Juan de Salcedo
Juan de Salcedo (b.
1549 - d.
Ilocos Sur,
1576) was a Spanish commander and soldier. He was known as the last of the
conquistadors.
Born in
Mexico in
1549, Salcedo was the second eldest
grandson of
Miguel López de Legazpi. He joined Legazpi and brother
Felipe de Salcedo in
1564 for the
conquest of the Philippines at the age of 15, who arrived in the
East Indies in
1565. In 1569, Salcedo led an army of 300 soldiers along with
Martín de Goiti for the conquest of
Manila. There they fought a number of battles against the
Muslim rulers and destroyed it's
kingdom in 1570 and 1571.
Salcedo later explored the northern regions of the Philippines with a small force of 45 soldiers in the late periods of
1571, where he traveled most of
Ilocos Sur and
Luzon island and founded several Spanish Cities.
In
1574, Salcedo went back to the city of Manila, after a
war had broke out against 3,000
Chinese Pirates and warriors, who besieged the settlements. Salcedo and his army of 600 soldiers, re-captured the city later that year and followed the retreating Chinese army to
Pangasinan in
1575. There, he and his forces, burned and killed
Lim ah hong and Lim ah hong's warriors.
Salcedo later went back to
Vigan, where he died of a malignant
fever in his home on
March 11,
1576 at the age of 27. His body is laid to rest at the
San Agustin Church in
Intramuros.
*Morga , Antonio de. (2004).
The Project Gutenberg Edition Book : History of the Philippine Islands - 1521 to the beginning of the XVII century. Volume 1 and 2.
*Legazpi , Don Miguel López de. (1564 - 1572).
Cartas al Rey Don Felipe II : sobre la expedicion, conquistas y progresos de las islas Felipinas. Sevilla, España.
*
Salcedo - The Founder of Vigan (Article)
