Jose and Francisco Diaz
| José Díaz | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Pepe" |
| Born | 1776 Toa Alta, Puerto Rico |
| Died | April 30, 1797 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Allegiance | Puerto Rican Militia |
| Rank | Sergeant Major |
| Unit | Toa Alta Militia |
| Battles/wars | Defense of San Juan (1797) |
| Francisco Díaz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1777 Toa Alta, Puerto Rico |
| Allegiance | Puerto Rican Militia |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Toa Alta Militia |
| Battles/wars | Defense of San Juan (1797) |
José "Pepe" Díaz (1776 - April 30, 1797) and Francisco Díaz (1777 - ?) were two cousins who served as Sergeants in the Toa Alta Militia. Both cousins helped defeat Sir Ralph Abercromby and defend Puerto Rico from a British invasion in 1797.
The Díaz cousins were born and raised in the town of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico when the island was a Spanish colony. They were both Sergeants in the Toa Alta Militia, and with their unit were sent to defend San Juan upon the attempted invasion of the island by British forces under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby.
On February 17, 1797, the appointed governor of Puerto Rico, Brigadier Ramón de Castro, received the news that Great Britain had invaded the island of Trinidad. Believing that Puerto Rico would be the next British objective, he decided to put the local militia on alert and to prepare the island's forts against any military action.
On April 17, 1797, British ships under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby were unable to penetrate the defenses of "El Morro" and opted to make their attack from the coastal town of Loíza, to the east of San Juan. On April 18, British soldiers and German mercenaries ("Hessians") landed on Loíza's beach. Under the command of de Castro, British ships were attacked with artillery and mortar fire from both El Morro and the San Gerónimo fortresses.
On April 20, the British tried to establish a battery on the Cerro del Condado overlooking the Spanish positions to the East. Sargento Mayor (Sergeant Major) José Díaz set out with 50 men to contain an enemy attack which was being attempted at the rear.
On April 24, Sergeant Francisco Díaz was chosen to lead a raid against the enemy. He had 70 volunteers, 20 from the Disciplined Militias and 50 from men being sent to prison. At daybreak they set out in pirogues (a small, flat-bottomed boat), supported by two gunboats, passing down the San Antonio Channel and landed close to the enemy trenches and batteries. The Spanish artillery batteries had previously laid down a heavy covering barrage, and as soon as they saw that Francisco Díaz and his troops had landed, they were ordered to maintain and fire only gunpowder from the cannons without firing the cannonballs. This was done to distract the British. The batteries were also prepared to provide cover in case a retreat was necessary.
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Wikipedia