Robert Winthrop Simpson
| Rear-Admiral Robert Simpson | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
14 December 1799 England |
| Died | 23 December 1877 (aged 78) Valparaíso, Chile |
Robert Winthrop Simpson (14 December 1799 – 23 December 1877) was a Rear-Admiral of the Chilean navy and a hero of the War of the Confederation.
Simpson was born in England, probably in 1799, and arrived in Chile with the train of then-Lord Cochrane, as a midshipman on the sloop Rose. By 1821 he was already a second lieutenant in the Chilean navy. In the same year, during the independence war of Peru, he participated in the capture of the Spanish ships Resolución, San Fernando and Milagro in Callao, being promoted to Captain as a reward on 7 October 1821.
Admiral Cochrane gave Simpson the command of the Araucano and ordered him to Acapulco, to harass Spanish shipping. From there, he moved onto California to purchase supplies. While in port, the British under-officer convinced the foreign crew to take over the ship and leave for Australia, leaving him behind. Back in Chile, in 1824 he was given the command of the Voltaire, and together with the Galvarino under the command of Captain Cobbet maintained the blockade of the Chiloé islands for 4 months. In 1825, he participated in the blockade of Callao, under Admiral Manuel Blanco Encalada.
Simpson participated actively in all the naval encounters of the war of independence in Chile and Peru between 1825 and 1826. When the Chilean fleet was dispersed in that year (1826), Simpson went into the reserve and took command of the Peruvian ship Congreso. In 1827 he took command of a Mexican ship also named Congreso. He finally returned to Chile in 1829, when named Naval Governor of Coquimbo. From 1830 to 1836 he commanded the Aquiles and in December 1834 became the first Chilean hydrographer. On 1836 he was in command of the Valparaíso, flagship of Admiral Blanco Encalada when war was declared.
On 26 January 1837, during the War of the Confederation, he was named commander of the Aquiles, and his first mission was to notify the Confederate government of the Chilean government's repudiation of the Treaty of Paucarpata. Later he cruised the Peruvian coast and was in charge of disturbing their commerce. He captured the Confederación, taking its command.
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