Francisco Xavier da Silva Pereira, Conde das Antas
Encyclopedia
Francisco Xavier da Silva Pereira, Baron, Viscount and finally Conde das Antas, born in Valença on 14 March 1793, died in Lisbon on 20 May 1852, was a leading Portuguese soldier of the period of the Liberal Wars
. The son of a military family, he served in the Peninsular War
against Napoleon as an officer in the first battalion of the Leal Legião Lusitana, serving in the battles of Albuera
, Bussaco, Nive, Nivelle
, Salamanca
, Vitoria
, Orthez
and Toulouse
, for several of which he was decorated. He was prominent among those who opposed the absolutist
government of the usurper Dom Miguel. He took part in the Chartist
rebellion against Miguel at Porto
in May 1828, and subsequently escaped to England to place himself under the authority of Dom Pedro, the ex-Emperor of Brazil
, who was organizing resistance on behalf of his daughter, the legitimate Queen Maria II. In August, Silva Pereira sailed to Madeira
as part of a contingent sent to strengthen the forces of the governor, José Travassos Valdez
, who was holding out for the Queen, but Madeira was almost immediately captured by Miguel's forces and Silva Pereira joined Travassos Valdez in the evacuation of the Queen's supporters to England. He then served in Dom Pedro's forces in the recapture of the Azores
and the Portuguese Civil War of 1832–34 in which the Miguelites were defeated. In 1835 he was named Baron das Antas, becoming Viscount in 1836 and Count in 1838. In 1836 he was the General in command of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force that was sent to aid the Queen of Spain during the Carlist Wars
. Recalled in September 1837 because of the revolt of the Chartist
Marshals, he held the balance of military power but adhered to the legitimate government of Maria II and defeated the insurrection at the Battle of Ruivães on 20 September 1837. During the Patuleia
or Little Civil War of 1847–48 he was head of the revolutionary Junta of Oporto.
Liberal Wars
The Liberal Wars, also known as the Portuguese Civil War, the War of the Two Brothers, or Miguelite War, was a war between progressive constitutionalists and authoritarian absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 1828 to 1834...
. The son of a military family, he served in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
against Napoleon as an officer in the first battalion of the Leal Legião Lusitana, serving in the battles of Albuera
Battle of Albuera
The Battle of Albuera was an indecisive battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French Armée du Midi at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about 20 kilometres south of the frontier fortress-town of Badajoz, Spain.From...
, Bussaco, Nive, Nivelle
Battle of Nivelle
The Battle of Nivelle took place in front of the River Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War . After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops were in hot pursuit of Marshal Soult who only had 60,000 men to place in a 20-mile perimeter...
, Salamanca
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War....
, Vitoria
Battle of Vitoria
At the Battle of Vitoria an allied British, Portuguese, and Spanish army under General the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, leading to eventual victory in the Peninsular War.-Background:In July 1812, after...
, Orthez
Battle of Orthez
The Battle of Orthez saw the Anglo-Portuguese Army under Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington defeat a French army led by Marshal Nicolas Soult in southern France near the end of the Peninsular War.-Preliminaries:...
and Toulouse
Battle of Toulouse (1814)
The Battle of Toulouse was one of the final battles of the Napoleonic Wars, four days after Napoleon's surrender of the French Empire to the nations of the Sixth Coalition...
, for several of which he was decorated. He was prominent among those who opposed the absolutist
Absolute monarchy
Absolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government in which the monarch exercises ultimate governing authority as head of state and head of government, his or her power not being limited by a constitution or by the law. An absolute monarch thus wields unrestricted political power over the...
government of the usurper Dom Miguel. He took part in the Chartist
Cartista
In the history of Portugal, a Cartista was a member of the party that led Portugal over to a more conservative form of the liberalism that had arisen after the revolution of 1820, centered around the Constitutional Charter of 1826, granted by Pedro IV in an attempt to reduce the conflicts opened up...
rebellion against Miguel at Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
in May 1828, and subsequently escaped to England to place himself under the authority of Dom Pedro, the ex-Emperor of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, who was organizing resistance on behalf of his daughter, the legitimate Queen Maria II. In August, Silva Pereira sailed to Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
as part of a contingent sent to strengthen the forces of the governor, José Travassos Valdez
José Travassos Valdez
José Lúcio Travassos Valdez , first and only Baron and first Count do Bonfim , was a Portuguese soldier and statesman.-Early life:...
, who was holding out for the Queen, but Madeira was almost immediately captured by Miguel's forces and Silva Pereira joined Travassos Valdez in the evacuation of the Queen's supporters to England. He then served in Dom Pedro's forces in the recapture of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and the Portuguese Civil War of 1832–34 in which the Miguelites were defeated. In 1835 he was named Baron das Antas, becoming Viscount in 1836 and Count in 1838. In 1836 he was the General in command of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force that was sent to aid the Queen of Spain during the Carlist Wars
Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...
. Recalled in September 1837 because of the revolt of the Chartist
Cartista
In the history of Portugal, a Cartista was a member of the party that led Portugal over to a more conservative form of the liberalism that had arisen after the revolution of 1820, centered around the Constitutional Charter of 1826, granted by Pedro IV in an attempt to reduce the conflicts opened up...
Marshals, he held the balance of military power but adhered to the legitimate government of Maria II and defeated the insurrection at the Battle of Ruivães on 20 September 1837. During the Patuleia
Patuleia
The Patuleia, Guerra da Patuleia, or Little Civil War was a civil war in Portugal, so called to distinguish it from the 'great' civil war between Dom Pedro IV and Dom Miguel that ended in 1834. The Patuleia occurred after the Revolution of Maria da Fonte, and was closely associated with her...
or Little Civil War of 1847–48 he was head of the revolutionary Junta of Oporto.