Battle of Medina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Medina
Part of the Mexican War of Independence
Date August 18, 1813 Location Medina River Valley, Texas Result Royalist victory
Belligerents
Royal Spanish Army	Republican Army of the North American filibusters
Commanders and leaders
Joaquín de Arredondo Ignacio Elizondo	José Álvarez de Toledo y Dubois Henry Perry
Strength
about 1,830	about 1,400 irregulars
Casualties and losses
55 dead	1,300 dead

The Battle of Medina was a very important fight in Texas history. It happened on August 18, 1813, about 20 miles south of San Antonio de Bexar (which is now downtown San Antonio in Texas). This battle was part of the Mexican War of Independence, where people fought against Spanish rule in Mexico.

Spanish soldiers, led by General José Joaquín de Arredondo, fought against a group called the Republican Army of the North. This group included Tejano-Mexican and Tejano-American revolutionaries. They were part of an effort known as the Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition, led by General José Álvarez de Toledo y Dubois. The Battle of Medina was the deadliest battle ever fought in Texas.

Why the Battle Happened

The Fight for Texas Freedom

Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara wanted to free Texas from Spanish control. He visited Washington, D.C., and got some support for his plans. In 1812, a soldier named Colonel Augustus Magee joined him. Colonel Magee had left the U.S. Army to help. He formed the Republican Army of the North to support the Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition. This army used a bright emerald green flag. People think Colonel Magee, who had Scots-Irish roots, introduced it.

Early Victories and Challenges

The Republican Army of the North captured Nacogdoches on August 12, 1812, without much trouble. Then, on November 7, 1812, they marched into what is now Goliad. There, they took over the Presidio La Bahía, a Spanish fort. The Spanish Army soon arrived and surrounded them, starting a four-month siege. During this time, Colonel Magee sadly died on February 6, 1813. After many fights and heavy losses, the Spanish soldiers stopped their attack and went back to San Antonio de Bexar.

On March 25, 1813, the Republican Army of the North left La Bahia for Bexar. They had received more soldiers. Colonel Samuel Kemper took over from Magee, and Lt. Col. Reuben Ross became second in command.

The Battle of Medina

Armies Prepare for Battle

At the time of the battle, General Toledo's Republican Army had about 1,400 fighters. This group included Tejanos, Americans, Euro-Mexicans (called Criollos), former Spanish Royalist soldiers, and some Indians. There was also at least one black slave fighting with them. This army set up camp on the north side of the Medina River. This was about six miles north of where General Arredondo's 1,800 Royalist (Spanish) troops were camped.

The Fight Begins

The battle lasted for four hours. General Toledo's plan was to set up a surprise attack. He wanted to ambush the Royalist troops as they marched through a narrow pass on the road between Bexar and Laredo. However, General Arredondo had sent out a scouting party with some cavalry (soldiers on horseback) that morning. They were trying to find Toledo's troops. By accident, they ran into the Republican ambush. After a short fight, they retreated.

The Republican soldiers chased them. They probably thought the cavalry, which was kicking up a lot of dust, was the main Spanish army. It is believed that Toledo tried hard to stop his troops from chasing them, but he couldn't. As they chased, the sandy ground slowed them down. Their cannons got stuck deep in the sand. By the time they reached the Spanish lines, they were tired and thirsty. Even so, they managed to push back some Spanish artillery (cannon) units. They tried to go around the side of the Spanish army, but Spanish cavalry stopped them.

A Turning Point

General Arredondo was unsure what was happening. He was ready to order his troops to fall back. But then, someone who had left the Republican side told him that the Republican troops were also trying to pull back because they were exhausted. So, Arredondo changed his mind and ordered his army to attack instead.

The Republicans then ran away in a disorganized rush. Toledo and a few others went straight to Louisiana. Some fighters stopped in San Antonio just long enough to get their families. The Spanish army kept pushing, killing many of the fleeing soldiers. Most of the remaining Republican soldiers were captured. They were then quickly executed, meaning they were killed without a trial. This was a sign of what would happen later in the Texas War of Independence.

Fewer than 100 out of 1,400 Republican soldiers survived. The Royalists, on the other hand, lost only 55 men. The bodies of the Republican troops were left on the battlefield. They were not buried until 1822. That's when José Félix Trespalacios, the first governor of Coahuila y Tejas under the new United Mexican States, ordered soldiers to gather their bones and bury them with honor under an oak tree on the battlefield.

Survivors and Future Leaders

Some of the people who fought in the Gutiérrez-Magee expedition were sons of American revolutionaries. Others had fought with Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. Of the few who survived, some fought again during the second Texas Revolution (1835–36). José Antonio Navarro and José Francisco Ruiz, who would later sign the 1836 Texas Declaration of Independence, were part of these resistance movements. They later became leaders in the Texas Revolution.

Marker placed at one possible site of the battle near Leming, Texas

One of the soldiers who died, Peter Sides, was a veteran of the American Revolution. Sides was about 62 years old when he left his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to join the revolutionaries. He was from North Carolina and had fought in earlier militias. Markers from the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas have been placed at the battle site to honor him.

Sadly, the names of most of the other 1,300 or so soldiers who died from the Republican Army of the North have been lost to history.

An interesting fact is that a young lieutenant named Antonio López de Santa Anna fought in this bloody battle. He followed his commanders' orders to take no prisoners. This experience greatly influenced how he would fight wars for the rest of his life. This was seen most famously during the Texas Revolution at the Alamo and the Goliad.

Finding the Battlefield

The exact spot where the Battle of Medina happened has not been found by archaeologists. However, there are three historical markers for the battle:

• The first marker was put up by the State of Texas in 1936 for the Texas Centennial. It is at the southeast corner of U.S. Route 281 and Farm to Market Road 2537 in Bexar County.
• The second marker was placed by the State of Texas in 2005. It is at the corner of Old Applewhite Road and Bruce Road in Atascosa County.
• The third marker was placed by Robert P. Marshall in 2013. It is on Old Pleasanton Road south of the intersection with Bruce Road. This marker is based on his own research and is not officially recognized by the state.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Medina para niños

• Battle of Rosillo Creek
• History of Texas