Admiral Guillermo (William) Brown - Cartagena, Colombia
Posted by: neoc1
N 10° 25.280 W 075° 33.114
18P E 439592 N 1152049
A bust of Argentine naval hero Admiral Admiral Guillermo (William) Brown is located in a plaza near the Naval Museum in Cartagena, Colombia.
Waymark Code: WMW12D
Location: Colombia
Date Posted: 06/25/2017
Views: 1
A life size metal bust of Admiral Guillermo (William) Brown rests on a 6' high square limestone base. Admiral Brown is depicted from the mid-chest in the ceremonial dress uniform of an admiral. He is wearing an jacket with a high collar and decorated with chevrons and epaulets. He has wavy hair and is looking straight ahead.
A plaque on the front of the base is inscribed in Spanish:
ALMIRANTE GUILLERMO BROWN
22 DE JUNIO DE 1777
3 DE MARZO DE 1857
HEROE NAVAL DE LA INDEPENDENCIA DE ARGENTINA
ADMIRAL WILLIAM BROWN
22 OF JUNE OF 1777
3 OF MARCH OF 1857
NAVAL HERO OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF ARGENTINA
Admiral Guillermo (William) Brown was an Irish born Admiral in the Argentine navy. Born in County Mayo, Ireland on June 22, 1777, his family emigrated to Philadelphia, PA around 1786. He became a ship's captain and was then impressed into a British ship and became a prisoner of war of the French during the Napoleonic Wars. After the war he pursued a career as a merchant in Uruguay. During the War with Spain he was commissioned as a lieutenant-colonel at the service of the Argentine navy and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Argentine fleet.
On March 14, 1814, during the war with Spain for Argentina independence, Admiral Brown was successful is breaking a Spanish blockade by capturing the strategic fortress island of Martín García in the Rio de la Plata. Admiral Brown also led the Argentine navy to victories against Brazil at the Battle of Juncal, February 24, 1827) and against Uruguay in the Battle on the River Paraná on August 15, 1842.
He died in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 3, 1857 at 79 years of age and was buried with full military honors.