Career
He is widely remembered for his role at the Portuguese attack of Baishaling, in 1849. He was the oldest of the five children of noted Macanese lawyer, Frederico Albino de Mesquita and Clara Esmeralda Carneiro - both Macau natives. Immediately after a Chinese mob assassinated Governor Ferreira do Amaral on August 22, 1849, Chinese Imperial troops mobilized on the Guangdong Province-Macau frontier.
The Portuguese population of Macau viewed as an overtly threatening move by the Chinese to invade Macau.
This coup guaranteed Macau"s security and upon his return to the city, Mesquita was received as a national hero. In later years, Mesquita was wracked by depression due to his slow and inadequate promotion in the Portuguese military, allegedly due to being Macanese.
He was further saddened by the lack official recognition of his role in protecting Macau. As a result, he suffered a series of severe nervous breakdowns - the last of which prompted his permanent retirement.
His professional and personal life deteriorated rapidly afterwards.
Afterwards, on that same day, Mesquia committed suicide by throwing himself down a well at his home. Under these circumstances, the then present Governor of Macau would not accord him a military burial, nor would the Bishop of Macau allow his remains to be placed in consecrated ground. Some thirty years later, on August 28, 1910, in conformity with public opinion on the importance of this man to the history of Macau, were his remains re-interred in the Cemitério de São Miguel with full military and ecclesiastical honors.
June 9, 1835 - voluntarily enlisted in Batalhão do Principe Regente.
August 29, 1848 - promoted to Second Lieutenant in the Artillery Battalion of Macau, by patent letter. December 12, 1850 - promoted to First Lieutenant in the same Battalion by patent letter.
July 9, 1863 - made effective Major, by decree of the same date. February 7, 1867 - promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
October 27, 1873 - promoted to Colonel.
