He was born in El Toboso, the village of Dulcinea in Cervantes's Don Quixote, within a noble family living there since the XV century, owners of 8,692 hectares.

He entered the Army in 1785, being assigned to the regiment of provincial militias of Alcázar de San Juan, being a contemporary of José de San Martín, since he was born nine years before and died two years before, fought exactly in the same three wars.Between 1793 and 1794 he participated in the War of the Pyrenees, fighting in the battles of Commanderie_du_Mas_Deu, Trouillas, Elne, Laroque-des-Albères and Opoul-Périllos; the taking of the castles of Banyuls-dels-Aspres, Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste and Thuir; and the site of the castles of Collioure and Miles.

At the same time, he voluntarily headed the command that took the battery of Villelongue-dels-Monts, facilitating the fall of the castle of Montesquieu-des-Albères.

In the Peninsular War, his first action was the siege, capture and surrender of the French squad in Trocadero.

Later he took an active part in the battles of Jaén and Mengíbar, as well as Andújar, Bailén, Somosierra, Valdepeñas Ocaña, Montizón and Sagunto.