Chilean Brigantine Águila (1796)
Encyclopedia
Águila was the first naval vessel of the Chilean Navy
. She was later renamed Pueyrredón.
and sixteen guns launched in England in 1796.
without documents or license with a contraband of lingerie the ship was captured by the Spaniards in Coquimbo
but this capture was not informed to the Spanish Navy in Callao
. The ship with the new crew sailed to then Spanish Valparaíso
and refitted as a 50-gun ship and was put under the command of Spanish Captain José Anacleto Goñi and manned with 50 Chileans (in Spanish originarios). The next time the ship was seen in Paita
on November 1816 and few days later sailed, allegedly, to the port of destination Galápagos. The Spanish commandant of Callao
, Antonio Vacaro, was informed from Paita about this new ship in his naval division, but due to the circumstances he mistrusted Captain Goñi and his crew. Moreover he learnt that the real destination of the ship was Panama City
. Consequently he ordered the commandants of the ports of Guayaquil
and Paita
to replace Goñi by a trustworthy captain, to man the ship with at least 2/3 Spaniards (in Spanish europeos) and to send the ship immediately to Callao on its return from Panama.
The Spanish author Gaspar Pérez Turrado supposes that Goñi was a supporter of the Chilean Independence and that as he learnt about the triumph of the Chileans he sailed to Valparaíso in order to hand the ship over to the revolutionaries.
(February 12, 1817) the Spaniards lost the control of Valparaíso
albeit they were able to blockade the port temporarily with the ships Esmeralda and Pezuela.
On 26 February 1817 the ship entered Valparaíso
and the Chilean Authority assumed the command over the ship. Some sources assert that the ship was captured by the Chileans. Anyway, she came under the command of Raymond Morris an Irish mercenary
and former lieutenant in the British Royal Navy.
The ship sailed on 17 March 1817 to rescue a group of 78 Chilean patriots being held prisoners in the Juan Fernández Islands
and came back to Valparaíso fourteen days later. The group included Manuel Blanco Encalada
, who subsequently led the Navy and, in later years, became the first President of Chile and Francisco de la Lastra
later Intendant of Santiago and Privy Councillor. As such, he became temporary Supreme Director.
On 14 Juli 1818 she had been renamed Pueyrredón to honour the Argentine
Juan Martín de Pueyrredón
, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
who strongly supported the independence of Chile.
She captured on 8. October 1818 the Spanish corvette Perla (Ex-US-Pearl).
On 9 October 1818 sailed from Valparaíso with others ships to deter a Spanish expedition from Cadiz
made up of eleven transports and the, then Spanish frigate María Isabel. It carried 2000 soldiers as well as weapons, ammunition, and supplies to reinforce the Viceroyalty of Perú. The Chilean squadron under commander Blanco Encalada captured on 28. October the María Isabel in Talcahuano
and also on 11 November 1818 the Dolores, Magdalena, Elena, Jerezana und Carlota in the Santa Maria Island.
On 16 January 1819 sailed from Valparaíso the First Chilean Navy Squadron
, under the command of Admiral Lord Thomas Alexander Cochrane
to the first blockade of the Callao, later followed the (now called) Pueyrredón, Galvarino and Araucano under the command of Blanco Encalada. In Juni were all the Chilean ships back in Valparaíso.
On 12. September 1819 sailed Cochrane and Blanco Encalada again to the second blockade of Callao with a squadron composed of O'Higgins, San Martín, Lautaro, Independencia, Galvarino, Araucano and Pueyrredón.
The Pueyrredón was used to shell the Callao with the Congreve rocket
and later ordered to Guayaquil to search for the Spanish Prueba.. In December 1819 were most of the Chilean ships back in Valparaíso, as the Pueyrredón also.
On 21 August 1820 sailed the Freedom Expedition Force of Peru with the Pueyrredón under the ships of the squadron.
On 28. September 1821 despite Cochrane's efforts to retrieve the ship, she sunk in Ancón
.
Chilean Navy
-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
. She was later renamed Pueyrredón.
US time
She was the old US-smuggler Eagle, a 220 tons brigBrig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
and sixteen guns launched in England in 1796.
Spanish career
Coming from Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
without documents or license with a contraband of lingerie the ship was captured by the Spaniards in Coquimbo
Coquimbo
Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo lies in a valley south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the...
but this capture was not informed to the Spanish Navy in Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
. The ship with the new crew sailed to then Spanish Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
and refitted as a 50-gun ship and was put under the command of Spanish Captain José Anacleto Goñi and manned with 50 Chileans (in Spanish originarios). The next time the ship was seen in Paita
Paita
Paita is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Paita Province which is in the Piura Region. It is a leading seaport in that region...
on November 1816 and few days later sailed, allegedly, to the port of destination Galápagos. The Spanish commandant of Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, Antonio Vacaro, was informed from Paita about this new ship in his naval division, but due to the circumstances he mistrusted Captain Goñi and his crew. Moreover he learnt that the real destination of the ship was Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
. Consequently he ordered the commandants of the ports of Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
and Paita
Paita
Paita is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Paita Province which is in the Piura Region. It is a leading seaport in that region...
to replace Goñi by a trustworthy captain, to man the ship with at least 2/3 Spaniards (in Spanish europeos) and to send the ship immediately to Callao on its return from Panama.
The Spanish author Gaspar Pérez Turrado supposes that Goñi was a supporter of the Chilean Independence and that as he learnt about the triumph of the Chileans he sailed to Valparaíso in order to hand the ship over to the revolutionaries.
Chilean career
Meanwhile, after the defeat in the Battle of ChacabucoBattle of Chacabuco
The Battle of Chacabuco, fought during the Chilean War of Independence, occurred on February 12, 1817. The Army of the Andes of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata led by General Captain José de San Martín defeated the Spanish force led by Rafael Maroto...
(February 12, 1817) the Spaniards lost the control of Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
albeit they were able to blockade the port temporarily with the ships Esmeralda and Pezuela.
On 26 February 1817 the ship entered Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
and the Chilean Authority assumed the command over the ship. Some sources assert that the ship was captured by the Chileans. Anyway, she came under the command of Raymond Morris an Irish mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
and former lieutenant in the British Royal Navy.
The ship sailed on 17 March 1817 to rescue a group of 78 Chilean patriots being held prisoners in the Juan Fernández Islands
Juan Fernández Islands
The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island, the first...
and came back to Valparaíso fourteen days later. The group included Manuel Blanco Encalada
Manuel Blanco Encalada
Manuel José Blanco y Calvo de Encalada was a Vice-Admiral in the Chilean Navy, a political figure, and Chile's first President .-Biography:...
, who subsequently led the Navy and, in later years, became the first President of Chile and Francisco de la Lastra
Francisco de la Lastra
General Francisco de la Lastra y de la Sotta was a Chilean military officer and the first Supreme Director of Chile .-Biography:...
later Intendant of Santiago and Privy Councillor. As such, he became temporary Supreme Director.
On 14 Juli 1818 she had been renamed Pueyrredón to honour the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Juan Martín de Pueyrredón
Juan Martín de Pueyrredón
Juan Martín de Pueyrredón y O'Dogan was an Argentine general and politician of the early 19th century. He was appointed Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata after the Argentine Declaration of Independence.-Early life:Pueyrredón was born in Buenos Aires, the fifth of...
, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
The Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata , was a title given to the executive officers of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, according to the form of government established in 1814 by the Asamblea del Año XIII...
who strongly supported the independence of Chile.
She captured on 8. October 1818 the Spanish corvette Perla (Ex-US-Pearl).
On 9 October 1818 sailed from Valparaíso with others ships to deter a Spanish expedition from Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
made up of eleven transports and the, then Spanish frigate María Isabel. It carried 2000 soldiers as well as weapons, ammunition, and supplies to reinforce the Viceroyalty of Perú. The Chilean squadron under commander Blanco Encalada captured on 28. October the María Isabel in Talcahuano
Talcahuano
Talcahuano is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation. Talcahuano is located in the south of the Central Zone of Chile.-Geography:...
and also on 11 November 1818 the Dolores, Magdalena, Elena, Jerezana und Carlota in the Santa Maria Island.
On 16 January 1819 sailed from Valparaíso the First Chilean Navy Squadron
First Chilean Navy Squadron
The First Chilean Navy Squadron was the naval force that terminated Spanish colonial rule on the south-west coast of America and protagonaized the most important naval actions in the Latin American wars of independence...
, under the command of Admiral Lord Thomas Alexander Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
to the first blockade of the Callao, later followed the (now called) Pueyrredón, Galvarino and Araucano under the command of Blanco Encalada. In Juni were all the Chilean ships back in Valparaíso.
On 12. September 1819 sailed Cochrane and Blanco Encalada again to the second blockade of Callao with a squadron composed of O'Higgins, San Martín, Lautaro, Independencia, Galvarino, Araucano and Pueyrredón.
The Pueyrredón was used to shell the Callao with the Congreve rocket
Congreve rocket
The Congreve Rocket was a British military weapon designed and developed by Sir William Congreve in 1804.The rocket was developed by the British Royal Arsenal following the experiences of the Second, Third and Fourth Mysore Wars. The wars fought between the British East India Company and the...
and later ordered to Guayaquil to search for the Spanish Prueba.. In December 1819 were most of the Chilean ships back in Valparaíso, as the Pueyrredón also.
On 21 August 1820 sailed the Freedom Expedition Force of Peru with the Pueyrredón under the ships of the squadron.
On 28. September 1821 despite Cochrane's efforts to retrieve the ship, she sunk in Ancón
Ancón District
Ancón is a district of northern Lima Province in Peru. It is a popular beach resort, visited every summer by hundreds of people from Lima.Officially established as a district on October 29, 1874, the current mayor of Ancón is Jaime Jesús Pajuelo Torres. The district's postal code is...
.