Juana López | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born | c. 1845 |
| Died | January 24, 1904 |
| Allegiance |  Chile |
| Branch | Chilean Army |
| Battles / wars | War of the Pacific |
Juana López (c. 1845,Valparaíso,Chile — 24 January 1904,Santiago de Chile, Chile) was a Chileanvivandière during theWar of the Pacific. An officer's saber surrendered to López is now preserved in the collection of theNational Historical Museum of Chile.
Nothing is known of López's early life except that she was born Juana López inValparaíso,Chile in about 1845.[1]
At the outbreak of theWar of the Pacific in April 1879, López's husband and three sons enlisted in theChilean Army. López also enlisted to keep the family together,[1] but they were separated into different units and functions. López became avivandière and was attached to the 2nd Valparaíso Battalion.[2]
López's husband and two sons were killed in theBattle of San Francisco,[1] while the third died duringLynch Expedition.[2]
Five days before theBattle of San Juan, López gave birth to a boy.[3]
López recorded the dates of the battles in which she participated on a captured officer's sword.[4] Those battles wereAntofagasta,Pisagua,San Francisco,Tacna, Chorrillos, andMiraflores. In recognition of her service, López was awarded three medals.[5]
Like many other women involved in the War of the Pacific and despite her decorations, López was forgotten by Chilean society after the war. She received a pension of 15pesos and was cared for in her old age by her daughter, Ceferina Vargas. After López's death, local newspapers noted the proportional tininess of her pension compared to male veterans of the war.[6]
López died on 24 January 1904 ofendocarditis in Chile's capital,Santiago and was buried in itsGeneral Cemetery. On 7 August 1910, Ceferina Vargas's instigation, amarble tombstone and aniron fence were erected on López's grave.[6][7] Veterans of the Pacific War, a marching band, and the Santiago Police Department marched in honor of López to commemorate the finishing of her tomb.[6]