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The "Instituto de Voluntarios de Puerto Rico" was a military organization roughly equivalent to the National Guard in the United States. As "week-end warriors" their mission was to train and be ready to assist the regular Spanish Army in the event of a war.  In addition to being part-time soldiers, every Voluntario was also a member of a political party known as "Incondicionalmente Español" or "Incondicional Español"; meaning unconditionally Spanish. In essence they were an armed political party. Originally, membership was limited to Spanish born immigrants but later this requirement was expanded to include native-born Puerto Ricans "Criollos".

In late 1897, just prior to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Spanish military authorities in Puerto Rico issued orders calling for disarmament of the Voluntarios. Their militant, pro-Spanish sentiments were viewed as detrimental to the peaceful establishment of the newly empowered "Autonomist" government of Puerto Rico. However, when the war with the U.S. started, the Governor General of Puerto Rico ordered them back into service. However, it was further decreed that they would not be allowed to fight in their own distinct units and were to be inducted as individual soldiers and integrated into the regular Spanish Army. This order did not sit well with them and with exceptions, the majority of the 8,000 part-time soldiers did not respond to the Spanish call to arms, when the American forces invaded the island on July 25, 1898. (Interestingly, during the Spanish-American War, New York's  7th. Volunteer Regiment also refused to participate under the command of regular army officers and stayed at home). The Instituto de Voluntarios was organized in 1812 and disbanded at the close of the Spanish American War in 1898.

Following is a list of officers serving in the Instituto de Voluntarios de Puerto Rico in 1897, the year before the Spanish-American War. The list was complied from the "Guía Oficial General de Puerto Rico", a directory of all civilian and military officials present on the island at that time. The "Guía" was published annually by the government of the Province of Puerto Rico.

While reviewing the list I found to my surprise and delight that my maternal great-grandfather, Don Jose Delgado y González was on it as a 2do Teniente (Second Lieutenant ) in Batallón Número 14. If by chance the reader finds an ancestor, you might be able to obtain his "Hoja de Servicios" (Service Record) by writing to:

 

Coronel Jefe, Archivo General Militar de Segovia

Plaza Reina Victoria Eugenia s/n

40071 Segovia, España

For those readers not familiar with Spanish military ranks and classifications here is a table that may help explain some of the terminology:

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 1 - San Juan

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 2 - Bayamón - Toa Baja - Vega Baja - Corozal

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 3 - Rio Piedras - Buena Vista - Carolina - Rio Grande - Luquillo

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 4 - Arecibo - Hatillo - Manatí - Camuy - Barceloneta

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 5 - San Sebastián - Aguadilla - Isabela

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 6 - Mayagüez - ¿Naranjito? - Hormigueros

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 7 - Maricao - Las Marías - San Germán - Añasco

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 8 - Sabana Grande - Yauco - Peñuelas

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 9 - Ponce

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 10 - Juana Díaz - Coamo - Aibonito - Barranquitas

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 11 - Guayama - Arroyo - Cayey - Cidra

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 12 - Hato Grande (San Lorenzo)

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 13 - Humacao - Naguabo - Yabucoa

Batallón de Voluntarios, Número 14 - Utuado - Adjuntas - Ciales