Below is a biograhy of Francisco Arderius Rodriguez, Teniente de Navio, Ayudante de Ordenes de Fernando Villamil (lieutenant, executive officer of Fernando Villamil) of the Spanish Torpedo Boat FUROR. The ship was lost at the Battle of Santiago, however Rodriguez survived and wrote a book entitled La Escuadra Española en Santiago de Cuba. Diario de un Testigo (The Spanish Squadron at Santiago de Cuba, Diary of a Witness) in 1903.
The Biography:
Francisco Arderius Rodriguez was born in Madrid on 1 December 1870. He joined the Spanish Navy Accademy in 1889, ranking number one in his class. During his life, he was the author of many notable literary, scientific and navy works.
In the naval Battle of Santiago naval battle he showed great courage and bravery, fighting by the side of Rear Admiral Villaamil aboard the Torpedoboat FUROR. Aboard the FUROR, Francisco was Villamil's executive officer. During the battle, he seriously injured, and was sent to the United States as a prisoner of war until the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the war, on December 10, 1898. Following the war and his repatriation to Spain, he joined the Invalid Corp, rising to the rank of Colonel.
Francisco married Clotilde Perales Ansina in 1900. She gave him four sons, three of them entering the military: Alfredo, Captain of an Infantry Legion and who died in the Spanish Civil War in 1936; Francisco, a cavalry colonel, and Antonio, a Naval officer.
Francisco Arderius Rodriguez died in Madrid on 21 April 1921.
During his career, Francisco Arderius Rodriguez was decorated with the
Cross of Saint Ferdinand for his service in the Cuban Campaign of
1898, the highest military decoration in Spain. This was only one of his
many decorations. The others included:
The Circumnavigation medal.1894 - The Naval Merit Cross, First Class, with white distinctive for Her Majesty birthday.
1896 - The Naval Merit Cross, First Class, with red distinctive, for the honourable mention in dispatches of the gunboat "SANDOVAL” and “ALERTA” in Cabañas and Reistigueví ports in Cuba.
1898 - The First Class Naval Merit Cross, First Class, with red distinctive for the Spanish Squadron Fleet acts in Santiago de Cuba.
1901 - The First Class Saint Ferdinand Cross for the Naval battle in Santiago de Cuba.
1909 - Commemorative Medal for the Zaragoza sieges.
1910 - Commemorative Silver Medal with purple distinctive for the Gerona sieges.
Below is a listing of several books written by Francisco Arderius
Rodriguez:
The Spanish Squadron Fleet in Santiago de Cuba - Diary of a witness. (La escuadra española en Santiago de Cuba. Diario de un testigo). Barcelona 1903. 208 pàges. (1/6652).
Queen Victory Volunteers - Fundamental basis for the creation of this organization project (Voluntarios de la reina Victoria. Bases fundamentales para la formación del proyecto de éste organismo”. Madrid 1909. 20 pàges (V cº 389 nº 18).
From my memories: Historic narrations. (De mis recuerdos”. Narraciones históricas), Dibujos de Martínez Mades. Madrid 1914. 1 Làmina+164 pàg.+2 hojas. (1/71495).
Hispano-American politics - The emigration problems. (Política hispanoamericana: Problemas de la emigración). España en Amèrica.-Madrid: Claudio Santos 1915. 222 pàg; 18 cm. (R.1067786). (H.A./67969).
Brujas Port 1918 - Narration of an historical event. (Puerto
Brujas 1918. Relato de un hecho histórico). (V cº 710 nº7).
(14-61871