Jose Bernardo de Tagle and Portocarrero , was born in Lima on March 21, 1779. Son of José Manuel de Tagle e Isasaga, third Marquis of Torre Tagle, knight of the order of Carlos III, and Josefa de las Mercedes Portocarrero y Zamudio. His early studies were conducted by private teachers. In 1801 his father died, becoming the fourth Marquis of Torre Tagle, and at the same time inheriting the position of commissioner of war and navy of Callao.
| Data on José Bernardo de Tagle | |
|---|---|
| Birth | March 21, 1779 in Lima, Peru |
| Death | September 26, 1825 in Callao, Peru |
| Full name | José Bernardo de Tagle y Portocarrero |
| Known By | President of the Republic of Peru |
After having made his first arms in the so-called Dragoons regiment, he went on to the Distinguished Volunteers of the Spanish Concord of Peru, where he reached the rank of colonel in 1812. The previous year he had been elected mayor of Lima and given his evident closeness to conspicuous liberals, Viceroy Abascal decided to promote him as a deputy to the Cortes, with the purpose of removing him from the country. Consequently, Torre Tagle undertook a trip to the peninsula (1813), stopping in Panama and Havana. Once in Cádiz he was honored with the knight's habit of the order of Santiago (1815), promoted to brigadier of infantry (May 2, 1815) and favored by Louis XVIII, King of France with the Fleur de Lis (April 7 of 1816).
José Torre Tagle's support for independence
Appointed intendant of La Paz, he returned to Lima in 1819, where he had to confront Viceroy Pezuela, who did not authorize his assumption of that position; Instead, he was appointed his aide-de-camp and entrusted to him the provisional stewardship of Trujillo. Apparently as Torre Tagle assumed his functions on August 25, 1820, but secretly contacted San Martín, surprisingly proclaiming independence at the headquarters of his quartermaster (December 29, 1820) . He supported the patriotic forces on all fronts and quelled some royalist reactions. In August 1821 he was appointed inspector general of the civic guards and then commander of the Peruvian Legion. Appointed Councilor of State, he was incorporated into the Order of the Sun with the title of founder and promoted to field marshal. He was authorized to exchange his noble title for that of Marquis of Trujillo (January 15, 1822), in memory of his contribution to the cause of independence with his pronouncement in that city. Next, when San Martín traveled to meet with Bolívar, he was in charge of the Executive power as supreme delegate and faced pressure from Jacobinism that managed to deport Minister Bernardo Monteagudo.
Appointment of José de Torre Tagle as President of the Republic
In September 1822 he was again in charge of the command, when the governing board ceased its functions, until February 28, 1823, when Congress appointed José de la Riva Agüero as President of the Republic. Five months later he returned to temporarily exercise the supreme command by order of Sucre. In his capacity as chief of the liberating united army and with the ratification of Congress, he definitively assumed the presidency of the Republic on November 18 of that year. He remained in office until February 10, 1824, when Congress decided to grant absolute powers to Bolívar. .
Death of José de Torre Tagle
When the royalist general Juan Antonio Monet took possession of the capital, Torre Tagle appeared before him as a prisoner, declaring in writing that:“If the Spanish authorities, as I hope, are willing to recognize the independence of Peru, I will second the ideas on that basis... But if this proposal does not suit your calculations, my position requires that you be reputed as a prisoner of war..." . To his surprise, not only was his rank recognized in the royalist army, but he was offered civil command of the city. Torre Tagle did not accept and sought refuge in the castle of Real Felipe, with the purpose of embarking for Chile. However, a victim of scurvy, he died in the besieged square on September 26, 1825, along with his entire family .