His paternal grandfather was General Francisco Pedro de Mendonça Gorjão who was the 18th Governor of the State of Grão-Pará.

At the age of 16, he was aboard the schooner Bela Maria during the blockade made on May 13, 1836, against the cabanos commanded by Eduardo Angelim, who fled to the municipality of Acará and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in the same year.

[2] Heading towards the Gran Chaco, he managed to establish communication between the squadron anchored below Angustura and the one in front of Vileta.

[1] His remains were taken to the Court of Rio de Janeiro, taken from the Igreja da Cruz dos Militares to the Navy Arsenal, where they were shipped to his home province of Pará on the afternoon of June 30, 1870.

His Majesty Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil accompanied the procession on foot to the navy arsenal.

615 authorized the government to erect the monument to General Hilário Maximiano Antunes Gurjão, located in the commercial center of Belém.

On August 15, 1882, the commemorative date of the Adhesion of Pará, the monument was inaugurated under the governorship of the Baron of Marajó.