; 1782 - † Chacabuco, 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...

; February 12, 1817) was a Spanish Army officer who participated in the Chilean War of Independence.

Elorreaga was born in the town of Aspurú, in Spain, but arrived very young to Chile, settling in Concepción

Concepción, Chile

Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...

. He initially joined the Spanish Army, but left it soon after to marry Manuela Díaz de Salcedo and dedicate himself to commercial activities.

When Brigadier Antonio Pareja arrived in 1813 at the head of his expedition, he recruited Elorreaga as a cavalry militia commander. As such, he participated in almost all the battles of the Patria Vieja campaigns, being specially notable his capture of Talca

First Battle of Talca

First battle of Talca, also called the 'Taking of Talca' occurred on 3rd March, 1814, during the War of Chilean Independence.-Background:...

 and his participation at the Battle of Rancagua.

After the Spanish government had been reestablished, he was named District Chief of 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...

, and on November 13, 1816 Military Commander of Aconcagua

Aconcagua

Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas at . It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza and it lies west by north of its capital, the city of Mendoza. The summit is also located about 5 kilometres from San Juan Province and 15 kilometres from the...

. He died at the head of his troops during the Battle of Chacabuco

Battle 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...

.