THE PACIFIC CAMPAIGN. 150TH ANNIVERSARY

Claudio Alvargonzález Sánchez (1816-1896)

Through the nautical teachings of the Asturian Royal Institute founded by Jovellanos, Claudio Alvargonzález, being still a boy, started his union with the sea. In 1835, with his ingress as naval officer in Cádiz, he became another link for the family in the National Armada. His apprenticeship years transcurred during the first Carlist War, because until 1839, he remained embarked in different units of the Cantabric naval division.

From the position of sub-lieutenant to sea captain, he went over and endless number of destinations in the Península and overseas; chief of the naval station of La Habana, and the command of the steamboat Fernando el Católico, in which in 1853, in the dawn of the steam era, he made one of the fastest oceanic voyages of the time between Vigo and La Habana, among others.

He was granted, in 1861, as sea captain, the command of the screw frigate Villa de Madrid, still in dry dock in the arsenal of La Carrara. Commanding this ship he was incorporated, in 1864, to the Pacific fleet in order to participate in the blockade of the Republics of Chile and Peru. It was in the Pacific Campaign when he wrote the most remarkable pages of his professional life, for the honour of the navy and the mother country. The Pacific Campaign not only had a military aspect, being the best tradition of scientific voyages of our Armada, it also offered support to the investigations of the naturalist Marcos Jiménez de la Espada.

The 7^th of February of 1866, whith the White frigate, commanded by Juan Bautista Topete, he confronted the Chilean-Peruvian fleet in the Abtao battle, which made him nicknamed as the "heroe of Abtao"; the same year, the 2^nd of May, under the command of the brigadier Méndez Núñez, he participated in the battle of El Callao. Action that make him being rewarded with the promotion to brigadier and the tittle of Meritorious of the homeland.

The "first sea dog of Spain", as Pérez Galdós grades him in his National Chapters, retired from his active service to Gijón, his hometown, due to the Revolution of 1868, at the age of 52, after 33 years of service of which he was embarked 30, on account of the loyalty for his monarchical convictions, in a promising moment of his career, when his brothers in arms reached the peak of politics and militia.