Manuel Mora (soldier)
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Manuel Mora was a Dominican activist and soldier. A former slave from Santo Domingo, he participated in the Dominican War of Independence; He joined the Dominican Army as a colonel, later distinguishing himself in the Battle of Azua, on March 19, 1844 against Haitian forces under Charles Rivière-Hérard.
He was born in the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola. Not much is known about his early life other than that he was a former slave who was freed under the emancipation proclamation by Jean-Pierre Boyer, a Haitian general who superheaded a military regime throughout the island.[1]
Dominican War of Independence
In 1844, the First Dominican Republic was established. Mora, having enlisted in the Dominican Army, took park in rebelling the invading Haitian army in the Battle of Azua.[2]
However, in the Second Campaign of 1845, as a General, he participated in an untimely and unpatriotic act of insubordination carried out by troops recruited in San Cristóbal, at a time when the Haitian forces under Jean-Louis Pierrot invaded the Dominican Republic. Because of this, he was arrested by General José Joaquín Puello and sentenced to life imprisonment.[3] He was sent to Puerto Plata to serve his sentence in the San Felipe Fortress.[4]
After ten years of confinement, he was transferred to the Santo Domingo. His exhaustion was such that he was already affected by mental derangement. resolved the Government to confine him to Moca. This action never came into fruition was not fulfilled, and Buenaventura Báez, shortly after taking power, in 1856, ordered, through a decree, the definitive freedom of Mora. After his release, he returned to his military duties.[4]
Revolution in the Cibao
The year 1857, after the Revolution of July 7, he was running an errand in Higüey fulfilling a promise. When the plaza was attacked by Pedro Santana's supporters from El Seibo, he ran to the side of General Marcano, and bravely defended the since he was trusted. His line of defense was the one that did the most damage to the enemy. Afterwards, he moved then to Santo Domingo, and took part in almost all the actions of the long siege of the plaza. Due to his participation, giving his support of Báez, he took the path of exile when the revolution ended in 1858.
