Federico de Brandsen Carlos Luis Federico de Brandsen ( Paris , November 28 , 1785 – Battle of Ituzaingó , February 20 , 1827 ) was a Coronel of French origin who fought in many of the South American wars of independence and for Argentina in the War with Brazil . Napoleonic Wars . In 1811 Brandsen joined the Army of the Italian Kingdom who fought alongside Napoleon In the Germany campaign he was injured in three separate battles and gained the rank of captain . After the abdication of Napoleon in 1813 and the dissolution of the Italian Kingdom in 1814 , Brandsen returned to France where he fought in the Hundred Days , receiving another injury . Liberation of Chile and Peru . In 1817 the Napoleonic Wars ended . Brandsen met at that time Bernardino Rivadavia ( who would later become the President of Argentina in 1826 ) who convinced him to join the fight to liberate the Americas from the Spanish Empire . He then embarked for Buenos Aires and on December 19 , 1817 , the United Provinces of South America gave him the rank of Captain of the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers . Brandsen fought in the Chilean War of Independence under the command of General San Martín . He also fought in the Bío - Bío campaign and the " Expedición Libertadora del Perú " . In the battle of Nazca he distinguished himself alongside Major Juan Lavalle . On November 8 , 1820 in Chancay he fought valiantly with a group of 36 men against a force of around 200 ; after this battle he was made Sargent Major . When San Martín became Protector of Peru , Brandsen was named leader of the regiment of Hussars of the Peruvian Legion of the Guard , with the rank of lieutenant Colonel . San Martin had great affection for Brandsen with whom he maintained frequent correspondence . Brandsen was promoted to colonel on September 17 , 1822 . He commanded his regiment to a victory in Zepita , and as general commander of the Cavalry of the Vanguard of the Army of Peru he fought at Sica - Sica and Ayo - Ayo holding up the hostile pursuit and saving the remainders of the army defeated in those encounters . In 1822 and 1823 he participated actively in the operations against the royal forces . At the end of 1823 he took the side of President José de la Riva Agüero in the dispute with Antonio José de Sucre . De la Riva Agüero was promoted to Brigadier General , but with the dissolution of the army that followed him . Brandsen was put in prison and then Simón Bolívar gave the order for his exile . This order was later rescinded but Brandsen and his wife had already embarked to Chile . War with Brazil . At the beginning of March 1825 he embarked with his family on a ship called " Livonia " destined for Chile . After a brief stay in Santiago he returned to the Río de la Plata where the government made him the leader of the 1st Cavalry Regiment with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel . On February 20 , 1827 in the Battle of Ituzaingó his regiment was faced to the Brazilian infantry occupying a fortified position protected by a very deep ditch . General Carlos María de Alvear , ordered him to attack head - on , but Brandsen told him that success was impossible in those conditions . Alvear did not accept his prudent arguments and he charged at the head of his troops , dying heroically . The attack failed , but the battle was won because other colonels such as Tomás de Iriarte , Miguel Estanislao Soler and José María Paz , amended the errors of Alvear . Brandsen was posthumously promoted to Colonel ; his remains rest in the Cementerio de la Recoleta , in Buenos Aires , in front of the mausoleum of General Alvear . Legacy . The city of Brandsen and the administrative district Brandsen Partido are named in his honour , there is also a tank regiment named after him and numerous streets in Argentina bear his name .