James Rooke
Encyclopedia
James Rooke was a British
career soldier in the Napoleonic wars
. He became commander under Simon Bolivar
of the British Legions
during the South American wars of independence
.
James Rooke was born in Dublin around 1770. He joined the British Army in 1791 and fought in various campaigns against the French
, reaching the rank of Major by 1802. Rooke was well-connected, and became a close friend of the Prince of Wales
. However, in 1801 he had to sell most of his property to pay his debts, and moved to France, which was then at peace with Britain.
When war broke out again, the French authorities interned Rooke. He remained in prison until his escape at the start 1813, when he joined Wellington
's army in Spain. Rooke was discharged from the army when hostilities ended in 1814, but on Napoleon's return in 1815, he rejoined and fought at the Battle of Waterloo
.
Rooke left the British army in 1816 and made a trip to St. Kitts in the Caribbean
to visit his sister, who was wife of the Governor of the colony. In September 1817, Rooke sailed to Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar
) in Venezuela
and enrolled in Bolivar’s Patriot army as a Lieutenant Colonel. He organized and was given command of an Anglo-Venezuelan unit, the 1st Regiment of Hussars of Venezuela.
With this unit, he fought in various battles in the inconclusive Venezuelan campaign of 1818, and received two wounds. In March 1819, Bolivar combined most of his foreign volunteers into a brigade of 250 men named the British Legion, with Rooke as commander. In a bold attempt to break the stalemate with the Spanish
forces, Bolivar decided to move west, ascend the Andes
and seize the high ground. The journey in the height of the rainy season was gruelling and the force lost 300 men en route, of whom 60 were from the British Legion.
After a pause for recovery, Bolivar led his forces in the Vargas Swamp Battle
, in Boyacá
, Colombia
, where the British Legion under Rooke fought with distinction, storming uphill against the Spanish defences. During this action Rooke was seriously wounded which led to the amputation of his left arm.
"Viva la Patria!"
The surgeon asked him in English:
"Which Country? Ireland or England?"
Rooke shook his head and replied:
"The Country which will bury me..."
Shortly after, Rooke died on 28 July 1819 at a monastery in Belén de Chámeza, near Tunja
.
Rooke is remembered proudly and Colombia honors him for being one of the architects of south American nations independence. His widow, Mrs. Anna Rooke, drew a pension for life and was given honors of a Military Widow.
There is a bronze statue of Colonel Rooke at the nearby village of Paipa.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
career soldier in the Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. He became commander under Simon Bolivar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
of the British Legions
British Legions
The British Legion or British Legions were foreign volunteer units that fought under Simón Bolívar against Spain for the independence of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru. The Venezuelans called them the Albion Legion...
during the South American wars of independence
South American Wars of Independence
The Latin American Wars of Independence were the various revolutions that took place during the late 18th and early 19th centuries and resulted in the creation of a number of independent countries in Latin America. These revolutions followed the American and French Revolutions, which had profound...
.
James Rooke was born in Dublin around 1770. He joined the British Army in 1791 and fought in various campaigns against the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, reaching the rank of Major by 1802. Rooke was well-connected, and became a close friend of the Prince of Wales
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. However, in 1801 he had to sell most of his property to pay his debts, and moved to France, which was then at peace with Britain.
When war broke out again, the French authorities interned Rooke. He remained in prison until his escape at the start 1813, when he joined Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
's army in Spain. Rooke was discharged from the army when hostilities ended in 1814, but on Napoleon's return in 1815, he rejoined and fought at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
Rooke left the British army in 1816 and made a trip to St. Kitts in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
to visit his sister, who was wife of the Governor of the colony. In September 1817, Rooke sailed to Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar
Ciudad Bolívar
Ciudad Bolívar is the capital of Venezuela's southeastern Bolivar State. It was founded with the name Angostura in 1764, renamed in 1846, and, as of 2010, had an estimated population of 350,691....
) in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and enrolled in Bolivar’s Patriot army as a Lieutenant Colonel. He organized and was given command of an Anglo-Venezuelan unit, the 1st Regiment of Hussars of Venezuela.
With this unit, he fought in various battles in the inconclusive Venezuelan campaign of 1818, and received two wounds. In March 1819, Bolivar combined most of his foreign volunteers into a brigade of 250 men named the British Legion, with Rooke as commander. In a bold attempt to break the stalemate with the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
forces, Bolivar decided to move west, ascend the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
and seize the high ground. The journey in the height of the rainy season was gruelling and the force lost 300 men en route, of whom 60 were from the British Legion.
After a pause for recovery, Bolivar led his forces in the Vargas Swamp Battle
Vargas Swamp Battle
Vargas Swamp Battle was an armed conflict that occurred near Paipa, on July 25, 1819. The joint Venezuelan and Neogranadan army commanded by Simón Bolívar was trying to prevent the Spanish forces from arriving at Santafe de Bogotá, which was lightly defended, before they did...
, in Boyacá
Boyacá
Boyacá is the name of a region in Colombia. It may refer to any of:* Boyacá Department* Boyacá Department * Boyacá River* Boyacá Municipality* Battle of Boyacá* Boyacá Chicó F.C.* Boyacá Avenue an avenue in Bogotá...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, where the British Legion under Rooke fought with distinction, storming uphill against the Spanish defences. During this action Rooke was seriously wounded which led to the amputation of his left arm.
Quotation
Once Rooke lost his arm, he raised his right arm and shouted in poorly accented Spanish:"Viva la Patria!"
The surgeon asked him in English:
"Which Country? Ireland or England?"
Rooke shook his head and replied:
"The Country which will bury me..."
Shortly after, Rooke died on 28 July 1819 at a monastery in Belén de Chámeza, near Tunja
Tunja
Tunja is a city and municipality located in the central part of Colombia, in the region of "Alto Chicomocha". As of the 2005 Census it had 152,419 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Department of Boyacá and part of the subregion of the Central Boyacá Province. It is approximately 145 km...
.
Rooke is remembered proudly and Colombia honors him for being one of the architects of south American nations independence. His widow, Mrs. Anna Rooke, drew a pension for life and was given honors of a Military Widow.
There is a bronze statue of Colonel Rooke at the nearby village of Paipa.