Jose Dolores Estrada

                  ESTRADA, Jose Dolores. Nicaraguan general, born in
                  Matagalpa in 1787; died near Granada, 12 August 1869. Up to his
                  sixty-fourth year he lived quietly in the country, occupied in the cultivation
                  of his estate, but in the civil war of 1851 offered his services to the
                  conservative leader, Fruto Chamorro, and enlisted under the same chief
                  against the democrats in the revolution of 1853. He participated in the nine
                  months' defense of the City of Granada, and was wounded in the battle of 5
                  August 1854 ; but notwithstanding, when the enemy raised the siege,
                  Estrada, as second in command, remained for twenty-four hours in the
                  saddle in the pursuit of the retiring army. When the republic was invaded
                  by Walker and his followers in June 1855, Estrada did his best in the defense
                  of his country, and after the capture of Granada, 15 October 1855, he
                  retired with a few followers to the northern department of Chinandega,
                  and continued, with Generals Martinez and Fernando Chamorro, to oppose
                  the forces under Walker's command.

                  After Walker had caused himself to be elected president in June 1856, and
                  declared war on the rest of the Central American republics, Estrada
                  marched with his little army to join the Costa Ricans, but, was intercepted
                  by Walker's forces, and entrenched himself in a favorable position in San
                  Jacinto. Early in the morning of 14 September 1856, the enemy, who
                  attacked in three columns, stormed his position and one of his redoubts
                  was taken. After many hours of fierce fighting, Estrada saw that his forces
                  would soon be surrounded, and made a desperate sally at the head of his
                  troops, throwing the enemy into such confusion that they fled, and were
                  pursued as far as Tipitapa. After Walker had been driven from the country,
                  Estrada left the army, and although, on the second invasion of Nicaragua
                  by Walker, in November 1857, he offered his services again, he refused all
                  honors and offices, and took part in the electoral campaign of 1863 only to
                  avoid the unconstitutional reelection of the last president,. When the
                  revolution of 1869 began, Estrada, although eighty-two years old, was
                  appointed commander-in-chief of the army, and defeated the revolutionists
                  in several encounters, but, a few days before the final pacification, he died
                  in consequence of the fatigue that he had undergone. The congress of 1870
                  ordered a marble monument to be erected on his grave with the inscription
                  " A1 general Estrada, vencedor de San Jacinto, el 14 de Setiembre 1866,
                  la patria agradeeida."