He was born into the family of Diego Nicasio Astorga and Aurora Almeyda Salas in Valparaiso, in 1841.
He studied at the Shell and Miller school in the port city and after that he moved to Santiago and entered the Instituto Nacional.
In October of 1860, he enrolled in the army as Artillery ensign. His first actions of war were in the war against Spain (1865-1866), defending the ports of Valparaiso and Caldera.
In May of 1868, he was promoted to instruction captain of the Navy Artillery Battalion and participated in repatriating the remains of Bernardo O’Higgins. Two years later, he was promoted to sergeant major, and in 1872, he was named professor of the Military Academy.
In 1874, he was designated governor of Magallanes and general commander of Arms of Punta Arenas. Three years later, a riot broke out in the city, led by artillerymen and prisoners that were unhappy with Duble Almeyda. He was wounded in the confrontation, but he managed to escape y return to the colony with reinforcements to quiet down the movement. After that he asked to be removed from his position (1878).
A few months later, he was named section head of the Ministry of Foreign Relations and then he was sent to Argentina as a secret agent in order to find out the neighboring country’s military and naval situation.
In 1879, now as lieutenant colonel, he participated in the Pacific war defending Antofagasta, at the disembarkation of Pisagua and at the battle of Dolores. Later, in the Lima campaign, he was designated commander of the Atacama Regiment and fought in the battles of Chorrillos and Miraflores.
In May of 1881, he returned to Chile and was promoted to full colonel. Then, in August of 1882, he was named general commander of the fortifications of Valparaiso. In addition, that same year he was designated military attaché of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, and the next ear he participated in the campaign of Arequipa and Puno.
In 1889, he was named military attaché in the Chilean legations of England and Germany by the government of Jose Manuel Balmaceda.
While he was there, he heard of the outbreak of civil war in 1891, but he remained loyal to his president, causing his discharge from the army in January of 1892.
He passed away in Santiago on May 6th, 1922.
