Puerto Rican Volunteers Corps
Encyclopedia
The Puerto Rican Volunteers Corps (Instituto de Voluntarios de Puerto Rico in Spanish) was a militia
composed of private citizens, principally instituted for the defense of Puerto Rico
's periphery from pirate incursions and foreign invasion. In principle, the volunteers were characterized by their unwavering loyalty to the Spanish
Crown and Empire, and as such were subject to compulsory membership in the Partido Incondicionalmente Español (The Spanish Unconditional Party). However, upon its creation in 1812 the Partido Incondicional was exclusive to all but peninsular-born Spaniards (peninsulares), and it was only towards the second half of the century that its rolls were opened to insular-born subjects of European descent (criollos
).
The Volunteer Corps did not fight as a group during the Spanish-American War
of 1898, nor did the majority of its approx. 8,000 members assist the regular Spanish Army in its pro forma defense of the island. The Corps's conduct during the war was not due to rank rebellion but rather to recalcitrance: a low esprit de corps followed the Governor General of Puerto Rico's order to have all Volunteers integrated into the Regular Army
without regard to any official rank or distinction they might have held in the Corps. Volunteers, by then consisting largely of the island's mercantile and hacendado elite (e.g. Manuel Egozcue Cintrón
, Rafael Janer y Soler, Francisco J. Marxuach, Pompeyo O. Marxuach
, Narciso Vall-Llovera Feliú), recoiled at the perceived "injustice" and "indignity" of having to fight alongside men recruited from the lowest rungs of Spanish colonial
society. Other–though perhaps less quantifiable–factors contributing to Volunteer inaction were the signal winds of change sweeping over the remnants of Spain
's once vast imperial possessions; the Cortes
's belated attempts at establishing an autonomist insular government in 1897; Spain's bloody and ineffectual efforts at ending the Ten Years' War
; and the U.S.'s undisguised expansionist aims, combined with the contagion of assimilationist
and insurrectionist groups operating from within the island and outwards from the U.S.
Additionally, by the time of the US invasion of the island on July 25, 1898, the Voluntarios and indeed most everyone else in Puerto Rico, was well aware that Spain's land and naval forces had surrendered in Cuba and that Admiral Montijo's fleet in the Philippines had been virtually destroyed. Moreover it was quite evident that Spain's regular army was not putting up much of a fight for Puerto Rico. Accordingly, the Voluntarios (with few exceptions) were not willing to risk injury or death in a war that was in effect, lost. Interestingly enough, New York's Seventh Volunteer Infantry Regiment also refused to enter the fray. Reportedly, they did not want to serve under regular army officers, particularly those who had graduated from West Point.
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
composed of private citizens, principally instituted for the defense 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...
's periphery from pirate incursions and foreign invasion. In principle, the volunteers were characterized by their unwavering loyalty to the Spanish
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...
Crown and Empire, and as such were subject to compulsory membership in the Partido Incondicionalmente Español (The Spanish Unconditional Party). However, upon its creation in 1812 the Partido Incondicional was exclusive to all but peninsular-born Spaniards (peninsulares), and it was only towards the second half of the century that its rolls were opened to insular-born subjects of European descent (criollos
Criollo people
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
).
The Volunteer Corps did not fight as a group during 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...
of 1898, nor did the majority of its approx. 8,000 members assist the regular Spanish Army in its pro forma defense of the island. The Corps's conduct during the war was not due to rank rebellion but rather to recalcitrance: a low esprit de corps followed the Governor General of Puerto Rico's order to have all Volunteers integrated into the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
without regard to any official rank or distinction they might have held in the Corps. Volunteers, by then consisting largely of the island's mercantile and hacendado elite (e.g. Manuel Egozcue Cintrón
Manuel Egozcue Cintrón
Manuel Egozcue y Cintrón was born in Bilbao, Spain in 1855. After completing university he immigrated to Puerto Rico, then an overseas province of Spain, to pursue commercial projects; quickly becoming prominent in island business circles....
, Rafael Janer y Soler, Francisco J. Marxuach, Pompeyo O. Marxuach
Marxuach
Marxuach is a Catalan surname shared by the following people:*Javier Grillo-Marxuach*Francisco J. Marxuach*Acisclo Marxuach y Plumey*Jaume Marxuach i Flaquer*José María Marxuach Echavarría*Rafael Marxuach y Abrams*Teófilo Marxuach y Plumey...
, Narciso Vall-Llovera Feliú), recoiled at the perceived "injustice" and "indignity" of having to fight alongside men recruited from the lowest rungs of Spanish colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
society. Other–though perhaps less quantifiable–factors contributing to Volunteer inaction were the signal winds of change sweeping over the remnants 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...
's once vast imperial possessions; the Cortes
Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate . The Cortes has power to enact any law and to amend the constitution...
's belated attempts at establishing an autonomist insular government in 1897; Spain's bloody and ineffectual efforts at ending the Ten Years' War
Ten Years' War
The Ten Years' War , also known as the Great War and the War of '68, began on October 10, 1868 when sugar mill owner Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and his followers proclaimed Cuba's independence from Spain...
; and the U.S.'s undisguised expansionist aims, combined with the contagion of assimilationist
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
and insurrectionist groups operating from within the island and outwards from the U.S.
Additionally, by the time of the US invasion of the island on July 25, 1898, the Voluntarios and indeed most everyone else in Puerto Rico, was well aware that Spain's land and naval forces had surrendered in Cuba and that Admiral Montijo's fleet in the Philippines had been virtually destroyed. Moreover it was quite evident that Spain's regular army was not putting up much of a fight for Puerto Rico. Accordingly, the Voluntarios (with few exceptions) were not willing to risk injury or death in a war that was in effect, lost. Interestingly enough, New York's Seventh Volunteer Infantry Regiment also refused to enter the fray. Reportedly, they did not want to serve under regular army officers, particularly those who had graduated from West Point.
Sources
- The Puerto Rican Volunteers Corp http://www.spanamwar.com/VoluntariosPuertoRico.html
- Officers of The Institute of Volunteers Corps of Puerto Rico http://www.rootsweb.com/~prhgs/voluntarios.htm
- El Instituto de Voluntarios (in Spanish) http://home.coqui.net/sarrasin/voluntarios.htm
- Trask, David. The War with Spain in 1898. Pg. 155
- Crónica de la Guerra Hispano-americana en Puerto Rico http://books.google.com/books?id=DyMuNBGs_tIC&q=marxuach+espana&dq=marxuach+espana&pgis=1
- La escolta del general Macias http://usuarios.lycos.es/guayasen/cap35.pdf