San Martín: The Hero Who Died in Obscurity – His Final Days in France

Who Was San Martín?

Born on February 25, 1778 in Yapeyú (now in the Argentine province of Corrientes), San Martín grew up in Spain and fought in the Spanish Army before returning to South America to lead the independence movements. He is celebrated for the epic crossing of the Andes in 1817, and for liberating Chile and Peru. He created the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers and won key battles like San Lorenzo, Chacabuco, and Maipú. But after achieving independence, he withdrew from politics in 1824, disillusioned by internal conflicts and the pettiness of the Buenos Aires government. He moved to Europe with his daughter Mercedes, spending his final years in Brussels, Paris, and eventually Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Exile and Family Life

In France, San Martín first rented a house in Paris, then purchased a property in Evry-sur-Seine, which he called “Grand Bourg.” There he enjoyed gardening, time with his granddaughters, and sipping mate with his friend and patron Alejandro María Aguado, a Spanish banker. His daughter Mercedes married Mariano Severo Balcarce in 1832, and the family lived together. When revolution erupted in Paris in 1848, San Martín moved his family to the coastal town of Boulogne-sur-Mer, with about 30,000 inhabitants, to ensure their safety. He rented a second-floor apartment at 105 Grande Rue, owned by lawyer Adolphe Gerard, who later became a close friend and wrote a moving tribute.

Declining Health and Final Days

San Martín's health deteriorated rapidly in his last years. He suffered from cataracts that nearly blinded him, and a failed operation in 1849 left him even worse. He had to have newspapers read to him and dictated his letters. In June 1850, he visited the thermal baths of Enghien-les-Bains to alleviate his rheumatism. On August 6, he took his last carriage ride and had to be helped down. On August 16, he felt unusually cheerful, joking about swimmers drowning at the beach. The next morning, August 17, 1850, he rose serenely, asked his daughter to read the papers, and hid his pain behind a smile. At 2:00 PM, severe stomach cramps began; the doctor initially dismissed them, but by 3:00 PM, the general sensed the end. He gestured to his son-in-law to take his daughter away, and died peacefully. He was 72 years, 5 months, and 23 days old.

A Modest Funeral and Late Recognition

His funeral was strikingly austere. On August 18, his body was laid out, and on August 20 at 6 AM, a small procession—including only his son-in-law Balcarce, a friend, and Chile's chargé d'affaires—accompanied the coffin to the Church of Saint Nicholas. He was temporarily interred in the Boulogne cathedral, and only in 1861 was he moved to the Balcarce family vault in Brunoy. Argentina's recognition came decades later. In 1864, a law sponsored by Adolfo Alsina and Martín Ruiz Moreno initiated repatriation efforts, but it wasn't until 1880, under President Nicolás Avellaneda, that the steamship Villarino brought his remains to Buenos Aires. Domingo Faustino Sarmiento led the repatriation commission. Today, his remains rest in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires, guarded by the Mounted Grenadiers—the regiment he himself created.

“His loss leaves a void that resonates in our souls and will not be filled soon,” wrote Adolphe Gerard, the owner of his final home, the day after his death.