The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1851-10-08
Biographical Sketch of
LOPEZ,

Nalciso LoPcA, WIN was puoliCly eAc-
cuted at the city of Havana, on the NOR
ming of the first of September, was born
in Venezuela, in the year 1898, or 1899,
and was, accordingly, about tifty-two
years of age. His father was wealthy
landed proprietor, owning large estates
on the Uanos or plains, swarming with
cattle, horses, Sc. His mother, who is
still living, is said to be woman Of rare
moral dig ignity, combined with mental
strength. Her children imbued with that
noblest inheritance Of nature, are stamped
from the onset as born to command. Mar
ciso was the only son that lived beyond
childood, though of daughters his parents
had some fourteen or fifteen; and accord
ing to the habitual life of the Uanos he
passed almost from the cradle to the sad
die, or further, we may perhaps say, to
the back of the wild horse without any
saddle--a training well calculated to lay
the foundation of that character and hab-
it of fearless hardihood, energy and reso-
luton which has been illustrated by his
subsequent military career.
| Though so successful as a soldier, and
though that success was achieved only bv
the display of extraordinary capacity as
we'll as courage, it is singular that Lopez
was never fond of military profession
and life. He did not enter it from choice,
but simply as resource of desperation,
under circumstances forced upon him, al
the age of fifteen, by the civil war then
desolating all the Spanish South Ameri-
can provinces. His father had been strip
ped of nearly all his property or had seen
it rendered wholly unproductivc through
the operation of that cause; and, with
such means as he was able to realize, he
entered into commercial life at Caracas,
assisted by his son, who, boy as he was,
was able to bear the burden of a large
share Of its responsibilities. AT the town
Of Valencia, in the interior, he had the
charge of branch of his fathers main es-
tablishment at Caracas, at the period Of
the sanguinary, and for the time, decisive
battle of La Puerta, in 1914, in which
Bolivar, at the head of the insurgent
troops, was defeated by the Spanish army
under Gen. Boves. Bolivar, though rout-
ed, sent orders to the garrison Of Valencia
to maintain the place, which was done
with heroism to the last moment, SO long
as resistance was possible-the inhabit
ants, who knew that massacre and plum
der would Immediately ensue on the en-.
trance of the victorious army, uniting il
the defence with the few soldiers of tht
garrison. The town being an open one
this consisted simply in defending the ap
proaches to the plaza or square, i'll which
were hastily collected all the property ane
effects which it was considered most i'm
portant to protect. The house of Lopez.
father happened to be situated at one cor.
ner of the square, and the boy took an ac
tive part in the defence at that point, ant
before long found himself recognized by
those collected at that point, soldiers ant
citizens, without suspecting it himself, a.
their leader de fdcto. His father, how
ever, who was in Valencia at the time, bu
man Of different mould from the boy
who then made his maiden trial in arms
took no part in it. The resistance wa
prolonged three weeks, but no relief cam,
from Bolivar, who, meanwhile, abandoned
indeed, all that part of the country whicl
he had thus compromised, and made hi
way along the coast towards Barcelona
The inhabitants of Valencia felt bitterl,
resentful at this treatment by the patrio
leader, who had sacrificed them for tn
escape Of the routed fragments Of his owl
, force, by directing them to make resis
, tance, duly justifable on the idea of hi
5 coming 10 their relief; while it could no
fail to provoke even a redoubied degre
Of the usual ferocity with which, in tina
terrible civil struggle, the conquerin
/, party was in the habit Of treating an
town falling into their possession. Mas
d sacre of the men was a general rule
, > rule often enough made to include pro
: portion of women and children. Afte
the surrender of the place Lopez wa
=, separated from his father, being turne
! of as child, while his father was hurde
: with the men, supposed, in spite Of th
capitulation, to be reserved for the mass;
% ere that night. The boy himself, indee'