Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition facts for kids
The Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition was an important journey and military effort between 1812 and 1813. It involved people from Mexico and the United States working together. Their goal was to fight against Spanish Texas during the early years of Mexico's fight for independence from Spain. This type of military action, where private citizens or groups fight in a foreign country without their government's official support, is called a filibuster.
Contents
Background: The Start of a Revolution
In 1810, a priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla started a big revolt against the Spanish rulers in Mexico. This event began the Mexican War of Independence. Around the same time, in 1811, Juan Bautista de las Casas led another revolt in San Antonio, Texas. He even managed to capture the Spanish governor.
However, the Spanish army fought back strongly. They crushed de las Casas's revolt, and Governor Manuel María de Salcedo was put back in charge. Sadly, Father Hidalgo was executed in July, and de las Casas and his friends were executed in August.
After these defeats, the remaining rebels looked for help from the United States. Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara, a blacksmith from a region called Nuevo Santander, traveled all the way to Washington, D.C.. But he didn't get much official help. The U.S. government only told him they wouldn't stop his plans.
Gutiérrez then decided to try a "filibuster" plan. He talked to many people, including his cousin, about gathering a private army. They both went to Louisiana to find more support for their mission. There, they met with Governor William C. C. Claiborne and a U.S. agent named William Shaler.
The Expedition: Marching into Texas
Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara gained the support of Augustus Magee, a former U.S. Army officer. Together, they formed a group of 130 men in Natchitoches, Louisiana. In early August, these men crossed into Spanish Texas. Their first success was capturing the town of Nacogdoches.
Once in Texas, their numbers grew to 300 fighters. They continued their journey and captured the town of Santísima Trinidad de Salcedo on September 13. This town was located on the east side of the Trinity River. Their early victories encouraged them to push further south.
Facing the Spanish Governor
The Spanish governor, Manuel María de Salcedo, had about 800 men. He was searching for the revolutionaries near the Guadalupe River. He eventually found them near the lower San Antonio River at Goliad. The expedition had easily taken control of the Spanish fort there, called Presidio La Bahia.
Magee and his men were surrounded by the Spanish for four months. Magee even talked with the Spanish leaders about giving up, but he finally decided to fight. However, some of Magee's soldiers started to lose trust in him, and disagreements spread among the rebel leaders. Magee became very sick and died on February 6, 1813. After his death, Samuel Kemper took command of the expedition. Captain John McFarland was sent to find more fighters. Volunteers from Nacogdoches, soldiers who left the Spanish army, and some Coushatta Indians joined the group.
Victories and Challenges
Kemper successfully fought off the governor's attacks. On February 10 and 13, Kemper defeated Salcedo, who then retreated towards San Antonio. In March, Kemper's forces grew even larger, with about 500 more men joining. The expedition decided to chase the Spanish army, which was now in Bexar. Many volunteers joined the Republican Army for this pursuit, including Americans, Tejanos (Texans of Mexican heritage), former Spanish soldiers, and Lipan and Tonkawa Indians.
On March 29, they fought and defeated Simón de Herrera's Spanish army of 1,200 men at the Battle of Rosillo Creek. Governor Salcedo surrendered on April 1, 1813.
Gutiérrez suggested that the captured Spanish prisoners be sent to the United States for safety. But, as the prisoners were being marched out of town by Captain Antonio Delgado, they were stopped, tied to trees, and sadly killed. On April 17, the Republican Army wrote a declaration of independence for Texas, saying it was now part of the Mexican Republic. They also adopted a solid "Green Flag" as their new banner. Gutiérrez declared himself the governor of this new state.
Changes in Leadership
Because of some poor decisions, Gutiérrez started to lose the trust of Kemper and the other Americans. His declaration and allowing the execution of the Spanish governor and other officials caused many problems. Kemper decided to leave and led about 100 Americans back to Louisiana, taking no further part in the fight. The rebels then looked for a new leader.
Meanwhile, Colonel Ignacio Elizondo and General José Joaquín de Arredondo took charge of the Spanish efforts to regain control of Texas. Elizondo surrounded San Antonio with 900 men. Without Kemper's strong leadership, the rebels suffered from internal disagreements. First, Reuben Ross took command, but he didn't have enough support and became second in command. The leadership then went to United States Colonel Henry Perry. On June 20, Perry surprised Elizondo's troops with a dawn attack at the Battle of Alazan Creek. This victory once again freed San Antonio from Spanish control. The Spanish army had to regroup.
The Final Battle
The success of the Republican Army started to gain more support. José Álvarez de Toledo y Dubois, who had been consulted at the beginning of the expedition, became interested in the conflict. He arrived in San Antonio on August 1, wanting to lead the Texians and confront Arredondo. William Shaler, a special agent from the United States, advised him. Shaler and José Álvarez de Toledo worked together and started a campaign against Gutiérrez. The Americans, convinced that Gutiérrez wasn't looking out for their interests, threatened to leave unless Gutiérrez was replaced. Gutiérrez left for Natchitoches on August 6, which saved his life. In his absence, Toledo took charge.
However, disagreements within the Republican Army continued. Some Texians liked their new leader, while others did not. Toledo wanted to fight the Spanish in Bexar, but Perry and the people of San Antonio convinced him to spare the city and march out to surprise the Spanish. Colonel José Menchaca, a former Spanish officer who now led the Tejanos, was against Toledo as their leader. He caused disagreements, which slowed Álvarez de Toledo's advance against the Spanish. Toledo, the Republican leader, was not able to make his move against the Royalists until August 15.
This situation ended badly for the Texans. Even though they had won decisively at the Battle of Alazán and now had a large force of 1,400 Americans, Tejanos, Spanish, Indians, and black soldiers, they suffered a crushing defeat on August 18, 1813, at the Battle of Medina. Toledo had planned to surprise the Spanish, but when he moved towards them, it turned into an unexpected ambush. Toledo tried to turn his men around, but Colonel José Menchaca chose to fight until the end. By chasing what seemed to be the main Spanish force, they ended up surrounded. Meanwhile, Arredondo and Elizondo had reorganized a force of 1,800 soldiers and were ready to fight. The Gutiérrez-Magee expedition ended with a terrible loss of about 1,300 men. Toledo and a few of the men managed to escape to the United States.
After the battle, Spanish officials recaptured San Antonio and punished many people severely, executing over 300. The situation in Nacogdoches was also very difficult, as the Spanish were harshly dealing with the rebels there. However, on September 12, Elizondo's harsh actions ended when he was killed by one of his own officers.
The Spanish actions caused many people to flee Texas. They would never fully trust the Spanish royal family again. José Francisco Ruiz and José Antonio Navarro, who later signed the 1836 Texas Declaration of Independence, were among those who fled Texas. Texas remained a place of revolution and filibusters for many years to come.
See also
In Spanish: Ejército Republicano del Norte para niños
- Battle of Medina
- History of Texas
- Samuel Kemper
- Reuben Kemper
