Puerto Soledad - Puerto Soledad

Puerto Soledad

Puerto Soledad had 103 residents in 1781: the governor, 2 priests, a treasury official, 3 officers, one surgeon, 50 soldiers, 43 convicts, one mason, and one baker. They occupied some 20 buildings including dwellings, barracks for officers, seamen, convicts and troops, chapel, hospital, kiln, blacksmith and carpenter shops etc. Eventually the number of buildings increased to 30-odd in 1811, with the population dropping to 46. The settlement was protected by three batteries: San Carlos (later renamed San Marcos), Santiago, and San Felipe Batteries. Supply ships came from Montevideo to Puerto Soledad on an annual basis during the summer, bringing relief and supplies. That supply line was temporarily severed during the war waged by Spain against Britain in 1805-08, and the British occupation of Montevideo in 1807, causing considerable hardship to the Puerto Soledad residents.

An indispensable source of subsistence for the small colony — as well as for the numerous English and American sealers operating on the islands — was the feral cattle introduced by the French in 1764, with more cattle brought later from Montevideo by the Spaniards. There were 2,180 heads of cattle and 166 horses in 1778. On festive occasions the Spaniards even had their favourite corridas de toro, such as during the three-day event organized by governor Ramón Clairac y Villalonga (1787–88, 89-90) to celebrate King Carlos IV's accession to the throne when, along with allegiance formally sweared to the new monarch comedies were performed, and twelve bulls were fought.

Spain governed Puerto Soledad through its colonial administration in Buenos Aires. During its 44 years of existence the settlement had 21 governors (Spanish: gobernador y comandante marítimo) serving a total of 31 terms, mainly Spaniards excepting two South American criollos: Jacinto de Antolaguirre (1781–83) born in Buenos Aires, and Francisco Javier de Viana y Alzaibár (1798–99, 1800–01) born in Montevideo. The governors were mainly naval officers with the exception of one drawn from the army.

Following a decision by Viceroy Francisco Javier Elío, on February 13, 1811 all the troops and settlers of Puerto Soledad were evacuated on board the brigantine Galvez to Montevideo in order to fight his Buenos Airean adversaries. A lead plaque was left at the chapel of Puerto Soledad pleading possession of the island and the settlement for King Fernando VII of Spain.