IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH february 2017 | Page 125

Cipriano Campana. The Second Corporal Antonio Ruiz, more remembered as Falucho or Black Falucho, could be included, although it is discussed if he is rather a Mitre’ s historiographical invention. Among the Afro-women, the fierce Josefa Tenorio is well known. Batallón entered Buenos Aires through the infamous Atlantic Treaty. He had an outstanding participation against the English invasions, during the 1812- siege of Montevideo, and marched to Chile in 1813 under the command of Colonel Juan Gregorio de Las Heras. Later, he was in the Eleventh Infantry Corps, as part of the Liberating Army that crossed the Andes Mountains through the Uspallata pass. He heroically did battle at Potrerillos pass and Guardia Vieja in January and February 1817, respectively. He also did it in Chacabuco on February 12, 1817, and almost a year later in Cancha Rayada. Here he aided the patriot forces during its retreat. At the beginning of April, he did his bit in the battle of Maipú, which decided the liberation of Chile. The great feats of Las Heras brought their cause from the fury of fighters like the black Batallón. In one of his many battles, he was heard to shout: " Long Live the Motherland!"( De Estrada, 1979, 74). Like Barcala, Batallón also took part in the civil wars and in the war against Brazil. Surprisingly, he was discharged from the army at age 90. Ibáñez was the son of an African nobleman and was sold as slave in Buenos Aires at age 16. He was manumitted because of his military performance. He accompanied San Martin to Mendoza in 1816 and crossed the Andes Mountains. He fought in Chacabuco, Cancha Rayada and Maipú. He ascended to the rank of captain and obtained five medals of honor. General Miller took Ibañez with him in 1818; Ibañez spent about seven years under his command. Ibañez’ s dream was to set up a grocery store in Buenos Aires and he did so after retiring from the military service( De Estrada: 1979, 79-80). José Campana, dubbed " The Black Bell ", was a freed slave of the Campana family. As fervent enthusiast of San Martin, he accompanied the general in the Andean crossing and fought under San Martín ´ s orders in Chacabuco, Cancha Rayada and Maipú. Due to the courage demonstrated in combat, he was promoted to Second Sergeant of the Grenadiers on Horseback. It is said that he lived more than 100 years and fought in so many battles that he could not remember all of them. After San Martin ´ s death, it became a customary ritual for Campana to pay honor to the general( De Estrada: 1979, 154-155). Women can ´ t be missed in this story. Being a slave, Josefa Tenorio marched with the Andean Army. In Peru, she was designated standard bearer by General Las Heras, because of her mastery as rider and her significant performance during the siege of El Callao’ s castles. For her merits in combat, she requested her freedom to San Martín in November 1820. He granted it. In her request, Tenorio asserted: " My sex has neither been nor will be an impediment for being useful to my country, and if courage is a valuable recommendation in a man, in a woman it is extraordinary to teach how to have it "( De Estrada 1979, 123). If Mitre ´ s version in Falucho y el sorteo de Matucana( 1857) is fact instead of fiction, as some critics affirm, Falucho joined the Battalion 8 of the Andean Army after serving under Manuel Belgrano’ s command in the Northern Army. He fought in Chacabuco and Maipú under San Martin ´ s command. The historian José Zapiola wrote that Battalions 7 and 8 were formed mainly by " African blacks and creoles." In Peru, both forces integrated the Regiment Rio de la Plata( De Estrada: 1979, 90). After three years in Peru, the army that
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