[2] He entered the Military School of the Chilean Army in 1847 at the age of 14, graduating as an ensign in 1851, he was assigned to the cavalry arm of horse grenadiers.

He was promoted to lieutenant in 1852 and assigned to the Arauco region in the Occupation of Araucanía, he remained in the area until 1868 where with the rank of sergeant major he was commander of Fort Toltén .

He was reassigned to Santiago, in 1874 he was an aide to General Basilio Urrutia [es] and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1878, when he took over as effective commander of the corps of Horse Grenadiers .

The Army of Granaderos was then transferred to the Peruvian district of Pacocha, placing itself under the command of General Manuel Baquedano, who was preparing the Tacna and Arica campaign.

[4] On January 14, he was placed under the command of Patricio Lynch in Paracas and the Lima campaign began, holding skirmishes in Herbay and in the Ate ravine.