BARRIOS, Gerardo

President of Salvador, born in that country; executed in August 1865. His administration was noted as liberal and he was a strong supporter of the Union. In 1859 President Barrios reestablished the government in the city of San Salvador. A war with Conservative Guatemala resulted in the fall of Barrios, who was replaced by Duenas. While trying to effect a revolution, in order to become president again, he was captured in Nicaragua, sent to Salvador and shot. He had participated in fourteen major military campaigns and battles. He was an officer under Morazan.

BARRIOS, Justo Rufino

Born in Guatemala, 1835; died in Chalchuapa, 2 April 1885. During the revolutionary movements of 1867, he gathered a band of mountaineers at Los Altos, near Quezalte-nango. Though defeated several times and driven across the frontier into Mexico, he always re-grouped and returned with a new force. In May 1871, General Miguel G. Granados joined him against the government of Vicente Cerna. After the skirmishes of Tacana, Retalhulen, Chiche, Tierra Blanca, Cochin, and San Lucas, in which he showed great courage and military ability, Barrios entered the capital and put an end to the regime established by Carrera in 1840. General Granados was declared President while Barrios was chief of the army. But a revolution against the new government soon broke out, and Barrios defeated the insurgents in the battles of Cerro Gordo and Santa Rosa. On 11 December 1872, began another revolution headed by General J. Medina, president of Honduras, who intended to reinstate the Liberal faction. The governments of Salvador and Guatemala effected a union. Later a new revolution broke out in the east and was quelled by Barrios, who captured the insurgents Melgar, Fuente.

He became President in 1873. Peace was reestablished, which lasted till 1876, when Salvador and Honduras, supported a Liberal revolt in Guatemala against Barrios. In 1876, Barrios led the attack on Salvador, and after the battles of Platanar, Chalchuapa, Apanica, and Pasaquina, the Salvadorians, having resisted for two months without success, capitulated. On 28 February 1885, General Barrios published his proclamation intended to effect the union of all the Central American nations in one republic. One week later troops were sent against Salvador; Barrios himself went to the front, but for several days no hostilities occurred. Salvador and Honduras had agreed to the union months before, while Costa Rica and Nicaragua held back from dread of Barrios. But Zaldivar of Salvador, now revealed himself as the foe of the Union. Barrios did not begin the war until Zaldivar, made bold by promised support from Mexico would give him, ordered his troops to cross the frontier and attack the Guatemalan forces. The Mexicans protested against Guatemala, but did nothing.. The actual fighting began on 30 March the day when the Salvador troops crossed the frontier; but by 2 April Barrios had taken the fortress, and all Zaldivar's troops had fled into the interior. A bullet killed Barrios and his son at the same time. This happened at Chalchuapa between nine and ten in the morning. When the Guatemalan troops saw Barrios fall they were seized with panic and fled.

CARRERA, Rafael

President of Guatemala, born in the City of Guatemala in 1814; died 14 April, 1865. Early in January, 1838, Guatemala City revolted against Morazan. Carrera's men captured it for the Conservatives. Carrera retreated to Nita after losing to General Salazar at Villanueva, 11 September, 1838 and being driven out of Cuatemala City. On13 April 1839, Carrera and the Conservatives again occupied the capital and reinstated Rivera Paz as ruler. Carrera defeated General A Guzman at Los Altos in February, 1840, allowing Guatemala to expand territorial control over the towns of this region with that of Guatemala. He had to recapture Guatemala City from Morazan, who had entered it on 18 March. Carrera was elected President, 21 March, 1847, and at once began a policy that put an end to the federation of the Union of Central American republics. Late in 1847 another revolution broke out at Los Altos, but was quelled by Carrera, who with a large army routed the insurgents at Patzfin, in July, 1848.

On 22 October 1851, he was re-elected president, he was elected once more, this time president for life, 21 October, 1854. In 1861 he intervened in the contest that had arisen between the Conservatives and ruling Liberal factions of Honduras and in the following year opposed a plan for a confederation of the Central American nations. Having declared war on San Salvador in 1863, he took its capital, 26 October, and shot Trungaray. Guatemala enjoyed peace for the rest of his life. He was regarded as the enemy of order, progress, and civilization. His government was absolute.

CARRILL0, Braulio

Dictator of Costa Rica, he was assassinated in 1845. He was a member of the federal congress of Central America and later elected governor of Costa Rica. He became its dictator from 1838 till 1842. While he repressed all revolutionary tendencies, he devoted his energies also to the promotion of the material interests of the state.

GUZMAN, Agustin

Born in Guatemala; died in Guatemala, 12 October, 1849. After the independence of Central America was established. Guzman joined the Federalists, and for his capture of the fortress of Omoa was promoted general in 1829. In February, 1840, he was captured and sent to Guatemala City. On 18 March, General Morazan captured the city and liberated him. but the next day was driven out. Guzman remained in hiding in Guatemala, emigrating afterward to Salvador. In A military leader for the Liberal faction, and he attempted to capture Guatemala City on the night of 12 Oct 1849, and had captured the main square, when a cannonball killed him causing his followers to flee.

MORAZAN, Francisco

Honduras, in 1799; executed in Costa Rica, 15 Sept 1842. When the Guatemala troops began trying to control Federal affairs, invaded Honduras in 1827. Morazan, at the head of the Hondurean troops, losing a close battle to Guatemala at Ojojona. During the battle he was captured but quickly escaped in exile. At this time he was persuaded Nicaragua to take command of a Liberal force from Leon to liberate Honduras and Salvador from the Guatemalan controlled Conservative factions. . He marched to Honduras, defeated the Federal (now Conservative) troops at Trinidad, took possession of Comayagua, and was declared president, and, collecting new forces, marched to Salvador, and on 6 July, 1828, totally defeated a Guatemalan army. The army of the Conservative Federals under Montufar surrendered on 10 September near San Salvador, and the last division capitulated at San Antonio on 9 October Morazan now occupied Ahuachapam with the allied forces of Salvador and Honduras, and invested Guatemala City in February, 1829. He was defeated in Mixco, and retired to Antigua; but, after receiving re-inforcements, besieged Guatemala City again, and occupied the city on 13 April. Also in 1829, he had to defeat insurrections at Olancho and Yore.

In 1838 a revolution began in Guatemala under the leadership of Carrera (q. v.), and Morazan marched against him; but, as he feared trouble in Honduras and Nicaragua also, he left in command Colonel A Guzman, who was forced to make a treaty with Carrera in Rinconcito on 23 December Morazan several times defeated the revolutionary forces in 1839, but meanwhile Carrera and Conservative factions had overthrown the government of Guatemala. Seeing the Federal power crumbling under the repeated revolutions, he resigned and went into exile briefly but soon returned to the scene by invading and conquering Costa Rica in 1842. He was preparing an expedition to invade the other Central American republics for the re-establishment of federal unity, when the Conservatives in the towns of Heredia, Alhajuela, and San Joss revolted, and captured him. He was soon shot.

ZALDIVAR, Rafael

Born about 1830. In 1876 the government of Andres Valle was defeated by the Guatemalan army under General Rufino Barrios, the Salvador junta de notables assembled in accordance with the capitulation of 25 April, and nominated Zaldivar as provisional president, and in May he was elected constitutionally, His administration was enlightened and progressive. When Barrios suddenly issued, on 18 February, 1885, his famous decree proclaiming himself provisional chief of the restored Central American union, Zaldivar seemed to accept the idea enthusiastically, and nearly forced President Bogran, of Honduras, to subscribe to it, but when he saw the opposition in his own country and the formal protest of the governments of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, he opened negotiations with Mexico, and finally con-eluded a secret treaty with Costa Rica and Nicaragua, in the mean time arming apparently to assist Barrios. Finally, when the latter prepared to join the Salvador army, Zaldivar threw aside the mask and on 9 March telegraphed Barrios, declaring against him, and advanced his army of nearly 10,000 men, under General Monterosa, toward the frontier. After the indecisive fight of Chalchualpa on 30 March, Monterosa retreated to San Lorenzo, after Barrios's death the Guatemalan congress proposed an armistice, and on 14 April peace was concluded.

Other key people are:

Aquino (Indians), Ferrera (Honduras) , Race (Guatemala), Fernando and Serapio Cruz (Los Altos), Gonzalez (Salvador), Cabanas (Guatemala), Duenas (Salvador), and Regalado (Salvado)

Crisis in Central America 1800s

Introduction
Chronology of Conflicts
Significant Battles
Organization Notes and Uniforms
Central American Personalities