Ignacio Carrera Pinto
Encyclopedia
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an hero of the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
.
He was born in Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
; the son of José Miguel Carrera Fontecilla, of Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
descent, and of Emilia Pinto Benavente. He was the grandson of Jose Miguel Carrera Verdugo
José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera Verdugo was a Chilean general, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most important leader of the Chilean War of Independence during the period of the Patria Vieja...
, one of Chile's independence heroes. He was also the great-grandson and great-nephew of Chile's Presidents Francisco Antonio Pinto
Francisco Antonio Pinto
Francisco Antonio Pinto y Díaz de la Puente was a Chilean political figure. He was twice President of Chile between 1827 and 1829.-Early life:He was born in Santiago, the son of Joaquín Pinto and Mercedes Díaz de la Puente...
and Anibal Pinto
Aníbal Pinto
Aníbal Pinto Garmendia was a Chilean political figure. He served as the president of Chile between 1876 and 1881.-Early life:...
. When the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
, between Chile, on one side, and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
on the other, started in 1879, Carrera Pinto enrolled in the "Esmeralda" battalion. During the next years, and as a consequence of his personal merits, he was promoted rapidly. In 1881, he became lieutenant and, in 1882, captain. He participated in the Lima Campaign and in the Sierra Campaign, during which he was killed in the Battle of La Concepción
Battle of La Concepción
The Battle of Concepción was fought on July 9 and July 10, 1882, during the Sierra Campaign of the War of the Pacific. Heavily outnumbered, the Chilean detachment of 77 men under the command of Lieutenant Ignacio Carrera Pinto was annihilated by a 1.300 Peruvian force, many of them armed with...
.
Ignacio Carrera Pinto and his 77 men are regarded in Chile as great heroes, and are commonly referred to as "los Héroes de la Concepción'.
Luis Cruz
Luis Alfonso Cruz is a Mexican professional baseball shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right handed. He is 6 foot 1 and 180 pounds.-Boston Red Sox:...
and Arturo Perez Canto. On July 10, 1882, La Concepción was attacked by 400 regular Peruvian soldiers and large groups of natives, which were part of the forces of Andres Caceres, a Peruvian officer which was conducting a guerrilla war.
Despite being greatly outnumbered and out of ammunition, the Chilean soldiers did not surrender. The last Chilean soldiers died charging the well armed Peruvian army only with their bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
s.
The Carrera family was one of Chile's most influential families and grew considerably in number. Today, the bulk of the family remains in Santiago and the southern Province of the Bio Bio, although a portion is known to have emigrated to Sweden.
Chilean one thousand peso notes bear Ignacio Carrera's face.