Military Organization / Organização Militar

The Madeira archipelago was, by the military organization of October 31, 1844, an autonomous Command, governed by a colonel. When the constitution was proclaimed in 1834, Madeira had a prefect and military governor, the illustrious Luís da Silva Mousinho de Albuquerque, who took office on August 6 and left on September 30, 1835, serving only as a military governor from then until November 8 of the same year. In 1836, the 9th Military Division was created on the island of Madeira, with its commander being the brigadier, later marshal, Antonio de Padua da Costa, previously the military governor, who took office on January 30, 1837, and held it until September 12, 1838. He again commanded the 9th Division on September 23, 1847, occupying the position until it was abolished by decree on December 20, 1849. In the interval between the two terms of office of Marshal Padua, the Division was temporarily commanded by simple colonels. After the aforementioned decree, the Madeira archipelago became a simple Military Command, but in February 1861, the Division was reestablished, lasting until 1868, with its commanders being first the brigadier José Julio do Amaral and then the colonel Jacinto Augusto Camacho, the latter temporarily. Before the military organization of October 31, 1884, to which we referred earlier, the archipelago constituted a subordinate Subdivision of the 1st Division, with its headquarters in Lisbon.