Fernando Valerio

After the Dominican Independence was declared in February 1844, the Haitian president Charles Hérard advanced with his troops to reconquer the rebel territory, but Valerio, at the head of a contingent, confronted him.

[2] Regarding the origin of General Fernando Valerio, there have been many speculations that whether he was from San José de las Matas, Sabana Iglesia or whether he was born in Santiago.

The confusion comes because the entire area between Sabana Iglesia, Jánico and San José de las Matas was known as the mountain area which for religious purposes was dominated by the latter municipality, that is, everything related to the civil registries of those baptized and permits to be able to marry had to be done in San José de las Matas, since the parish was based there.

[5] Below is a translated excerpt from the article by the young historian to which it infers:[5] "In his petition in 1827 to Father Solano, Fernando Valerio declared that he was “a native and resident” of Santiago, a testimony that raises questions.

However, until 1814, when the parish of San José de Las Matas was erected, the inhabitants of its jurisdiction, according to dispensations of the same period, they were called natives of Santiago.

He knew how to bravely defend his position, ordering in a moment of danger a machete charge against a Haitian advance party that was trying to cross the Yaque River.

His merits earned him the promotion to Division General with the position of Chief of the Northwest Line based in Guayubín where he lived for the rest of his life.