Francisco Xavier da Silva Pereira, 1st Count of Antas was a Portuguese nobleman and a leading soldier of the period of the Liberal Wars.
Background
The son of a military family, he served in the Peninsular War against Napoleon as an officer in the first battalion of the Leal Legião Lusitana, serving in the battles of Albuera, Bussaco, Nive, Nivelle, Salamanca, Vitoria, Orthez and Toulouse, for several of which he was decorated.
Career
He was prominent among those who opposed the absolutist government of the usurper Dom Miguel. In August, Silva Pereira sailed to Madeira as part of a contingent sent to strengthen the forces of the governor, José Travassos Valdez, who was holding out for the Queen, but Madeira was almost immediately captured by Miguel"s forces and Silva Pereira joined Travassos Valdez in the evacuation of the Queen"s supporters to England. He then served in Dom Pedro"s forces in the recapture of the Azores and the Portuguese Civil War of 1832-1834 in which the Miguelites were defeated.
In 1835 he was named Baron das Antas, becoming Viscount in 1836 and Count in 1838.
In 1836 he was the General in command of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force that was sent to aid the Queen of Spain during the Carlist Wars. Recalled in September 1837 because of the revolt of the Chartist Marshals, he held the balance of military power but adhered to the legitimate government of Maria II and defeated the insurrection at the Battle of Ruivães on 20 September 1837.
During the Patuleia or Little Civil War of 1846-1847 he was head of the revolutionary Junta of Porto.