Siege of Cuautla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Cuautla
Part of the Mexican War of Independence
Map of Cuautla Amilpas (today known as Cuautla Morelos) drawn in 1812.
Date 19 February – 2 May 1812 Location Cuautla, Morelos, Mexico Result Disputed, Mexican rebels abandon the city after 72 days of Spanish siege.
Belligerents
Mexican Rebels	Spanish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Gen. José María Morelos y Pavón Mariano Matamoros Hermenegildo Galeana Leonardo Bravo Víctor Bravo Nicolás Bravo José Antonio Galeana Manuel de Ordiera	Viceroy Francisco Xavier Venegas Félix María Calleja Ciriaco del Llano José Gabriel de Armijo José Antonio Andrade Captain Anastasio Bustamante
Strength
~17,000 soldiers	~12,000 soldiers
Casualties and losses
6,000	3,000

The Siege of Cuautla was a major battle during the Mexican War of Independence. It took place from February 19 to May 2, 1812, in the town of Cuautla, Morelos. In this battle, Spanish royalist forces, led by General Félix María Calleja, surrounded and attacked the town.

Inside Cuautla, Mexican rebels were fighting for independence from Spain. Their leaders included José María Morelos y Pavón, Hermenegildo Galeana, and Mariano Matamoros. The battle lasted 72 days. The rebels eventually left the city, making it a victory for the Spanish. However, the siege also showed the strength of the rebel forces.

Why the Battle Happened

The Mexican War of Independence began on September 16, 1810. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla started a rebellion, calling for freedom from Spanish rule. Many cities quickly joined the rebel cause.

After some early victories, Hidalgo's army faced defeats. The Spanish forces, led by General Félix María Calleja, pushed the rebels back. Hidalgo was eventually captured and executed in July 1811.

Before his capture, Hidalgo had named José María Morelos as the new leader of the rebel forces in southern Mexico. Morelos was a strong leader. By November 1810, he had taken control of much of the Guerrero region. He even issued an important document called the Bando del Aguacatillo, which was one of the first to talk about individual rights in Mexico.

Morelos continued his campaign, capturing towns like Izúcar and Taxco. By January 1812, he and his army reached Cuautla.

Preparing for the Siege

Map of Morelos' overall campaign.

The Spanish ruler of New Spain, Francisco Xavier Venegas, wanted to stop Morelos from attacking Mexico City. He sent General Calleja with 5,000 soldiers to trap Morelos in Cuautla.

Morelos, Galeana, Nicolás Bravo, and their rebel army arrived in Cuautla on January 31, 1812. One Spanish farmer tried to attack them with a cannon, but Galeana defeated him. After entering the city, Morelos gave a speech. He wanted to gain support from the people to help him reach Mexico City.

Leonardo Bravo quickly began building strong defenses around Cuautla. He dug trenches and made openings in buildings for soldiers to fire from. While Bravo worked on defenses, Morelos gathered food and supplies for his troops.

At this time, the rebel army had about 2,000 infantry (foot soldiers) and 1,000 cavalry (soldiers on horseback). They also had 16 artillery pieces, which are large cannons. One famous cannon was called el Niño.

On February 10, the rebels learned that Calleja's army was close to Cuautla. Galeana prepared the town and the Convent of San Diego for defense. Leonardo Bravo commanded forces from Santo Domingo. Mariano Matamoros and Victor Bravo took charge of the trenches in the south. Morelos focused on checking his troops and getting supplies.

On February 18, Calleja launched his first attack on Cuautla with about 5,000 soldiers. A few days later, 7,000 more Spanish soldiers arrived. Calleja tried to capture a hill called Loma de San Diego to use as an observation post. Morelos tried to stop him, but his forces were pushed back. Many rebels were captured or killed. Galeana rushed out with 50 soldiers to rescue Morelos, who was almost captured himself.

On February 19, at 7:00 AM, four columns of Spanish soldiers marched towards the Convent of San Diego. They planned a pincer attack, with two columns attacking from the front and two from the sides. Morelos ordered his rebels not to fire until the Spanish were very close to the city. He placed Galeana at the front of his defenses.

The Main Battle

When the Spanish army got close to the Plaza of San Diego, the rebels opened fire. Hermenegildo Galeana led his forces against the attackers. A Spanish Colonel challenged Galeana to a one-on-one fight. The Colonel missed his shot, but Galeana fired back and killed him.

At one point, the rebel position was weakening. Soldiers cried out, "All is lost, General Galeana has been defeated!" Rebel soldiers began to flee towards the city plaza. However, a brave 12-year-old boy named Narciso Mendoza fired a cannon at the Spanish dragoons (cavalry), scattering them. This heroic act helped save the city center.

After this intense fighting, Morelos visited the damaged houses, giving money and supplies to the people. He realized that if he could win this battle, he might be able to march on Mexico City.

The Siege Begins

After his first attack failed, Calleja wrote to the Spanish ruler, Venegas. He said that Cuautla was defended by about 12,000 rebels and that he couldn't take the city by force. Instead, he decided to surround the city and cut off its supplies. This is called a siege. Calleja planned for the siege to last six to eight days and asked for more soldiers to completely block off the city.

On February 22, the rebels intercepted a message from Calleja. It detailed his plans to besiege the city. Morelos thought about breaking out of the city, but Galeana believed the letter might be a trick. After a meeting, the rebel leaders decided to stay and defend Cuautla.

José María Morelos, the brave leader of the rebel forces at the Siege of Cuautla.

On February 23, another Spanish commander, Ciriaco del Llano, attacked Cuautla with cannons for two hours. His cavalry tried to attack, but they were stopped by a priest, Father Sánchez, and by Vicente Guerrero. The next day, the Spanish tried again but were pushed back. They then retreated, burning parts of nearby towns.

Llano was ordered to join Calleja's forces outside Cuautla. Morelos tried to stop Llano's 2,000 soldiers from reaching Calleja. However, the Spanish sent a counterattack force led by Captain Anastasio Bustamante. Bustamante surprised the rebels, allowing Llano's forces to safely join Calleja on March 1.

Once all of Calleja's forces were together, they completely surrounded Cuautla. The Spanish set up their main camp at the Buenavista Hacienda. They built a long bridge to cut off any escape routes from the city.

Morelos had fortified the Buenavista Hacienda and an area called "El Platanar." Galeana was in charge of defending this area. On March 10, he managed to defeat some Spanish forces at Zacatepec. That same day, the Spanish began a new cannon attack on the city. Nicolás Bravo stopped Llano's forces from entering, and Matamoros managed to escape the city.

On March 13, Calleja wrote to the viceroy, saying that the rebels were incredibly strong. He noted that they repaired any damage to their defenses every day. They also found ways to get water by digging wells and had plenty of corn for food.

After many months, Matamoros managed to escape Cuautla. He was heading to Toluca to get supplies for the rebels. However, Spanish forces ambushed him. Matamoros escaped, but they couldn't get the supplies back to Cuautla.

Spanish General Félix María Calleja del Rey, the royalist commander during the actions at Cuautla. He later became the ruler of New Spain.

Calleja tried several more times to attack the city, but he failed. By the end of April, the situation for the rebels inside Cuautla became very difficult. Many rebels were sick. On May 2, Calleja decided to give up the siege. That night, the rebels also decided to leave the city. In less than four hours, the entire rebel army had left Cuautla.

Both sides claimed victory. The Spanish took control of the city, but the rebels had held out for a very long time.

What Happened Next

After the rebels left, Calleja's forces entered and occupied Cuautla on the morning of May 2.

Calleja was called back to Mexico City. He later became the new ruler of New Spain in 1813. From this position, he continued to fight against Morelos.

Morelos and his leaders were hunted by the Spanish. The rebel movement moved south. Leonardo Bravo was captured and taken to Mexico City for trial. Morelos offered to free 200 Spanish prisoners from Cuautla in exchange for Bravo. However, Bravo was executed.

In response, Morelos ordered Leonardo's son, Nicolás Bravo, to execute the 200 Spanish prisoners. But Nicolás Bravo chose to free them instead! This act of kindness earned him the nickname "Caudillo Magnánimo" (the "Magnanimous Leader").

Around this time, another rebel leader, Valerio Trujano, was surrounded by Spanish forces at Huajuapan. When Morelos heard this, he marched to Oaxaca to help Trujano. Trujano had already held out for over 100 days. With Morelos's help, the rebels defeated the Spanish forces. Morelos then marched on and captured the city of Antequera de Oaxaca on November 25, ending his campaign for 1812.

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