Patricio Larraín
Patricio Larraín Alcalde (28 November 1852 – 10 January 1927) was a Chilean military officer and politician who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile from 1888 to 1891 and as Minister of War and Navy from 1897 to 1898.
He also served in the Chilean Army during the War of the Pacific and the Chilean Civil War of 1891, eventually reaching the rank of divisional general.
Early life
Larraín was born in Santiago on 28 November 1852 to Patricio Larraín Gandarillas and Carolina Alcalde Velasco. A member of the Larraín family, he had thirteen siblings, including Luis, Enrique and Joaquín Larraín Alcalde. He studied law at the University of Santiago, Chile, but left his studies in 1873 after being appointed secretary of the Chilean legation in Bolivia.
On 22 June 1882, he married Rosa Prieto Hurtado, daughter of Joaquín Prieto Warnes and granddaughter of former president Joaquín Prieto. They had three children: José Patricio, Carlos and Rosa Larraín Prieto.
After being widowed, Larraín married Blanca Blanchard Soto in 1921. They had two children, María and Joaquín Larraín Blanchard.
Political career
At the outbreak of the War of the Pacific in 1879, Larraín joined the Chilean Army alongside his brother Luis. He served as a captain in the Esmeralda battalion of the First Division under General Santiago Amengual. During the Battle of Tacna, he delivered two ammunition boxes to Colonel Adolfo Holley while under enemy fire, losing two horses in the process. His actions earned him a special commendation from Amengual.
Larraín subsequently participated in the Battle of Chorrillos and Battle of Miraflores in January 1881. During the latter engagement, the Esmeralda battalion was assigned to guard the hospital receiving Chilean casualties. There, Larraín found his brother Luis seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head. Luis later died in Valparaíso.
Larraín later participated in Patricio Lynch's expedition to northern Peru. For his wartime service, he was subsequently decorated by the National Congress of Chile. Following the signing of the Treaty of Ancón in October 1883, he returned to civilian life.
A member of the Conservative Party, Larraín was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for Victoria in 1888 and served until 1891.
During the Chilean Civil War of 1891, Larraín sided with the congressional forces against President José Manuel Balmaceda, as did his brothers Enrique and Joaquín. The Government Junta of Iquique appointed him lieutenant colonel, and he served in Iquique, Antofagasta and Concepción. During the conflict, he participated in the capture of Copiapó and in the battles of Concón and Placilla, as well as the military action at Viña del Mar.
In 1894, Larraín was appointed Chilean military representative in Peru, and the following year he held the same position in France. After returning to Chile, President Federico Errázuriz Echaurren appointed him Minister of War and Navy on 23 December 1897. He served until 5 May 1898.
Larraín retired from the army in 1906 with the rank of divisional general. He died in Santiago on 10 January 1927.