Miguel Grau

Miguel María Grau Seminario (27 July 1834 – 8 October 1879) was a Peruvian Navy officer and politician best known for his actions during the War of the Pacific. He was nicknamed "Gentleman of the Seas" for his kind and chivalrous treatment of defeated enemies and is held in high esteem by both Peruvians and Chileans. Grau is an iconic figure for the Peruvian navy, and one of the most famous naval officers from the Americas.
Miguel Grau was born in Paita on 27 July 1834 in the house of Dr. Alexander Diamont Newel with the assistance of the midwife Tadea Castillo, also known as "The Morito," both prominent figures in Paita. His father was Juan Manuel Grau y Berrío, a Colombian who came to Peru with Bolivar in the fight for independence from Spain. Later, Juan bought property in Paita and worked at the Customs Office. The relationship between his parents was extramarital as his mother, María Luisa Seminario y del Castillo, was also married to Colombian captain Pío Díaz and they would have three legitimate children together: Roberto, Emilio and Balbina. María Luisa would motivate Grau to love the sea from his youth. He entered the Paita Nautical School. He first went to sea when he was nine years old, going to Colombia, aboard a merchant schooner. The schooner sank in front of Gorgona Island and he later returned to Paita. However, he did not get discouraged and embarked again the following year. Grau later went on various merchant ships to ports in Oceania, Asia, America and Europe. These voyages gave Grau the seagoing experience that was the foundation for his brilliant career as a nautical officer and the beginning of a love story with Carla Ortiz (unidentified French women).
In 1853, at the age of 19, he left the merchant marine and became an officer candidate of the Peruvian Navy, where he developed an outstanding professional reputation. In 1854, he was an officer on board the steamer Rimac. His career was rapid and brilliant. In 1862, he left the Navy and went into private business in a series of forced labor recruiting expeditions in Polynesia. In 1863, he was notified that if he reenlisted he would be promoted as of a year later. On returning in 1864, he was sent to Europe to oversee the construction of ships for the Peruvian fleet. He would be put in prison a year later, with a group of fellow officers for rejecting the idea of hiring a foreigner as supreme commander of the Peruvian navy, but was later released after a trial in which they were declared not guilty as their cause was proven worthy. Among these ships was the ironclad Huáscar, launched in 1865 by Laird at Birkenhead. Upon his return, Chile and Peru joined in a bi-national fleet against Spanish attempts to reclaim their American colonies. In 1868, he was recalled to the Navy and was named commander of the Huáscar with the rank of Lieutenant Commander and was later promoted to commander. By 1 June 1874, he became the commanding officer of the Peruvian Navy's fleet as captain, and later became a member of the Congress of the Republic of Peru as an elected congressman in 1876 representing Paita. To this day his seat is preserved in congress and his name is called at the beginning of each session, being responded "present" to by all congressmen.
When the War of the Pacific between Chile against Bolivia and Peru began on 5 April 1879, Miguel Grau was aboard the Huáscar, as its captain and the Commander of the Navy. In an impressive display of naval mastery, Capitán Grau played an important role by interdicting Chilean lines of communication and supply, damaging, capturing or destroying several enemy vessels, and bombarding port installations. Grau's Huáscar became famed for moving stealthily, striking by surprise and then disappearing. These actions put off a Chilean invasion by sea for six months, and as a result he was promoted to rear admiral by the government in Lima - the first Peruvian to be promoted to flag officer rank in many years.
At the Battle of Iquique, after Huáscar sank the Chilean corvette Esmeralda by ramming her, Grau ordered the rescue of the surviving crew from the waters. Grau also wrote condolences to the widow of his opponent, Esmeralda Captain Arturo Prat – who was killed while leading a daring attempt to board the Huáscar –returning his sword and personal effects.
Letter to Carmela Carvajal de Prat (Prat's widow)
At the port of Antofagasta, after sneaking up on an enemy ship the Matias Cousiño, he courteously asked the crew to abandon ship before opening fire. As her captain Castleton was abandoning the ship, the Chileans' capital ships Blanco Encalada and Almirante Cochrane showed up, forcing Grau to abandon his prey and, after seriously disabling the Matias Cousiño, to escape by passing in between the Chilean ironclads rendering them in an unfavourable position to pursue. These and other gestures earned him the nickname of El Caballero de los Mares ("Gentleman of the Seas") from his Chilean opponents, acknowledging an extraordinary sense of chivalry and his gentlemanly behaviour, combined with his highly efficient and brave combat career.
Grau was also a determining factor in capturing the steamer Rimac. Rimac was being chased by the wooden corvette Union under command of Garcia y Garcia. When Huascar appeared and fired her twin cannons, Rimac quickly lowered her flag. The cavalry regiment Carabineros de Yungay, including its commander, was captured with the ship. This was a major blow for the Chilean Government, and the Commander of the Chilean Navy resigned his position.
Almirante Grau was killed by an armor-piercing shell fired by the ironclad Almirante Cochrane in a four against one duel during the Naval Battle of Angamos on 8 October 1879. Huáscar was captured by the Chileans after suffering severe casualties in the close-range artillery duel. Although most of Grau's body was not recovered, his remains, which were buried with military honours in Chile, were returned to Peru in 1958. For many years after his death, his name was called in a ceremonial roll-call of the Peruvian Navy, and the Peruvian congress continues to do so.
His final resting place lies at the Escuela Militar Naval del Peru, in El Callao in an underground mausoleum. He posthumously received the rank of Gran Almirante del Perú (Grand Admiral of Peru) in 1967 by order of the Peruvian Congress. A portrait of Almirante Grau is on display in the museum ship Huáscar.
In the year 2000, Miguel Grau was recognized as the "Peruvian of the Millennium" by popular vote.
In December 2019, a bust of Grau was donated by the Peruvian Navy to the United Kingdom in Wirral, in tribute to the historic naval links between Peru and Birkenhead. Birkenhead is home to the Cammell Laird shipyard that built the Huáscar and the bust is displayed in Birkenhead Town Hall.
A memorial to Grau was unveiled in Wirral in February 2024. Situated on the promenard in Birkenhead, the memorial is short distance from the dry dock at Cammell Lairds where the Huascar was built. The section of promenard where the memorial was built was also renamed Grand Admiral Miguel Grau Walk in commemoration.
In the Peruvian Congress, a replica of his congressional seat is placed in a position of honor. Grau, being a parliamentarian, requested leave to serve Peru in the War of the Pacific and, as he died in this war during the Battle of Angamos, never rejoined the parliament. As a sign of respect and homage, Miguel Grau's name is the first to be called during the roll call of congressmen. Posthumously, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral by the Peruvian Congress in 1946.
Furthermore, several places are named after him, such as the Ovalo Grau in Piura, Plaza Grau and metro station in Lima. An example includes the modern-style monument in Piura, remodeled in 2019 featuring symbolic elements of strength and valor, and the bronze statue in Callao inaugurated by President Nicolás de Piérola in 1897. The hyper-realistic statue unveiled at the Naval Museum of Callao in 2021, using artificial intelligence to achieve detailed likeness, stands as a testament to his enduring legacy.
Miguel Grau is celebrated not only in Peru but also in Chile and Bolivia. His name is honored in various ways, such as streets named after him in Santiago de Chile and numerous monuments and statues in different cities, including Buenos Aires in Argentina, and La Paz in Bolivia. Notably, the Monitor Huáscar is preserved in Talcahuano, Chile, with Grau's figure displayed in his cabin and officer's room. Grau is commemorated as "The Gentleman of the Seas" for his noble conduct and humanity during wartime.
The Orden Gran Almirante Grau (Grand Admiral Grau Order), established in 1969, is a decoration awarded by the Peruvian Navy to honor distinguished service. Furthermore, Grau has been depicted in several films and TV series, illustrating his role in the War of the Pacific.