Don Juan's Volunteers

# Don Juan's Volunteers in New Granada

W.H.G. Kingston's Don Juan's Volunteers in New Granada; or, Heroes and Patriots (1892) is a historical adventure novel following narrator Duncan Sinclair through the struggle for independence in early 19th-century New Granada (Colombia).

The narrative begins with Sinclair's father's backstory: a Royal Navy surgeon who speaks Spanish fluently, he is captured by Spanish forces on the Guatemalan coast alongside a young midshipman named "Dicky" Duffield, whom he later adopts. Eventually settling in Popayan after marrying the daughter of a liberal doctor, Sinclair's protagonist grows to manhood amid rising patriotic fervor. Spurred by the idealistic Doña Dolores, the protagonist and his tutor join Juan de Leon's volunteer force fighting for independence against Spanish rule.

The novel chronicles their dangerous exploits: jungle hunting expeditions, a military campaign defending Popayan, narrow escapes across high mountain passes and rivers while fleeing Spanish pursuers, and perilous missions to rescue imprisoned family members. The narrative culminates in battles under General Bolívar against Spanish forces, where protagonist Juan is killed at Fort Guamoco, though the independence campaign ultimately succeeds.