.gif)
William Brown (admiral)
Encyclopedia
Admiral
William Brown (also known in Spanish as Guillermo Brown) (June 22, 1777 – March 3, 1857) was an Irish-born Argentine Admiral
. Brown's victories in the Independence War
, the Argentina-Brazil War
, and the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata
earned the respect and appreciation of the Argentine people, and today he is regarded as one of Argentina's national heroes. Creator and first admiral of the country's maritime forces, he is commonly known as the "father of the Argentine Navy
".
William Brown was born in Foxford
, County Mayo
, Ireland on 22 June 1777.It was a dark time in his native Mayo with the Penal Laws
of Ireland which sought to crush the Catholic Church in Ireland leading to civil discord and eventual uprising. William Brown was very close to his Uncle Joseph, a Franciscan priest who was continually on the run from the authorities and offered Holy Mass on Mass Rocks
in the surrounding mountains of Foxford. These were clandestine affairs as the priest or anyone who harbored a priest were likely for severe treatment if caught and informants were often responsible for their capture.Young William learned to sail on nearby Lough Conn
and Cullin by his uncle who was convinced he was due for great things as his birthday was 1777 which is considered a lucky number. Brown recalled his uncle saying he would have "seven bad years ,seven content years ,and seven glorious year".His uncle was later captured and tortured and though he did escape little is known of him after that. The times were hostile in the once sleepy town of Foxford. His family emigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
in the United States
, around 1786, when William was only nine years old. A short time after the arrival, the friend who had invited them out and offered them food and hospitality died of yellow fever
, and several days later, William's father also succumbed to the same disease.
One morning while wandering along the banks of the Delaware River
, he met the captain of a ship then moored in port. The captain inquired if he wanted employment and Brown answered yes. The captain then and there engaged him as a cabin boy, thereby setting him on the naval promotion ladder, where he worked his way to the captaincy of a merchant vessel.
Comparatively little is known of Brown's early life, and it has been suggested that he was illegitimate and took his mother's surname, and that his father's surname was actually Gannon.
into a British ship and forced to serve the British crown
. To press gang an American merchant navy captain in possession of a captains ticket was unheard of and entirely illegal.
During the Napoleonic wars, Brown is said to have escaped the galley , and scuttled the ship however, the French, not believing he had assisted them, was made a prisoner and sent to Lorient
. On being transferred to Metz
, he succeeded in escaping disguised in a French officer's uniform. He was recaptured, however, and then imprisoned in the fortress of Verdun. From there, in 1809, he escaped in the company of a British colonel named Clutchwell and eventually reached German territory.
Returning to England, he renounced his maritime career and, on July 29, 1809, he married Elizabeth Chitty, in Kent. Brown left the same year for the Río de la Plata
on board Belmond and set himself up as a merchant in Montevideo
, Uruguay
.
. When Eliza met with disaster and ran aground, Brown carried his cargo inland, and having disposed of it profitably, he next crossed the Andes
to Chile
. He had by now accumulated sufficient capital to enable him to purchase a schooner called Industria (Spanish
for "Industry"), with which he opened a regular sailing-packet service between Uruguay and Argentina, the first such venture in South America
. At this point, the Spanish colonial government
stepped in, sensing a threat to its mercantile interests.
"On 10 March 1814 the Hercules, joined by the Julieta, the Tortugas, the Fortunata and the felucca San Luis, faced the strong Spanish naval fleet commanded by Captain Jacinto de Romarate. The Spanish armada had six war ships, brigs, gunboats and a land battery with four cannons. There was a fierce combat after which the Hercules was stranded. American-born officer Benjamin Franklin Seaver, commander of the Julieta, was killed in action. The Hercules defended herself until 12 March at 10 AM. As a result of this combat Commander Elias Smith, Lieutenant Robert Stacy and forty-five sailors were killed by grapeshot
. There were about fifty wounded, which imposed a heavy task for the surgeon Bernard Campbell. The flagship received no less than eighty-two cannon blows and was repaired in the same war zone. Plumb plates were placed under the water line and the hull covered with leathers and tar. Henceforth it was nicknamed as 'the Black Frigate'. Richard Baxter, an English-born officer, was appointed as the new commander. On 17 March 1814 Brown attacked the island Martín García together with the Julieta and the Zephir. The Hercules engaged in combat with the Spanish warships Esperanza and Carmen.'
A land attack was organized and at that moment William Brown ordered the fife and the drum to play 'Saint Patrick’s Day in the Morning', which acted as a real booster among the troops.
On 20 April 1814 Montevideo was blocked by Argentine forces. There were no other major engagements until 14 May, when a combat started but the sea conditions stopped a full attack.
Brown resolved to attack the formidable Spanish squadron with his ill-equipped flotilla of seven ships. On March 8, 1814, Brown took his ships to sea and within 48 hours was engaged in a furious battle. Land and sea forces saw action at Martín García island
, a fortified island 20 mi (32.2 km) from Buenos Aires, known as "the Gibraltar
of the River Plate
", which commanded the access to the rivers Paraná
and Uruguay
. Brown failed to win possession of the island, and his flagship, Hercules, was badly battered and ran aground. Argentine forces attacked vigorously by land and sea on 14 March, and after a stiff contest succeeded in gaining possession of Martín García. The Spanish commander took his ships to Montevideo hotly pursued by Brown, whose naval forces were now increased by the addition of three armed merchant vessels.
The Spanish blockading squadron was now blockaded itself by Brown and his fleet. Montevideo was threatened with starvation. Brown, pretending to retreat, drew the Spanish forces away
on May 14 from the protection of the fort guns, and two days afterwards on May 16 an engagement took place in the course of which Brown's leg was shattered by a cannon ball. Undeterred he continued to issue orders and direct operations while stretched on the deck of the Hercules. In a panic the Spanish squadron rushed for shelter to port, but three of their ships were captured. As a direct result of this engagement the Río de la Plata
was freed from Spanish control and Montevideo fell to the Argentines.
The battle continued for Brown well after Argentina claimed victory. He chased and hassled Spanish shipping from his waters much to the consternation of the Argentine investors of his ships.Stranded on an island and exhausted from fever news arrived that he was to be court martialed on his return to Argentina. He returned to England where he fought a legal and political battle ,which he won with the support of his allies. He returned to Argentina and had the Hercules gifted to him William Brown took up farming and enjoyed 14 years of content and happy family life.
and Portugal
for three centuries, and now it played the same role in relations between Argentina and Brazil
. On December 14, 1825, war broke out between Argentina and Brazil.
The Argentine authorities were without an experienced Admiral ,in fact they were without a fleet with all their energies being deployed into land campaigns along the borders. The coast seemed invisible and Brown had long campaigned for an operational fleet and was ignored and labeled "foreigner" by most of his opposition who had turned from the "blue shirt" of the union ,to the "red shirt" of the federation. Then finally it came ;
The Admiral was once again coaxed from his retirement by the "cap in hand" opposition to save the port of Buenos Aires. Brown accepted his commission and with a team of chaulkers commenced building and equipping a fleet as best he could.
The Brazilians initiated operations by blockading Argentina. In this emergency, Argentina, under Brown's guidance, improvised a new naval squadron of which he took command. Before the battle, William Brown said two of his most memorable quotes: "Comrades: confidence in victory, discipline, and three hails to the motherland!" and, few minutes later, "Open fire, the people are watching us!" As a counter move to the blockade of Argentina, he vigorously attacked the Brazilian coast, shattered Brazilian shipping, and at the hard-fought Battle of Juncal
(February 24, 1827), with seven ships and eight 1-gun launches he destroyed the entire opposing Brazilian squadron of seventeen ships and took its commander prisoner. On June 11, 1827, the decisive Battle of Los Pozos took place between the Argentine and Brazilian forces in view of Buenos Aires, Argentina having only eleven ships while Brazil had thirty-one warships. After a violent encounter, the Brazilians were routed and peace of a sort followed, with Brown acting as Argentine commissioner when the
Treaty of Montevideo
was signed on October 4, 1827.
to support his friend the deposed Uruguayan president Manuel Oribe
in the civil war between the Blancos
(supporting Oribe) and the Colorados
. Brown returned to active service and defeated his former officer John Coe
in three engagements near Montevideo. On 15 August 1842 he fought a battle on the River Paraná
, defeating a Uruguayan riverine fleet of launches commanded by the future hero of the Italian Risorgimento, Giuseppe Garibaldi
. After pursuing the Uruguayan up the river Brown forced a landing and his marines brought the Uruguayan s to action. Many men on both sides knew each other from previous engagements and a minority of Browns men, having gained the advantage took personal vengeance on a prisoner, emasculating him. On hearing this Admiral Brown became enraged and tolerating no cowardice among his men severely punished them using the infamous "gauntlet" technique. The men were stripped and walked between two lines of their comrades who beat them with rods ,some did not survive the ordeal. Brown refusing to accept the victory because of the dishonor brought upon the battle by his men, used his influence to have Giuseppe Garibaldi released from prison where he was awaiting trial and certain execution. Admiral Brown used a saying on such occasions when loyalties were in question to the task, "Even if to the devil the word is given ,then it must be kept". Honor in the line of duty was important to William Brown, and his services to his adopted country seen his favor shown to Garibaldi. Giuseppe Garibaldi in recognition of this grace, years later named one of his grandchildren "William" after Brown .
(Admiral William Brown : Liberator of the South Atlantic
Aguinis, Marcos; Tyson, Bill P) The Argentine/Blanco forces occupied most of Uruguay but could not capture Montevideo, which endured a nine-year siege beginning in February 1843. When access to Paraguay
was blocked in 1845 Britain
and France
entered the conflict on the Colorado side.
After the fall of the Rosas regime many naval officers found themselves discharged, but not the Commander of the Navy. Brown remained honoured for his long and loyal service to the nation. Retiring to his villa, Casa Amarilla at Barracas, Brown was visited by Grenfell, his opponent in the Brazilian war, who remarked how ungrateful the Republic was to its good servants; the old Admiral replied: "Mr Grenfell, it does not burden me to have been useful to the mother country of my children; I consider the honours and the wealth superfluous when six feet of earth are enough to rest so many difficulties and pains."
On March 3, 1857 he died and was buried with full military honours. The Argentine government issued a comuniqué stating that "with a life of permanent service to the national wars that our homeland has fought since its independence, William Brown symbolized the naval glory of the Argentine Republic". During his burial, General Bartolomé Mitre
famously said: "Brown in his lifetime, standing on the quarterdeck of his ship, was worth a fleet to us". His grave is currently located in the Recoleta cemetery
in Buenos Aires.
Since the mid 1980’s, a replica of Brown’s sword has been worn by Admirals of the Argentine Navy. One such replica is on display in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland
. The original is in the National Historical Museum of Argentia.
Statues and memorials of William Brown's battles are located in both Buenos Aires and Foxford, his birthplace in Ireland. A museum to his honour was open in Foxford, located in Lower Main Street. In April–June 2006 the Irish Naval Service patrol boat LÉ Eithne
travelled to Buenos Aires in the first-ever deployment of an Irish warship in the southern hemisphere, in order to participate in commemorations of the impending sesquicentenary of Brown's death, and to bring back a statue of Brown to be displayed in Dublin. During the trip, L.É. Eithne made a stop in the city of Mar del Plata
, where they visited Plazoleta Almirante Brown (Admiral Brown's Square) and pay tribute to the Irish naval hero along with their colleagues of the Argentine Navy.
Mr. Bertie Ahern
, the Irish Taoiseach
, said on 27 September 2006 on the occasion of unveiling the new statue of Brown on Admiral Brown Way, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin: "Back in 2001, it was my honour to lay a wreath at the Admiral Brown monument in Buenos Aires and to unveil a plaque commemorating my visit there. I brought away with me a clear sense of just what a significant figure William Brown is in Argentine history as well as a real idea of just how strong the links are, past and present, between our two countries".
.jpg)
Located in Casa Amarilla, a replica of Brown's house in La Boca
neighbourhood, the Brownian National Institute (Instituto Nacional Browniano) was created in 1948 for "research and study the nation's maritime history and naval interests, and cooperate with both the Argentine and Irish governments in the investigation of William Brown's life and military achievements". The centre is based in Buenos Aires
city, with branches throughout the country.
Also, a substantial number of Argentine warships and political entities have been named after him. Examples include:
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
William Brown (also known in Spanish as Guillermo Brown) (June 22, 1777 – March 3, 1857) was an Irish-born Argentine Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
. Brown's victories in the Independence War
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
, the Argentina-Brazil War
Argentina-Brazil War
The Cisplatine War or the Argentine–Brazilian War was an armed conflict over an area known as Banda Oriental or "Eastern Shore" in the 1820s between the United Provinces of River Plate and the Empire of Brazil in the aftermath of the United Provinces' emancipation from Spain.-Background:Led by...
, and the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata
Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata
The Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata was a five-year long naval blockade imposed by France and Britain on the Argentine Confederation ruled by Juan Manuel de Rosas. It was imposed in 1845 to support the Colorado Party in the Uruguayan Civil War and closed Buenos Aires to naval commerce...
earned the respect and appreciation of the Argentine people, and today he is regarded as one of Argentina's national heroes. Creator and first admiral of the country's maritime forces, he is commonly known as the "father of the Argentine Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
".
Career as a merchant captain
Foxford
Foxford, historically called Bellasa , is a small village 16 km south of Ballina in County Mayo, Ireland. The village stands on the N26 national primary route from Swinford to Ballina and has a railway station served by trains between Dublin and Ballina.Situated between the Nephin and Ox...
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland on 22 June 1777.It was a dark time in his native Mayo with the Penal Laws
Penal Laws (Ireland)
The term Penal Laws in Ireland were a series of laws imposed under English and later British rule that sought to discriminate against Roman Catholics and Protestant dissenters in favour of members of the established Church of Ireland....
of Ireland which sought to crush the Catholic Church in Ireland leading to civil discord and eventual uprising. William Brown was very close to his Uncle Joseph, a Franciscan priest who was continually on the run from the authorities and offered Holy Mass on Mass Rocks
Mass rock
A Mass rock was a stone used in mid-seventeenth century Ireland as a location for Catholic worship. Isolated locations were sought to hold religious ceremony, as observing the Catholic mass was a matter of difficulty and danger at the time as a result of both Cromwell's campaign against the Irish,...
in the surrounding mountains of Foxford. These were clandestine affairs as the priest or anyone who harbored a priest were likely for severe treatment if caught and informants were often responsible for their capture.Young William learned to sail on nearby Lough Conn
Lough Conn
Lough Conn is a lake in County Mayo in the province of Connacht in Ireland and covers about 14,000 acres . With its immediate neighbour to the south, Lough Cullin, it is connected to the Atlantic by the River Moy...
and Cullin by his uncle who was convinced he was due for great things as his birthday was 1777 which is considered a lucky number. Brown recalled his uncle saying he would have "seven bad years ,seven content years ,and seven glorious year".His uncle was later captured and tortured and though he did escape little is known of him after that. The times were hostile in the once sleepy town of Foxford. His family emigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, around 1786, when William was only nine years old. A short time after the arrival, the friend who had invited them out and offered them food and hospitality died of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
, and several days later, William's father also succumbed to the same disease.
One morning while wandering along the banks of the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, he met the captain of a ship then moored in port. The captain inquired if he wanted employment and Brown answered yes. The captain then and there engaged him as a cabin boy, thereby setting him on the naval promotion ladder, where he worked his way to the captaincy of a merchant vessel.
Comparatively little is known of Brown's early life, and it has been suggested that he was illegitimate and took his mother's surname, and that his father's surname was actually Gannon.
Service during the Napoleonic Wars
After ten years on the Atlantic, where he developed his skills as a seaman and reached the level of captain, William Brown was press-gangedImpressment
Impressment, colloquially, "the Press", was the act of taking men into a navy by force and without notice. It was used by the Royal Navy, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries, in wartime, as a means of crewing warships, although legal sanction for the practice goes back to...
into a British ship and forced to serve the British crown
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
. To press gang an American merchant navy captain in possession of a captains ticket was unheard of and entirely illegal.
During the Napoleonic wars, Brown is said to have escaped the galley , and scuttled the ship however, the French, not believing he had assisted them, was made a prisoner and sent to Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
. On being transferred to Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, he succeeded in escaping disguised in a French officer's uniform. He was recaptured, however, and then imprisoned in the fortress of Verdun. From there, in 1809, he escaped in the company of a British colonel named Clutchwell and eventually reached German territory.
Returning to England, he renounced his maritime career and, on July 29, 1809, he married Elizabeth Chitty, in Kent. Brown left the same year for the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
on board Belmond and set himself up as a merchant in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
.
Immigration to Argentina
Brown became part owner of a ship called Eliza, trading between Montevideo and Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. When Eliza met with disaster and ran aground, Brown carried his cargo inland, and having disposed of it profitably, he next crossed 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...
to 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...
. He had by now accumulated sufficient capital to enable him to purchase a schooner called Industria (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "Industry"), with which he opened a regular sailing-packet service between Uruguay and Argentina, the first such venture in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. At this point, the Spanish colonial government
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
stepped in, sensing a threat to its mercantile interests.
War with Spain
Spanish ships destroyed Brown's schooner, and took drastic effects to nullify Argentina's attempts to defend her coasts against Spanish raiders. As a result of the incident, Argentina resolved to provide ships to protect her coasts and trade, with Brown being commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel at the service of the Navy and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Argentine fleet. This was following the challenge of Benjamin Franklin Seavers registered as a Canadian merchant shipman,who relinquished his challenge when Browns illegal press ganging earlier in his career came to light and is believed to have tipped the decision in his favor to lead the flotilla. Seavers was American born however following the Jefferson reforms ,like most merchant shipmen became Canadians to avoid the double taxation system imposed on free enterprise. The River Plate presented new opportunities for these captains of free enterprise particularly to keep grain lines open to the North of the continent and the Spanish stood in the way.Captain Benjamin Franklin Seavers was Browns second in command and bravely led the first attack on the Spanish naval force opening lifting a blockade and providing a path for the fleet to take to high water,and was the first casualty of the battle.The news of the death of his friend and comrade drove Brown to launch a full attack on the Spanish as morale was low at the loss of this experienced officer so early in the engagement."On 10 March 1814 the Hercules, joined by the Julieta, the Tortugas, the Fortunata and the felucca San Luis, faced the strong Spanish naval fleet commanded by Captain Jacinto de Romarate. The Spanish armada had six war ships, brigs, gunboats and a land battery with four cannons. There was a fierce combat after which the Hercules was stranded. American-born officer Benjamin Franklin Seaver, commander of the Julieta, was killed in action. The Hercules defended herself until 12 March at 10 AM. As a result of this combat Commander Elias Smith, Lieutenant Robert Stacy and forty-five sailors were killed by grapeshot
Grapeshot
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of shot that is not a one solid element, but a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. It was used both in land and naval warfare. When assembled, the balls resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name...
. There were about fifty wounded, which imposed a heavy task for the surgeon Bernard Campbell. The flagship received no less than eighty-two cannon blows and was repaired in the same war zone. Plumb plates were placed under the water line and the hull covered with leathers and tar. Henceforth it was nicknamed as 'the Black Frigate'. Richard Baxter, an English-born officer, was appointed as the new commander. On 17 March 1814 Brown attacked the island Martín García together with the Julieta and the Zephir. The Hercules engaged in combat with the Spanish warships Esperanza and Carmen.'
A land attack was organized and at that moment William Brown ordered the fife and the drum to play 'Saint Patrick’s Day in the Morning', which acted as a real booster among the troops.
On 20 April 1814 Montevideo was blocked by Argentine forces. There were no other major engagements until 14 May, when a combat started but the sea conditions stopped a full attack.
Brown resolved to attack the formidable Spanish squadron with his ill-equipped flotilla of seven ships. On March 8, 1814, Brown took his ships to sea and within 48 hours was engaged in a furious battle. Land and sea forces saw action at Martín García island
Isla Martín García
Isla Martín García is an Argentine island off the Río de la Plata coast of Uruguay. The enclave island is within the boundaries of Uruguayan waters; in 1973 both countries reached an agreement establishing Martín García as an Argentine territory and also as a nature reserve.The island of has a...
, a fortified island 20 mi (32.2 km) from Buenos Aires, known as "the Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
of the River Plate
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
", which commanded the access to the rivers Paraná
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
and Uruguay
Uruguay River
The Uruguay River is a river in South America. It flows from north to south and makes boundary with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of the Mesopotamia from the other two countries...
. Brown failed to win possession of the island, and his flagship, Hercules, was badly battered and ran aground. Argentine forces attacked vigorously by land and sea on 14 March, and after a stiff contest succeeded in gaining possession of Martín García. The Spanish commander took his ships to Montevideo hotly pursued by Brown, whose naval forces were now increased by the addition of three armed merchant vessels.
The Spanish blockading squadron was now blockaded itself by Brown and his fleet. Montevideo was threatened with starvation. Brown, pretending to retreat, drew the Spanish forces away
Action of 14 May 1814
The Battle of Buceo took place on 14–17 May 1814, during the Argentine War of Independence between an Argentine fleet under William Brown and a Spanish fleet under Admiral Sienna off the coast of Montevideo, in today's Uruguay.-Outcome:...
on May 14 from the protection of the fort guns, and two days afterwards on May 16 an engagement took place in the course of which Brown's leg was shattered by a cannon ball. Undeterred he continued to issue orders and direct operations while stretched on the deck of the Hercules. In a panic the Spanish squadron rushed for shelter to port, but three of their ships were captured. As a direct result of this engagement the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
was freed from Spanish control and Montevideo fell to the Argentines.
The battle continued for Brown well after Argentina claimed victory. He chased and hassled Spanish shipping from his waters much to the consternation of the Argentine investors of his ships.Stranded on an island and exhausted from fever news arrived that he was to be court martialed on his return to Argentina. He returned to England where he fought a legal and political battle ,which he won with the support of his allies. He returned to Argentina and had the Hercules gifted to him William Brown took up farming and enjoyed 14 years of content and happy family life.
War with Brazil
Brown did not long remain inactive. Uruguay had been a bone of contention between SpainSpain
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...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
for three centuries, and now it played the same role in relations between Argentina and 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...
. On December 14, 1825, war broke out between Argentina and Brazil.
The Argentine authorities were without an experienced Admiral ,in fact they were without a fleet with all their energies being deployed into land campaigns along the borders. The coast seemed invisible and Brown had long campaigned for an operational fleet and was ignored and labeled "foreigner" by most of his opposition who had turned from the "blue shirt" of the union ,to the "red shirt" of the federation. Then finally it came ;
The Admiral was once again coaxed from his retirement by the "cap in hand" opposition to save the port of Buenos Aires. Brown accepted his commission and with a team of chaulkers commenced building and equipping a fleet as best he could.
The Brazilians initiated operations by blockading Argentina. In this emergency, Argentina, under Brown's guidance, improvised a new naval squadron of which he took command. Before the battle, William Brown said two of his most memorable quotes: "Comrades: confidence in victory, discipline, and three hails to the motherland!" and, few minutes later, "Open fire, the people are watching us!" As a counter move to the blockade of Argentina, he vigorously attacked the Brazilian coast, shattered Brazilian shipping, and at the hard-fought Battle of Juncal
Battle of Juncal
The naval Battle of Juncal took place between a squadron of the newly independent United Provinces of the River Plate under command of William Brown and a squadron belonging to the Brazilian Empire, commanded by Sena Pereira...
(February 24, 1827), with seven ships and eight 1-gun launches he destroyed the entire opposing Brazilian squadron of seventeen ships and took its commander prisoner. On June 11, 1827, the decisive Battle of Los Pozos took place between the Argentine and Brazilian forces in view of Buenos Aires, Argentina having only eleven ships while Brazil had thirty-one warships. After a violent encounter, the Brazilians were routed and peace of a sort followed, with Brown acting as Argentine commissioner when the
Treaty of Montevideo
1828 Treaty of Montevideo
Treaty of Montevideo : In a treaty signed on August 27, 1828, after British mediation, Brazil and Argentina recognized the independence of Uruguay....
was signed on October 4, 1827.
War with Uruguay
Factional disputes within Uruguay led Argentine leader Juan Manuel de RosasJuan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
to support his friend the deposed Uruguayan president Manuel Oribe
Manuel Oribe
Manuel Ceferino Oribe y Viana was the fourth president of Uruguay.-Biography:Manuel Oribe was the son of Captain Francisco Oribe and María Francisca Viana, a descendant of the first governor of Montevideo, José Joaquín de Viana...
in the civil war between the Blancos
National Party (Uruguay)
The National Party , also known as the White Party , is a major right-wing conservative political party in Uruguay, currently the major opposition party to the ruling Frente Amplio government....
(supporting Oribe) and the Colorados
Colorado Party (Uruguay)
The Colorado Party is a political party in Uruguay.- Aims :It unites Conservative, Moderate and Social democratic groups. It was the dominant party of government almost without exception during the stabilisation of the Uruguayan republic....
. Brown returned to active service and defeated his former officer John Coe
John Coe
John Halstead Coe , sometimes given in Spanish as Comodoro Juan Coe, was an American-born naval commander important in the early history of Uruguay....
in three engagements near Montevideo. On 15 August 1842 he fought a battle on the River Paraná
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
, defeating a Uruguayan riverine fleet of launches commanded by the future hero of the Italian Risorgimento, Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
. After pursuing the Uruguayan up the river Brown forced a landing and his marines brought the Uruguayan s to action. Many men on both sides knew each other from previous engagements and a minority of Browns men, having gained the advantage took personal vengeance on a prisoner, emasculating him. On hearing this Admiral Brown became enraged and tolerating no cowardice among his men severely punished them using the infamous "gauntlet" technique. The men were stripped and walked between two lines of their comrades who beat them with rods ,some did not survive the ordeal. Brown refusing to accept the victory because of the dishonor brought upon the battle by his men, used his influence to have Giuseppe Garibaldi released from prison where he was awaiting trial and certain execution. Admiral Brown used a saying on such occasions when loyalties were in question to the task, "Even if to the devil the word is given ,then it must be kept". Honor in the line of duty was important to William Brown, and his services to his adopted country seen his favor shown to Garibaldi. Giuseppe Garibaldi in recognition of this grace, years later named one of his grandchildren "William" after Brown .
(Admiral William Brown : Liberator of the South Atlantic
Aguinis, Marcos; Tyson, Bill P) The Argentine/Blanco forces occupied most of Uruguay but could not capture Montevideo, which endured a nine-year siege beginning in February 1843. When access to Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
was blocked in 1845 Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
entered the conflict on the Colorado side.
Last years
In 1847, Admiral Brown visited his native Foxford accompanied by his daughter.After the fall of the Rosas regime many naval officers found themselves discharged, but not the Commander of the Navy. Brown remained honoured for his long and loyal service to the nation. Retiring to his villa, Casa Amarilla at Barracas, Brown was visited by Grenfell, his opponent in the Brazilian war, who remarked how ungrateful the Republic was to its good servants; the old Admiral replied: "Mr Grenfell, it does not burden me to have been useful to the mother country of my children; I consider the honours and the wealth superfluous when six feet of earth are enough to rest so many difficulties and pains."
On March 3, 1857 he died and was buried with full military honours. The Argentine government issued a comuniqué stating that "with a life of permanent service to the national wars that our homeland has fought since its independence, William Brown symbolized the naval glory of the Argentine Republic". During his burial, General Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
famously said: "Brown in his lifetime, standing on the quarterdeck of his ship, was worth a fleet to us". His grave is currently located in the Recoleta cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in the exclusive Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, Raúl Alfonsín, and several presidents of Argentina.- History :...
in Buenos Aires.
Legacy
Commemorative stamps showing him have been issued in 1957 by the Irish government, and in 1891, 1935, and 1956 by the Argentine government. See list of people on stamps of Ireland and list of people on stamps of Argentina.Since the mid 1980’s, a replica of Brown’s sword has been worn by Admirals of the Argentine Navy. One such replica is on display in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland
National Maritime Museum of Ireland
The National Maritime Museum of Ireland opened in 1978 in the former Mariners' Church in Haigh Terrace, near the centre of Dún Laoghaire town, southeast of Dublin city.The church was built in 1837 for seafarers and remained open until 1971...
. The original is in the National Historical Museum of Argentia.
Statues and memorials of William Brown's battles are located in both Buenos Aires and Foxford, his birthplace in Ireland. A museum to his honour was open in Foxford, located in Lower Main Street. In April–June 2006 the Irish Naval Service patrol boat LÉ Eithne
LÉ Eithne (P31)
LÉ Eithne is an Eithne class ship in the Irish Naval Service. The ship is named after Eithne, a tragic heroine and the daughter of the one-eyed Fomorian King, Balor in an early Irish romantic tale....
travelled to Buenos Aires in the first-ever deployment of an Irish warship in the southern hemisphere, in order to participate in commemorations of the impending sesquicentenary of Brown's death, and to bring back a statue of Brown to be displayed in Dublin. During the trip, L.É. Eithne made a stop in the city of Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
, where they visited Plazoleta Almirante Brown (Admiral Brown's Square) and pay tribute to the Irish naval hero along with their colleagues of the Argentine Navy.
Mr. Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
, the Irish Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, said on 27 September 2006 on the occasion of unveiling the new statue of Brown on Admiral Brown Way, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin: "Back in 2001, it was my honour to lay a wreath at the Admiral Brown monument in Buenos Aires and to unveil a plaque commemorating my visit there. I brought away with me a clear sense of just what a significant figure William Brown is in Argentine history as well as a real idea of just how strong the links are, past and present, between our two countries".
La Boca
La Boca is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It retains a strong European flavour, with many of its early settlers being from the Italian city of Genoa. In fact the name has a strong assonance with the Genoese neighborhood of Boccadasse , and some people believe that...
neighbourhood, the Brownian National Institute (Instituto Nacional Browniano) was created in 1948 for "research and study the nation's maritime history and naval interests, and cooperate with both the Argentine and Irish governments in the investigation of William Brown's life and military achievements". The centre is based in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
city, with branches throughout the country.
Also, a substantial number of Argentine warships and political entities have been named after him. Examples include:
- The Almirante Brown destroyer classAlmirante Brown class destroyerThe Almirante Brown is a class of destroyers commissioned between 1983 and 1984 for the Argentine Navy. As of 2005, ARA Sarandí is the Argentinian fleet flagship.-Specifications:...
, a group of four German-designed military ships commissioned between 1983 and 1984 for the Argentine navy. - The ARA Almirante Brown, an Italian-built cruiser in service during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, whose design was similar to those of the Trento classTrento class cruiserThe Trento class was an Italian heavy cruiser design of the Regia Marina from the late 1920s. The three ships of the class were named after the three unredeemed cities taken from the Austro-Hungarian empire after the victory in World War I, Trento, Trieste, and Bolzano.The Trentos were the first...
. - The ARA Almirante Brown (D-10)Almirante Brown class destroyerThe Almirante Brown is a class of destroyers commissioned between 1983 and 1984 for the Argentine Navy. As of 2005, ARA Sarandí is the Argentinian fleet flagship.-Specifications:...
, a currently active destroyer. - The Almirante Brown Antarctic BaseAlmirante Brown Antarctic BaseAlmirante Brown Antarctic Base is an Argentine Antarctic base named after Admiral Guillermo Brown, the father of the Argentine Navy. The original station located in Paradise Bay was burned down in 1984...
, an Antarctic base located in Paradise Bay. - The Almirante Brown department in Chaco ProvinceChaco ProvinceChaco is an Argentine province located in the north of the country, near the border with Paraguay. Its capital is Resistencia on the Paraná River opposite the city of Corrientes...
, in the country's northern region. - The Almirante Brown partidoAlmirante Brown PartidoAlmirante Brown is a partido of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, located at the south of the Gran Buenos Aires urban area, at coordinates .It has an area of 129.33 km² and 555,731 inhabitants , and its capital is Adrogué....
in Buenos Aires Province, located at the south of the Gran Buenos Aires urban area. - The Admiral William Brown National College, a high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in AdroguéAdroguéAdrogué is a city in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina, located 23 km south of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of the Almirante Brown Partido ....
, Buenos Aires Province. . - Four different football clubsFootball teamA football team is the collective name given to a group of players selected together in the various team sports known as football.Such teams could be selected to play in an against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-star team or even selected as a...
: Club Atlético Almirante BrownClub Atlético Almirante BrownClub Atlético Almirante Brown is an Argentine sports club from the city of Arrecifes, in Buenos Aires Province...
located in the town of ArrecifesArrecifesArrecifes is a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Arrecifes Partido.-History:* September 20, 1586 the first time which an Spanish conqueror mentioned in his notes: "Pago de los Arrecifes", this is the oldest notice of the early days of Arrecifes. The first...
, Club Almirante BrownClub Almirante BrownClub Almirante Brown is an Argentine football club from Isidro Casanova in the Greater Buenos Aires, currently playing in the Primera B Nacional, the second level of Argentine football league system....
located in Isidro Casanova, Brown Athletic ClubClub Atlético BrownClub Atlético Brown is a football club from Adrogué in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. The team currently plays in the Primera B Metropolitana, which is the regionalised third division of the Argentine Football Association....
from Adrogué, and Puerto MadrynPuerto MadrynPuerto Madryn is a city in the province of Chubut in the Argentine Patagonia. It is the head town of the Viedma Department, and has about 57,571 inhabitants according to the last census in 2001....
-based Guillermo Brown.
Further reading
- Aguinis, MarcosMarcos AguinisMarcos Aguinis is an Argentine psychiatrist, writer and columnist.- Background :Marcos Aguinis was born in Córdoba, Argentina, in 1935 the son of a Romanian Jewish immigrant...
, El combate perpetuo. Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Editorial Sudamericana, 1971. - Brown, Guillermo, Memorias del Almirante Brown. Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Academia Nacional de Historia, 1957. - Hudson, Thomas, Admiral William Brown: the Master of the River Plate. Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, 2004.
External links
- Admiral Brown Society
- Frases célebres del Almirante Guillermo Brown Quotations of Admiral William Brown (in Spanish)
- Quotations of Admiral William Brown (Google translation of above to English)
- Tribute to Admiral William Brown, The Wolfe Tones
- Murray, Edmundo "William Brown (1777-1857): A Bibliography", Society for Irish Latin American Studies.