Custodio García Rovira
José Custodio Cayetano García Rovira was a Neogranadine general, statesman and painter, who fought for the independence of New Granada from Spain, and became President of the United Provinces of the New Granada in 1816. He was executed a month later during the Reconquista, at the hands of Pablo Morillo.
Early life
José Custodio Cayetano García Rovira was born on March 2, 1780 in the then small town of Bucaramanga, in the province of Socorro, part of the Viceroyalty of the New Granada, in what is now Colombia. His father was Juan de Dios García Navas and his mother Rosa Rovira de García.He was baptized one month later on April 2, 1780, in the parish of Señor San Laureano y Real de Minas de Chiquinquirá.
Education
García Rovira completed his early studies in Bucaramanga, at the school of Felipe Munar, where he received his primary education. After finishing this stage, in 1795, García Rovira began efforts with the rector’s office of the Colegio Real y Seminario de San Bartolomé to obtain a scholarship to continue his education.After meeting all the requirements, García Rovira moved to the capital of the viceroyalty, Santafé de Bogotá, where on July 9, 1796, he appeared before the rector’s hall of San Bartolomé, presided over by Dr. Manuel Andrade, accompanied by his sponsor and teacher, Don Emigdio Benítez, to receive the red scholarship of the Bartolinos. That day, his noble background was approved, and he was admitted as a student at the College.
At the San Bartolomé, he completed his secondary studies, where he studied various subjects such as Latin, theology, philosophy, mathematics, literature, and canon, Roman, and Spanish law. His passion for languages became evident, and he learned Greek, French, and Italian. He also took an interest in the arts, learning poetry, painting, and music, often playing Haydn sonatas on the harpsichord.
In 1799 he graduated with a degree in Philosophy, and in 1804 he got his degree in Civil Law, and later a Doctorate in Theology. He also attended the Saint Thomas Aquinas University where he continued studying Painting and Music, later receiving a degree in Fine arts; on April 29, 1809, García also received his doctorate in Law and was officially received as a lawyer by the Real Audiencia de Santafé. He later returned to San Bartolomé this time as a professor in the areas of Algebra, Mathematics, Trigonometry, Philosophy Metaphysics, and Ethics.
García's appetite for knowledge made him a celebrated figure in the Tertulias, and salons of the Bogotá. He formed part of the Tertulia Literaria del Buen Gusto, that was hosted in the house of doña Manuela Sanz de Santamaría de González Manrique, where other prominent figures like Francisco José de Caldas, José Fernández Madrid, Camilo Torres Tenorio, Alexander von Humboldt, Francisco Antonio Ulloa among others. He also attended the Tertulia Eutropélica, that congregated in the house of Manuel del Socorro Rodríguez and also the Tertulia of Antonio Nariño, where they studied the ideas and works of Montesquieu, Rousseau and Voltaire.
Because of his education, he was known as El Estudiante.
Political and military life
After the Revolution of July 20, 1810, García started working for the newly formed government, on August he started working as a lawyer in the Appeals Tribunal of Bogotá. He was later appointed Lieutenant of the Army of Tunja, by its Governor Juan Nepomuceno Niño. He started getting involved in politics in Tunja since the Congress of the United Provinces was situated there.Governor of Socorro
In July 1812, the towns of the Province of Socorro were called to elections to choose a governor. Through their collective vote, Dr. Custodio García Rovira was elected as the province’s governor.During the first months of his term, Governor García Rovira dedicated himself to supporting the Province of Tunja during the civil war of 1812. In October 1812, García Rovira informed Congress that he had already delivered the 4,000 pesos required from each province of the federation, along with an additional 8,000 pesos for the maintenance of the expedition that Socorro had stationed in the province of Tunja, despite the province’s depleted resources.
By December 1812, García Rovira, in his capacity as governor, marched at the head of the province’s militias, alongside the Lanceros del Socorro battalion integrated into the congress's Army of the Union, as part of the civil war that had erupted between the United Provinces and Cundinamarca. He was also part of the Congress’s political commission, which was tasked with negotiating the reorganization of the government of Cundinamarca in the event that the capture of Santafé was successful.
However, this plan never materialized, as the Army of the Union was defeated by the forces of Cundinamarca, led by its President Antonio Nariño, in the Battle of San Victorino, fought on January 9, 1813. As a result of the centralist victory, both sides agreed to end the conflict in order to focus on defending the emerging republic against the Spanish royalist threat. After the agreement was signed, Governor García Rovira returned to his province.
From this point onward, the government of Socorro under Custodio García Rovira dedicated itself to intense military preparation to support the defense of the country. This effort was evident through the dispatch of money, weapons, and clothing produced in the province, thanks to its thriving textile and leather industries.
In mid-1813, General Antonio Nariño announced a his plan to launch a military campaign aimed at liberating the southern part of the country, which had fallen into the hands of the royalists. Following the instructions of the Congress of the United Provinces, Governor García Rovira organized the Batallón de Infantería Cazadores del Socorro to join the expedition. This battalion consisted of 400 men under the command of Captain Pedro Monsalve.
Additionally, the governor provided the necessary logistical support, which included 22 loads of rice, 3,000 cartridges, 2,000 bullets, and 8,000 pesos to cover the unit’s expenses. These troops departed from the province at the end of July, arriving in Santafé at the beginning of August before setting out for the south later that month.
Northern Campaign
In October 1813, the Province of Socorro was threatened by the royalists following the defeat of Major Sergeant Francisco de Paula Santander and his patriot troops in the Battle of the Llanura de Carrillo, fought two leagues from Cúcuta. As a result, the city fell into the hands of the royalists, and the patriots were forced to retreat to Málaga.In response to the alarming news that put the northern provinces of the country at serious risk, the Congress of the United Provinces appointed the Scottish military officer, Brigadier Gregor MacGregor, as commander of the northern army to reclaim the area.
From Málaga, MacGregor and Santander launched a counterattack with 600 men in November 1813, successfully recapturing the provincial capital of Pamplona. However, the royalist forces, taking advantage of their numerical superiority, managed to regain control of the city on December 13.
Faced with this situation, the patriot troops were forced to retreat to Bucaramanga while reports emerged of the atrocities committed by the royalist forces under Captain Bartolomé Lizón in the occupied areas.
These events sparked a patriotic fervor in the provinces. According to historian José Manuel Restrepo, during this period: “The inhabitants of Socorro mainly took up arms, encouraged by their governor García Rovira, who gathered a respectable column in just a few days.”
Thanks to this fervor, the patriots managed to contain the enemy, despite having only 200 rifles. In February 1814, Brigadier MacGregor, along with Governor García Rovira as second-in-command and Colonel Santander as chief of staff, organized a division of 2,000 troops in Piedecuesta to launch a counteroffensive.
This campaign took place shortly afterward, resulting in the recovery of Pamplona on February 4 and the liberation of the Cúcuta valleys on February 14. Following these victories, MacGregor pursued Lizón to Táriba and La Grita on the other side of the Venezuelan border. However, shortly after, he requested leave from the government due to health issues.
Upon his departure, the government appointed Governor Custodio García Rovira as commander of the Northern Army, granting him the rank of colonel. However, although he accepted command, García Rovira chose not to make use of the colonel’s commission issued by the government.
For seven months, García Rovira led the Northern Army, commanding patriot troops in their fight against the royalists.