João Manuel de Lima e Silva
João Manuel de Lima e Silva (2 March 1805 – 29 August 1837) was a Brazilian military officer and revolutionary leader, being the first general of the Riograndense Republic. Biography Early life The son of José Joaquim de Lima e Silva and Joana Maria da Fonseca Costa, João Manuel was born in Rio de Janeiro on 2 March 1805, being from a traditional military family. His father was a Portuguese marshal who arrived in Brazil in 1783 as captain of the Braganza Regiment. He was the brother of Francisco de Lima e Silva, and ; he was also the uncle of Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, later Duke of Caxias, despite being younger than his nephew. João Manuel joined the in Rio de Janeiro at the age of fifteen with the rank of alferes. From 1820 to 1821 he took the first year of the math course and the fifth year of the military course in 1822, graduating from the academy that same year with the rank of infantry lieutenant of the 1st Battalion of Fusiliers. Brazilian War of Independence After graduating, in 1822, João Manuel actively took part in the Brazilian War of Independence in Bahia as part of the so-called Emperor's Battalion alongside his nephew, Luís Alves de Lima e Silva. The commander and subcommander of the battalion were his brothers José Joaquim de Lima e Silva, later Viscount of Magé, and Manuel da Fonseca de Lima e Silva, the Baron of Suruí, respectively. José Joaquim took part in the battle of Pirajá and also commanded the Brazilian Army in Bahia in the absence of general Pierre Labatut. Cisplatine War In 1825, João Manuel volunteered to fight in the Cisplatine War against the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in southern Brazil. Upon his arrival in Rio Grande do Sul, he was given command of the 1st Company of the 3rd Battalion of Caçadores of Rio de Janeiro. This unit was part of the 1st Infantry Brigade, which in turn was part of the 1st Infantry Division, whose commander was general . On 20 February 1827, João Manuel took part in the battle of Ituzaingó as part of the 3rd Battalion of Caçadores. He was later promoted to major and even got to command a brigade and a division. With the end of the war, João Manuel, now major, was sent to Porto Alegre and given interim command of the 28th Battalion of Caçadores, which had been transferred to Porto Alegre in 1828 following a rebellion in Rio de Janeiro that same year. This battalion consisted of German mercenaries and was part of the . It had been hired to fight in the Cisplatine War. João Manuel was tasked with disciplining the battalion and, if it were no longer needed, dissolve it. João Manuel was later given interim command of the 8th Battalion of Caçadores and married Maria Joaquina de Almeida Corte Real on 24 April 1828. Maria Joaquina was the sister of Afonso José