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[whencyclopedia]

Antonio López de Santa Anna: "Greatest Scalawag" or Great Leader?

Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794-1876) was a general, politician, and six-time president of Mexico. Although he is best-known in the United States for the role he played in the Texas Revolution, the Battle of the Alamo, the Goliad Massacre, and his defeat at the Battle of San Jacinto, he played a much larger role in his nation's history, so much so that the period between 1821 and 1855 is known as the "Age of Santa Anna." Scholar Will Fowler notes:

He was celebrated with more fiestas than any other Mexican hero, living or dead, between 1821 and 1855. His popularity with the masses was indeed great, particularly in the state of Veracruz.

(xxii)

This is so – even though he consistently abandoned the responsibilities of the presidency, slaughtered the citizens of Zacatecas and allowed his army to sack and loot Zacatecas City for two days in 1835, lost Texas to the United States in 1836, and then lost half his country to the US following the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848.

His great charisma, courage, audacity, and ability to foresee changes in the political landscape and align himself accordingly seem to have made up for his other shortcomings and helped him to remain a central figure in the early history of Mexico for over 30 years.

Santa Anna remains as controversial a character today as he was in life. Scholar David A. Clary refers to him as "the greatest scalawag in the history of the Western Hemisphere" (20), while Forbes calls for a more balanced approach, characterizing him as an "intelligent and contradictory leader" (xxxvi). It is entirely possible, however, to see him from both perspectives.

Early Life & War of Independence

Santa Anna was born Antonio de Padua Maria Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón on 21 February 1794 in Xalapa, Veracruz, Nueva España (New Spain), as Mexico was then known. He was the son of a Spanish father, who was a clerk, and a criolla mother. A criollo was a person of Spanish descent born in New Spain, and they were looked down upon by the peninsulares, those born on the Iberian Peninsula – Spain.

When he was young, Santa Anna's paternal uncle was denied upward mobility because he was a criollo, and this probably influenced the young man to reject his father's profession and enlist in the army, where he may have felt his lineage would not matter as much. He enlisted at the age of 16 in 1810 at the start of the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), fighting on the side of the Royalists, defenders of Spanish rule, against the insurgents of the Republican Army, which consisted of Anglo-Americans, Criollos, Tejanos, and former Republican soldiers who had switched sides.

Santa Anna was promoted quickly and was a first lieutenant by the time he fought at the Battle of Medina, south of San Antonio de Béxar, in 1813. He served under General José Joaquín de Arredondo, who would make a lasting impression on the young officer through his policy of taking no prisoners, which proved effective in putting down the 1813 revolt.

Arredondo had approximately 1,800 men against the 1,400 Republican troops, which scattered at his advance. Any of them caught were immediately executed, and casualties from the battle are calculated at 1,300 Republican dead to 55 Royalists. Santa Anna would follow this same policy in 1836 when he returned to San Antonio during the Texas Revolution and stormed the Alamo, though the strategy would have a vastly different effect on the Texian/Tejano rebels.

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⇒ Antonio López de Santa Anna: "Greatest Scalawag" or Great Leader?

[whencyclopedia]

Goliad Massacre: Victory from Defeat

The Goliad Massacre (27 March 1836) was the execution of 350-400 Texians, of the garrison of Fort Defiance at Goliad, by the Mexican Army under orders from Mexican President and General Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794-1876). General José de Urrea (1797-1849) was commanding the troops who had defeated the forces of Texian Colonel James W. Fannin (1804-1836) at the Battle of Coleto (19-20 March 1836) and was in charge of the prisoners between then and 27 March, but Urrea disagreed with Santa Anna's policy of executing prisoners of war and so left it to his senior staff, chiefly Colonel José Nicolás de las Portilla, to deal with the prisoners.

Prior to this, between 27 February and 14 March, Urrea had sent prisoners of war under guard to Matamoros, refusing to kill them. At Goliad, however, although Urrea ordered Portilla to treat the prisoners well (especially Fannin), Portilla chose to follow Santa Anna's directive and had the Texian prisoners executed. Out of the 350-400, 28 survived by feigning death or managing to escape, others were rescued by Francita Alavez, the "Angel of Goliad," and another 20 were spared because they were considered useful to the cause of the Mexican army as doctors, interpreters, or laborers.

The Goliad Massacre and the Battle of the Alamo would become central to the victory of General Sam Houston (1795-1863) over Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto on 21 April 1836. Rallying his men with the cry, "Remember the Alamo!" and "Remember Goliad!", Houston won the battle in 18 minutes and, in so doing, won the independence of Texas.

Matamoros Expedition & Tornel Decree

Although conflict between Texians and the Mexican government began with the Anahuac Disturbances of 1832 and 1835, the Texas Revolution began with the Battle of Gonzales on 2 October 1835. Between October and December of that year, the Texians won every engagement. On 10 October, the Texians took the Presidio La Bahía near Goliad, renaming it Fort Defiance. Between 4 and 5 November, Texian forces under Philip Dimmitt (1801-1841) took Fort Lipantitlán. Dimmitt had earlier proposed a strike against the Mexican port of Matamoros. Now that he had Lipantitlán, however, he no longer felt that taking Matamoros was necessary. By December, he had changed his mind, encouraging others to take part in the attack, and various plans for a Matamoros Expedition were exchanged among the Texian command. James Grant (1793-1836) and Frank W. Johnson (1799-1884) were to lead the expedition, but differences within the command structure led to Colonel Fannin also being appointed to command.

After Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos (1800-1854) surrendered the Alamo after the Siege of Béxar (12 October to 11 December 1835) and left the region, many Texians believed the war was over and went home. Many others, however, did not. Volunteers were still stationed at the Alamo in San Antonio de Béxar, at Fort Defiance in Goliad, at Lipantitlán, and elsewhere. Grant and Johnson recruited men from these posts, taking 200 from the garrison at the Alamo and others from Goliad.

Sam Houston rejected the Matamoros Expedition as costly and unnecessary, arguing that Santa Anna would no doubt return to take Texas, and all available troops should be deployed to defend the positions won since October 1835. In early February 1836, Houston convinced many of the men under Grant and Johnson to abandon the Matamoros campaign, which they did. They then fell under Colonel Fannin's command, and he marched them from Refugio back to Fort Defiance at Goliad. Grant and Johnson were still determined to go on to Matamoros.

Santa Anna had heard of the Matamoros Expedition, however, and sent General José de Urrea to stop it. Prior to sending Urrea out, Santa Anna had secured from the Mexican Congress the Tornel Decree of 30 December 1835, which defined anyone who had taken up arms against Mexico a "land pirate" to be executed without due process of law. Santa Anna then issued this directive to his officers – including Urrea – ordering them to take no prisoners.

Urrea defeated Johnson's command at the Battle of San Patricio on 27 February 1836, and Grant was killed at the Battle of Agua Dulce on 2 March, ending the Matamoros enterprise. All that plan had accomplished was to bring General Urrea to Texas, and, so far, he had won both engagements and recruited more men. This is not to say Urrea would not have marched on Texas without the Matamoros Expedition, but that was the immediate catalyst. He now marched on toward Goliad, where, as he had been informed, a large Texian army was garrisoned at Fort Defiance.

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⇒ Goliad Massacre: Victory from Defeat

[artofwadedillon]

Photo courtesy of artist Jerry Henkener of myself as Colonel James Walker Fannin Jr. #goliad #goliadmassacre #jameswfanninjr #jameswfannin #texas #history #reenactor #livinghistory https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv8MdG4FgRT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=12k3rge6h2wyj