O’Higgins went into exile, 1823
He died in Peru, October 24, 1842
THE SON OF THE BAREFOOT BOY
Ambrose O’Higgins was like the bright lad in the fairy tale, who started out to seek his fortune with a knapsack on his back. Ambrose was only a servant-boy in Ireland, barefoot some say, running errands for the Lady of Castle Dangan in County Meath. Then one day he set out to seek his fortune in Spain where he had an uncle.
He did not find it there. So he bought a stock of merchandise, and took ship for South America, the wonderful country, where, so people said, one could get treasure and emeralds a-plenty.
He landed at Buenos Aires, and sold some of his goods. Then he crossed the pampas, or prairie, and packed his goods by mule-train over the high Andes into Chile.
Still his treasure did not appear, and, being a venturesome lad, he made his way north to Lima in Peru. There he kept a small stall and peddled his wares under the shadow of Pizarro’s ancient Cathedral. As he looked up at its weather-beaten walls and down at his old clothes, little he dreamed that one day he should enter the door of that very Cathedral clad in a Vice-King’s garments and surrounded by a brilliant retinue of officers and retainers.
Not knowing that all this wonderful thing was to happen, he grew restless and set off on his travels through Venezuela and New Granada, and finally went back to Chile.
There his fortune was awaiting him. As the years passed, he studied and worked industriously, until he became a famous civil engineer and built roads and did great things for Chile. He devoted himself to Chile’s interest until the King of Spain, learning of his genius and of all the improvements he had brought about in the country, appointed him its Governor.