Jose Maria de la Cruz Prieto

José María de la Cruz Prieto (Concepción, March 25, 1799 - Concepción, November 23, 1875) was a Chilean military and politician.

Early years of life

Son of Luis De la Cruz and Josefa Prieto Espinosa, nephew of President Joaquín Prieto Vial and cousin of President Manuel Bulnes Prieto. He was Minister of War and Navy under José Tomás Ovalle.

José María de la Cruz married Josefa Zañartu, with whom he had an only daughter, Delfina De la Cruz Zañartu who married Aníbal Pinto Garmendia, President of the Republic between 1876 and 1881, son of former Chilean President Francisco Anthony Pinto.

Military career

He enlisted in the Army on October 27, 1811, specifically in the Dragones de la Frontera Battalion: Later he participated actively in the War of Independence, standing out in the Army of the Andes led by San Martín, participating in the battles from Chacabuco (1817), Maipú (1818) and Pangal (1820).

He also participated as 2nd Commander-in-Chief of the Restoring United Army, under the orders of General Manuel Bulnes in the 1838-1839 Campaign, exactly at the Siege of Callao and in the decisive Battle of Yungay.

Political career

On the political level, he was Mayor of Valparaíso and Concepción (1846-1851), becoming a candidate for the presidency of Chile in 1851. That year, José María De la Cruz ran as a presidential candidate, in opposition to the northern Manuel Montt Torres. Who ended up rebelling, being defeated in the battle of Loncomilla. After this he retired to private life and did not participate in politics again, until his death on November 23, 1875.

Mausoleum

The remains of José María de la Cruz are found in the General Cemetery of Concepción, in a mausoleum built in 1879, one of the oldest in that place. Since 1989 his mausoleum is considered a National Monument of Chile, in the category of Historical Monument.

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  Mausoleum of José María de la Cruz Prieto.

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  Detail.

Predecessor: Francisco Bulnes Prieto	Intendent of Concepción 1846-1851	Successor: Benjamin Viel Pedro Félix Vicuña José Antonio Alemparte Vial
Predecessor: Diego Portales	Minister of War and Marine of Chile 1830-1831	Successor: Bartolomé Mujica (War) José Manuel Calderón (Marina)