Civil War. After training at Drum Barracks
Drum Barracks
The Drum Barracks, also known as Camp Drum and the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum, is the last remaining original American Civil War era military facility in the Los Angeles area...
at Wilmington, California, he led his company to Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
in 1865. There they were stationed in Tubac
Tubac, Arizona
Tubac is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 949 at the 2000 census. The place name Tubac is an English borrowing from a Hispanicized form of the O'odham name, which translates into English as "rotten". The original O'odham name is written...
and later at Fort Mason
Fort Mason
Fort Mason, once known as San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army, in San Francisco, California, is a former United States Army post located in the northern Marina District, alongside San Francisco Bay. Fort Mason served as an Army post for more than 100 years, initially as a coastal defense...
a little to the south where they were involved in the pursuit of troops the Mexican Empire
Second Mexican Empire
The Second Mexican Empire was the name of Mexico under the regime established from 1864 to 1867. It was created by Napoleon III of France, who attempted to use the Mexican adventure to recapture some of the grandeur of earlier Napoleonic times...
that had raided into Arizona and fought against the Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
.
While in Arizona, Captain de la Guerra fell sick with a venereal disease and was disabled, returning to Santa Barbara in February 1866. His health never recovered and he became totally blind in 1873. He eventually became paralyzed, suffering greatly during the last years of his life. His family physician believed his health has ruined by the mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
used to treat him during his illness in Arizona. Never married, he died on November 28, 1881, at the age of 56. He was buried at the La Patera or Cieneguitas Catholic Cemetery, in Goleta, California
Goleta, California
Goleta is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated, populated area in the county. As of the 2000 census, the Census-designated place had a total population of 55,204, however, a significant...
on the Goleta Road, now Hollister Avenue.
See also
- Casa de la GuerraCasa de la GuerraThe Casa de la Guerra was the residence of the fifth commandant of the Presidio de Santa Barbara, José de la Guerra y Noriega from 1828 until his death in 1858. Descendants of José lived in the home until 1943. The site is currently owned and operated by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic...
- José de la Guerra y NoriegaJosé de la Guerra y NoriegaJosé Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega was a soldier and early settler of California.-Biography:José de la Guerra was born 1779 at Novales, Cantabria, Spain. As a boy he wished to be a friar...
- Pablo de la GuerraPablo de la GuerraPablo de la Guerra , from the de la Guerra family of Santa Barbara, California, was the Acting Lieutenant Governor of California, 1861-1862...
- José de la Guerra y Noriega
- Alfred RobinsonAlfred RobinsonAlfred Robinson was an American businessman and author in 19th century Alta California of Mexico and California of the United States...
- Anita de la Guerra de Noriega y Carrillo