Juan Alonso Zayas
Encyclopedia
Second Lieutenant Juan Alonso Zayas (1869-October 8, 1898), was a Puerto Rican
in the Spanish Army
who was the commander of the 2nd Expeditionary Battalion stationed in Baler
which fought in the Siege of Baler
in the Philippines
.
, the capital of Puerto Rico
. His father, born in Barcelona
, Spain
, was an officer in the Spanish Army stationed in the island. Zayas received the best education available as the son of a military official. His main interest was photography and he became a professional photographer at a young age. On November 1888, when he was 19 years old, Zayas joined the Spanish Army in San Juan.
and assigned to the Battalion of Isabel II and later to the Infantry Regiment of Cuba. Zayas was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and sent to the School of Sergeants of the Getafe Civil Guard in Madrid
, Spain
, before the outbreak of the Cuban Revolt of 1895.
By 1897, Zayas was already a Second Lieutenant, when he received orders to head for the Philippines as commander of the 2nd Expeditionary Battalion stationed in Baler
. He arrived in Manila
, the capital of the Philippines on May 1897. In Manila, he took a vessel and headed for Baler
which is located on the island of Luzon
.
The Spanish Colonial Government was under constant attack from the local Filipino groups who wanted their independence from the Spanish Crown. Zayas mission was to fortify Baler against any possible attack. Among his plans for the defense of Baler was to convert the local church of San Luis de Tolosa into a fort. The independence advocates, under the leadership of Col. Calixto Vilacorte, were called "insurgents" or "Tagalos" by the Spanish Crown. On June 28, 1898, they demanded the surrender of the Spanish Army. The Spanish political governor of the region, Enrique de las Morena y Fossi refused. Immediately, the Filipinos attacked Baler in a battle that was to last for seven months. Despite being outnumbered, hunger and disease, the Battalion did not give up.
In the meantime, Zayas and the rest of the Battalion were totally unaware of the Spanish-American War
that was going on. On August 1898, the hostilities between the United States
and Spain came to an end. The Philippines became a U.S. possession under the accordance of the Treaty of Paris
.
In May 1899, the Battalion at Baler found out about the Spanish-American War and its aftermath. They had been unaware that they had been fighting for a possession which was no longer theirs to fight for. On June 2, 1899 the Battalion's commander, Lieutenant Martín Cerezo surrendered to the Tagalos only after some conditions were met. Among the conditions were the following:
The 32 survivors of Zayas Battalion were sent to Manila where they boarded a ship headed for their homeland. In Spain, they were given a heroes welcome and became known as "Los Últimos de Filipinas" (The Last of the Philippines) and also as "Los Últimos de Baler" (The Last of Baler).
2nd Lt. Juan Alonso Zayas was not among the survivors. He died, on October 8, 1898, from beriberi
and with several other members of his unit was buried in San Luis de Tolosa, the church of Baler.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
who was the commander of the 2nd Expeditionary Battalion stationed in Baler
Baler, Aurora
Baler is a 4th class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. It is the provincial capital of Aurora. According to the latest census, it has a population of 34,492 people and 5.955 members per household....
which fought in the Siege of Baler
Siege of Baler
The Siege of Baler, from July 1, 1898 to June 2, 1899, was a battle of the Philippine Revolution and concurrently the Spanish-American War. Filipino revolutionaries laid siege to a fortified church manned by colonial Spanish troops in the town of Baler, Philippines for 11 months.The battle is...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Early years
Zayas was born and raised in San JuanSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, the capital of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. His father, born in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, was an officer in the Spanish Army stationed in the island. Zayas received the best education available as the son of a military official. His main interest was photography and he became a professional photographer at a young age. On November 1888, when he was 19 years old, Zayas joined the Spanish Army in San Juan.
Military career
He was first assigned to the Infantry Regiment of Luchana N 28. In May 1889, Zayas was sent to CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and assigned to the Battalion of Isabel II and later to the Infantry Regiment of Cuba. Zayas was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and sent to the School of Sergeants of the Getafe Civil Guard in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, before the outbreak of the Cuban Revolt of 1895.
By 1897, Zayas was already a Second Lieutenant, when he received orders to head for the Philippines as commander of the 2nd Expeditionary Battalion stationed in Baler
Baler, Aurora
Baler is a 4th class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. It is the provincial capital of Aurora. According to the latest census, it has a population of 34,492 people and 5.955 members per household....
. He arrived in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, the capital of the Philippines on May 1897. In Manila, he took a vessel and headed for Baler
Baler Bay
Baler Bay is a bay in the northeastern part of Luzon island, Philippines, at ....
which is located on the island of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
.
Siege of Baler
The distance between Manila and Baler is 62 miles (100 km) and if traveled through the jungles and badly built roads, the actual distance would be 144 miles (230 km). At that time, a system of communication between Manila and Baler was almost non-existent. The only way Baler received news from Manila was by way of sea vessels.The Spanish Colonial Government was under constant attack from the local Filipino groups who wanted their independence from the Spanish Crown. Zayas mission was to fortify Baler against any possible attack. Among his plans for the defense of Baler was to convert the local church of San Luis de Tolosa into a fort. The independence advocates, under the leadership of Col. Calixto Vilacorte, were called "insurgents" or "Tagalos" by the Spanish Crown. On June 28, 1898, they demanded the surrender of the Spanish Army. The Spanish political governor of the region, Enrique de las Morena y Fossi refused. Immediately, the Filipinos attacked Baler in a battle that was to last for seven months. Despite being outnumbered, hunger and disease, the Battalion did not give up.
In the meantime, Zayas and the rest of the Battalion were totally unaware of the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
that was going on. On August 1898, the hostilities between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Spain came to an end. The Philippines became a U.S. possession under the accordance of the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1898)
The Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, and came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratifications were exchanged....
.
In May 1899, the Battalion at Baler found out about the Spanish-American War and its aftermath. They had been unaware that they had been fighting for a possession which was no longer theirs to fight for. On June 2, 1899 the Battalion's commander, Lieutenant Martín Cerezo surrendered to the Tagalos only after some conditions were met. Among the conditions were the following:
- 1. That the Spaniards not be treated as prisoners of war and
- 2. that they would not be harmed in their quest of reaching a Spanish ship which would take them back to Spain.
The 32 survivors of Zayas Battalion were sent to Manila where they boarded a ship headed for their homeland. In Spain, they were given a heroes welcome and became known as "Los Últimos de Filipinas" (The Last of the Philippines) and also as "Los Últimos de Baler" (The Last of Baler).
2nd Lt. Juan Alonso Zayas was not among the survivors. He died, on October 8, 1898, from beriberi
Beriberi
Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a thiamine deficiency in the diet. Thiamine is involved in the breakdown of energy molecules such as glucose and is also found on the membranes of neurons...
and with several other members of his unit was buried in San Luis de Tolosa, the church of Baler.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel