José Antonio Salcedo
General José Antonio Salcedo y Ramírez, known as "Pepillo" was Dominican military leader who played a fundamental role in the Dominican Restoration War, which achieved the independence from Spain in 1865. A martyr, he was the first Dominican head of state to be assassinated in the history of the Dominican Republic.
Early life
Salcedo was born in Madrid, Spain from Criollo parents of Spanish heritage who had been stationed in Spain for over a year, as part of the traditional Grand Tour of rich Latin American Criollos to Spain.The names of his parents were José María Salcedo and Luisa Ramírez y Marichal, both Cuban-born Dominicans.
Leaving Spain, the family returned to Cuba when Salcedo was a year old before settling in the lands of their ancestors in the Cibao valley. He grew up near the border of Haiti where he managed large tracts of land, herds of livestock, and a rich timber business in the towns of Hatillo Palma, Estero Balsa, and Botoncillo in the northwest.
In 1844, when the First Dominican Republic was proclaimed, he joined the ranks of the Dominican Army and participated in the bloody battles of the Dominican War of Independence. He was said to have taken part In the Battle of Beler, in 1845, and the Battle of Sabana Larga, in 1856. He attained the rank of colonel for his services.
Dominican Restoration War
Salcedo led a civil war which aimed at the restoration of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Restoration War began on August 16, 1863, and by September 14, 1863 a Provisional Government was established, over which the general presided.After he became the 1st head of state of the Dominican Republic, the general was opposed by the Nationalist movement, who viewed his policies as favoring those supporting the annexation of the country.