Juan Valdivia (insurgent soldier)

During the Battle of Oaxaca, general Ignacio Rayón led a revolt against the Spanish Royal Forces.

Cannons were a valuable weapon as they were an excellent way of attacking bastions or reducing infantry forces.

On April 14, 1811 Rayón's insurgent troops assaulted a hacienda in the Cerro del grillo (Cricket Hill), near Zacatecas, where the royal forces had hidden themselves to resist the armies.

During the attack, the insurgents found a small cannon whose wooden carriage had been burnt.

The cannon was then reloaded and fired again shattering the enemies' walls and assuring the victory, costing Valdivia his life.