José María Cabal

José María Cabal Barona (Guadalajara de Buga, 25 May 1769 – Popayán, 19 August 1816) was a Neogranadine military and political leader who fought in the Colombian War of Independence.

Born in 1769 into a noble, landowning family, Cabal received his primary education at the Colegio Seminario de Popayán. In 1792, he moved to Santafé de Bogotá to study law. There, he became involved in literary circles that embraced the ideals of the Enlightenment. In 1794, Cabal was arrested for possessing translated copies of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and was exiled to Spain. He was acquitted and traveled through Spain and then France, where he pursued his studies in botany and mineralogy, which became lifelong passions.

In 1809, Cabal returned to New Granada after 14 years abroad. He dedicated himself to agricultural pursuits and scientific studies until the revolution swept across New Granada, ushering in the Colombian War of Independence. In 1810, he was chosen as a delegate to represent his city in the provisional junta established to govern the province of Popayán and was one of the founding signatories of the Confederation of the Cities of the Cauca Valley. This involvement propelled Cabal into the forefront of the various military campaigns in southern New Granada.

He successfully defended the city of Popayán from a royalist attack in April 1812. That same year, Cabal was appointed president of the junta following the capture of the previous president, Joaquín de Caycedo, by royalist forces in battle. He participated in an expedition to rescue Caycedo, but this effort was thwarted at the Battle of Catambuco, resulting in the near-destruction of the patriot army. Only Cabal and a few other officers and soldiers managed to escape. He then assumed command of the beleaguered patriot forces in the south as they valiantly defended Popayán against the royalists. In 1813, he traveled to Santafé to request military assistance from the central government.

The central government dispatched an army led by Lieutenant General Antonio Nariño, launching Nariño’s Southern Campaign to liberate the south from royalist control. Cabal was appointed commander of Nariño's vanguard, playing a crucial role in the victories at the Battles of Alto Palacé and Calibío. Recognizing his contributions, Nariño appointed Cabal as second-in-command of the army. Cabal continued his participation in the campaign, distinguishing himself in the Battles of Juanambu and Tacines. However, the campaign stalled at the Battle of Ejidos de Pasto due to tactical errors and miscommunication, leading to the defeat of the patriot army and the capture of General Nariño by royalist forces. Cabal assumed command of the remaining forces and skillfully withdrew them back to Popayán. Fearing a royalist counteroffensive, he ordered the troops to withdraw to the Cauca Valley.

In 1815, Cabal was promoted to Brigadier General and confirmed as commander of the Army of the South. He reorganized and retrained the army, bolstering its ranks with new recruits and reinforcements. Under his leadership, the patriot army inflicted a stunning defeat on the royalist army at the Battle of the Palo River in July 1815, after luring the royalists into their fortified positions on the north bank of the river. This victory forced the royalists to relinquish all the gains they had made during their counteroffensive in late 1814 and retreat to Pasto. Cabal recaptured Popayán shortly afterward and was preparing an offensive to retake Pasto when news arrived of the invasion of the Spanish Expeditionary Army in the northern part of the country. This forced him to postpone his plans and divert valuable resources and equipment to other parts of the country.

By 1816, the Neogranadine Republic was on the verge of collapse as the Spanish had achieved significant victories. Cabal's Army of the South was now encircled by the enemy. Skeptical of the prospects for success against a larger and more formidable foe, he proposed dispersing the army into guerrilla units to wage a protracted war of attrition. However, his officers and troops, yearning for a decisive confrontation, viewed his suggestion as overly cautious. Discouraged by the lack of support and weary of years of relentless warfare, Cabal resigned his post. He returned to his hacienda to await the inevitable.

Following the defeat of the last patriot armies, Cabal was captured by Spanish troops, transported to Popayán, and executed by firing squad. He is considered one of the heroes of the Colombian War of Independence, renowned by his contemporaries for his valor, courage, and intelligence.