Enrique Simpson Baeza

Enrique Simpson Baeza (Valparaíso, 1835 – May 17, 1901) was a Chilean soldier, admiral of the Chilean Navy.

He entered the special course for midshipmen at the Military School and on February 21, 1851, he embarked on the frigate Chile as a midshipman without examination. In 1855 he was part of the crew that transferred the corvette Esmeralda from England to Chile, a ship of 854 tons, mixed propulsion, steam engine and sail, sent to be built by the Chilean government in 1854 in English shipyards.

In 1869, as a frigate captain and commander of the corvette Chacabuco, he carried out hydrographic works on the coast of Taltal, Los Vilos and the Choapa River. Between the years 1870 and 1875 he carried out four hydrographic campaigns which included the Guaitecas and Chonos archipelagos, the Aysén river and the Patagonian channels and the Santa Cruz river, drawing plans of the ports and springs.

In 1875, with the rank of captain of the ship, he took command of the armored frigate Cochrane, a ship with which he headed for England in 1877 so that the shipyard could carry out some completions, to On his return to Chile, he became part of the squadron placed under the orders of Rear Admiral Juan Williams Rebolledo. On July 11, 1879, he supported the gunboat Magallanes in its confrontation with Huáscar in the blockade of Iquique. In September 1879 he left the command of the Cochrane to join the Army General Staff. He retired from the naval service on October 10, 1898.

Early Years

He was born in 1835 in the city of Valparaíso, Chile. His parents were Vice Admiral Robert Winthrop Simpson, a distinguished English sailor in the service of Chile, and Mercedes Baeza.

He entered the Military School in Santiago for the special course for midshipmen and on February 21, 1851 He was incorporated into the Navy as a midshipman without examination, embarking on the frigate Chile, a 46-gun ship, which remained as a pontoon in Valparaíso.

Revolutions of 1851 and 1859 - War against Spain 1865

During the actions related to the 1851 revolution, he was responsible for covering the naval battery installed in La Serena by government forces.

On December 22, 1853, he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. In 1855 he was sent to England to be part of the first crew that brought to Chile the corvette Esmeralda , a ship ordered to be built by the Chilean government in 1854 and which arrived in Valparaíso on November 7, 1856.

In the revolution of 1859, aboard the corvette Esmeralda, as 1st lieutenant, he was sent in charge of two boats with 8 soldiers each that dispersed the mutineers in the port of Huasco.

In 1865, as soon as war was declared on Spain, Simpson was transferred to the Huito Apostadero, in Chiloé.

Hydrographic works

In 1869 he was promoted to the rank of frigate captain and took command of the corvette Chacabuco. He recognized the coastline of Taltal and then the one between Los Vilos and the Choapa River, Las Tablas, Chigualoco and neighboring coasts.

In 1870 and 1871 he explored the Guaitecas and Chonos archipelagos, he entered the Aysén river making his first plans. He recognized the Taitao peninsula, the Huemules (Simpson) river and the Pulluche, Moraleda, Ninualac and Darwin channels, he drew up plans of the most important ports and wells. The hydrographic works continued until 1874, leaving maps of the entire insular region of Chiloé, Guaitecas and Chonos, the Maullín river and the maritime zone of the province of Llanquihue.

In 1874 and 1875 he explored the western channels of Chilean Patagonia, Patagonian channels, and the Santa Cruz River; he drew up plans of the ports of the Concepción channel.

In 1875, after fruitful work as a hydrographer, he was promoted to captain and took command of the armored frigate Cochrane that had arrived in Valparaíso on December 26, 1874. In January In 1877 he took the Cochrane to England to complete her pending enlistment at the Hull shipyards. Upon his return in 1878, he joined the squadron under the orders of Rear Admiral Juan Williams Rebolledo.

Pacific War

At the beginning of the War of the Pacific, as commander of the armored Cochrane, on April 5, 1879, he participated in the blockade of the port of Iquique. On April 15, together with the gunboat Magallanes, it was sent to blockade the port of Mollendo, which it landed on April 17, proceeding to bombard it and then sank the merchant ship Plata with its ram. i> and steamed Monroe for trying to break it.

Then he was sent to the port of Mejillones in Peru together with the Chacabuco to destroy boats. After the battles in Iquique and Punta Gruesa, he was sent to Iquique together with Magallanes , Abtao and Matías Cousiño to blockade the port..

On July 11, 1879, he supported the gunboat Magallanes in its confrontation with Huáscar in the blockade of Iquique and then continued to Antofagasta. In August she went to Valparaíso to repair and maintain her ship. On September 6, 1879, he handed over command of the armored vehicle to frigate captain Juan José Latorre and joined the Army General Staff, where he remained until the end of the war. He participated in the landing of Pisagua, in December 1879.

Last years

In 1871 he published a hydrographic study entitled La Patagonia y otros lugares del sur.

In 1885 he was appointed member of the Surveillance Board that controlled the construction works of a new Naval School on the Artillería hill in Playa Ancha, Valparaíso.

In January 1895, he was promoted to rear admiral, being general inspector of artillery. He retired on October 10, 1898 and died in Valparaíso on May 17, 1901.

Legacy

The main legacy of Rear Admiral Mr. Enrique Simpson was the hydrographic works carried out for more than 7 years in the northern region and especially in the southern region of Chile. These works were reflected in the useful cartography that has been used by the many navigators who have traveled these places.

Simpson is considered the discoverer of the Aisén region, due to the 3 expeditions he made to that region between 1870 and 1871, in which he managed to unite the Pacific Ocean with the Patagonian plains of the area.

In his honor the fourth fire company of the city of Coyhaique, founded on November 6, 1989, bears the patronymic name "Bomba Almirante Enrique Simpson Baeza"