Eusebio Puello

Eusebio Puello de Castro (1811 – December 15, 1871) was Dominican general who displayed great leadership skills and bravery; he stood out during the Dominican War of Independence.

After serving in the Haitian regime, he joined the Dominican independence movement and signed the manifesto of January 16, 1844. He was among the many participants in the revolt that led to the proclamation of the First Dominican Republic on February 27, 1844. He would soon rise to prominence in the many battles against Haiti, much like his brothers José Joaquín and Gabino.

However, unlike his patriotic brothers, Eusebio began to switch alliance to Spain beginning in the 1860s. As a general for the Spanish Army, he fought vigorously against the Dominican insurgents in the Dominican Restoration War. By 1865, Spain lost its dominance on the island, leading numerous Dominicans, including Puello, to emigrate to Cuba or Puerto Rico. In Cuba, when the Ten Years' War broke out, Puello defended Spanish interests with conviction and led many military operations of Spanish troops against the Mambise rebels. He would remain loyal to Spain until his death in 1871.

He became the second Caribbean military figure of African descent to achieve generalship in the Spanish Army, after Georges Biassou.

Early years
Eusebio Puello was born in 1811 in the city of Santo Domingo, when Dominican Republic was still under Spanish rule. He was the second son of the marriage of Martín Joaquín Puello and María Mercedes de Castro, both free blacks. His brothers, José Joaquín and Gabino, also stood out in the war against Haiti and were known as "The Puello Brothers."

In 1822, early in the Haitian occupation of the Spanish part of Santo Domingo by the troops of Haitian President Jean-Pierre Boyer, Eusebio was recruited to join the Haitian Army due to the implementation of conscription. Although due to his young age he could not join the Army immediately, finally in June 1824 he joined as first corporal of the 31st regiment, and over time he rose to reach the rank of second lieutenant. In 1840, he achieved the rank of captain, but his military career was cut short after the fall of Boyer in 1843, leading to his retirement along with other officers loyal to the overthrown government.

After his service with the Haitian regime ended, Eusebio joined the independence movement led by Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, with his brothers also joining. He showed a determined commitment to the cause by signing the manifesto of January 16, 1844. On February 24, he attended the meeting of patriots that made the historic determination to carry out the pronouncement on the night of February 27, and was present at the Santo Domingo pronouncement of 1844, held at the Puerta del Conde, where the First Dominican Republic was proclaimed.

Dominican Republic
This participation earned him the Central Government Board to confirm the rank of captain that had been granted to him by the Haitian Government. Being President, Pedro Santana elevated him to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1845 he went to San Cristóbal at the head of a troop to quell a rebellion that had broken out in that town and he was entrusted with the execution of the insurgents.

In that same year he was appointed infantry commander in order to appease Puerto Plata. When his brothers José Joaquín and Gabino were accused by Santana of leading a conspiracy against the Government, a process that ended with their execution, Eusebio was accused as an accomplice and sentenced to three years of confinement and loss of his military rank. Shortly afterward he was released and reinstated in military service. Appointed first chief of the Second Battalion of the Dominican regiment based in Santo Domingo, he was assigned to the General Staff of Santana, until in 1849 he received the rank of colonel. From 1853 to 1854 he held the command of arms of Sabana de la Mar and temporarily that of El Seibo, later obtaining ownership of that of San Juan de la Maguana. In 1855, when the invasion of the Haitian emperor Faustin Soulouque occurred, General Juan Contreras entrusted him with the direction of the Battle of Santomé, in which he defeated the enemy.

When Buenaventura Báez returned to power in 1856, he appointed him commander of Las Matas de Farfán. While in that position, the Santiago revolution occurred. As a prisoner, he was sent to that city, where he agreed to fight the Samaná rebels, but he failed and had to be evacuated by General Matías Ramón Mella. Without giving up, he regrouped his troops and on May 4, 1858, he entered that town after a long and hard-fought battle. He remained there until August 1859, when he returned to the capital. A month later another rebellion was declared in Azua, where he went with General Antonio Abad Alfau.

Dominican Restoration War
Once the square capitulated, he was entrusted with its command. In the days before the annexation of the Republic to Spain, Santana sent him to the border region. When the regime change took effect, he flew the Spanish flag in San Juan, Las Matas, El Cerro and Sabana Mula. Being a division general of the reserves, he accompanied General José de la Gándara through the south to quell any attempt at insurrection. In the course of that campaign he was promoted, in reward for his action in El Guanal de Paya, to the rank of field marshal of the Spanish army and in 1854 he was awarded the great cross of Charles III.

Ten Years' War
After the Republic recovered its sovereignty in 1865, he went to Cuba, where his marshalship was recognized. When the war of independence began on that island three years later, he remained loyal to Spain and fought the rebels.

Death
He died in the middle of the campaign in Nuevitas on December 15, 1871, at age 60.