Battle of Rosillo Creek
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Rosillo Creek (also known as the Battle of Rosalis) was a conflict of the Mexican War of Independence
occurring March 29, 1813 in Coahuila y Tejas
, approximately nine miles southeast of San Antonio near the confluence of Rosillo Creek
and Salado Creek
.
, Samuel Kemper
, and Augustus Magee. And the Spanish
Royalist force which was commanded by Manuel María de Salcedo
, the Governor
of Texas
, and Simon de Herrera, the Governor
of Nuevo León
.
, Mexicans and Indians, along with some help from the United States
, crossed over from Louisiana
into Texas. Flying a green flag, they captured the town of Nacogdoches
on August 7, 1812.
The Republican Army of the North then marched to Goliad
, where they captured Presidio La Bahia
. From November 13, 1812, to February 19, 1813, they were besieged, when the Royalist
Army gathered to confront them. Unable to defeat the Republican Army, they retreated back to San Antonio. Samuel Kemper
, who had also been involved in the 1804 rebellion in Florida
, and The Republican Army, now numbering about 900 men, pursued.
the Republican Army from a ridge
overlooking Rosillo Creek
. Their trap failed when they were detected by the Republican forces, who defeated them in less than an hour
. At a cost
of six men, the Republican Army killed 100 to 330 Royalists and captured materiel
including six cannon
and 1,500 equines
.
to the Republican Army on April 1. Two days later Salcedo
, Herrera and 12 others were executed
by the victors. April 6 the Republican Army issued a draft declaration of independence.
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
occurring March 29, 1813 in Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.It had two capitals: first Saltillo, and then Monclova...
, approximately nine miles southeast of San Antonio near the confluence of Rosillo Creek
Rosillo Creek
Rosillo Creek begins at 29°31' N, 98°22' W, approximately 0.5 miles north of FM 1976, in Northeastern Bexar County, Texas, within the city limits of Windcrest, Texas, and flows southwestward for eighteen miles through the Rosillo Creek Basin, with an elevation ranging from 265 meters above sea...
and Salado Creek
Salado Creek
Salado Creek is a waterway in San Antonio that runs from Northern Bexar County for about to the San Antonio River near Buena Vista.-Watershed:...
.
The Combatants
The battle was fought between the Republican Army of the North, which was led by Bernardo Gutiérrez de LaraBernardo Gutiérrez de Lara
Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara was the first constitutional governor of the state of Tamaulipas, and a native of Revilla, today Ciudad Guerrero, Mexico.-Biography:...
, Samuel Kemper
Samuel Kemper
Samuel Kemper was an American adventurer and filibusterer.Born in Fauquier County, Virginia, Kemper was involved with his brothers in the 1804 rebellion in West Florida. He later participated in the 1812-13 Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition into Spanish Texas, becoming commander of after the death of...
, and Augustus Magee. And the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Royalist force which was commanded by Manuel María de Salcedo
Manuel María de Salcedo
Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , (Malaga, Spain, (1776 - executed, 3 April 1813), was a governor of Spanish Texas from 1808 until his execution in 1813. Salcedo gained leadership experience helping his father Juan Manuel de...
, the Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and Simon de Herrera, the Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
.
Background
In 1812, the Republican Army of the North, composed of Anglo-AmericansUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mexicans and Indians, along with some help from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, crossed over from Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
into Texas. Flying a green flag, they captured the town of Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
on August 7, 1812.
The Republican Army of the North then marched to Goliad
Goliad, Texas
Goliad is a city in Goliad County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 1975 at the 2000 census. Founded on the San Antonio River, it is the county seat of Goliad County. It is part of the Victoria, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Goliad is located on U.S. Highway 59, named also for...
, where they captured Presidio La Bahia
Presidio La Bahía
The Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía, known more commonly as Presidio La Bahia, or simply La Bahia is a fort constructed by the Spanish Army that became the nucleus of the city of Goliad, Texas, United States. Originally founded in 1721 on the ruins of the failed French Fort Saint...
. From November 13, 1812, to February 19, 1813, they were besieged, when the Royalist
Royalist (Spanish American Revolutions)
The royalists were the American and European supporters of the various governing bodies of the Spanish Monarchy, during the Spanish American wars of independence, which lasted from 1808 until the king's death in 1833...
Army gathered to confront them. Unable to defeat the Republican Army, they retreated back to San Antonio. Samuel Kemper
Samuel Kemper
Samuel Kemper was an American adventurer and filibusterer.Born in Fauquier County, Virginia, Kemper was involved with his brothers in the 1804 rebellion in West Florida. He later participated in the 1812-13 Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition into Spanish Texas, becoming commander of after the death of...
, who had also been involved in the 1804 rebellion in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and The Republican Army, now numbering about 900 men, pursued.
The battle
In March 1813 the Royalist force numbering 1,500 men planned to ambushAmbush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
the Republican Army from a ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
overlooking Rosillo Creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
. Their trap failed when they were detected by the Republican forces, who defeated them in less than an hour
Hour
The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds...
. At a cost
Casualty (person)
A casualty is a person who is the victim of an accident, injury, or trauma. The word casualties is most often used by the news media to describe deaths and injuries resulting from wars or disasters...
of six men, the Republican Army killed 100 to 330 Royalists and captured materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
including six cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
and 1,500 equines
Equidae
Equidae is the taxonomic family of horses and related animals, including the extant horses, donkeys, and zebras, and many other species known only from fossils. All extant species are in the genus Equus...
.
Aftermath
The Royalists retreated to San Antonio where they surrenderedSurrender (military)
Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and eventually become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers. A white flag is a common symbol of surrender, as is the gesture of raising one's hands empty and open above one's head.When the...
to the Republican Army on April 1. Two days later Salcedo
Manuel María de Salcedo
Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , (Malaga, Spain, (1776 - executed, 3 April 1813), was a governor of Spanish Texas from 1808 until his execution in 1813. Salcedo gained leadership experience helping his father Juan Manuel de...
, Herrera and 12 others were executed
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
by the victors. April 6 the Republican Army issued a draft declaration of independence.
Location
The battle site is near the present day intersection of W. W. White and Hildebrandt streets in Southeastern Bexar County, Texas.See also
- Salado CreekSalado CreekSalado Creek is a waterway in San Antonio that runs from Northern Bexar County for about to the San Antonio River near Buena Vista.-Watershed:...
- Battle of MedinaBattle of MedinaThe Battle of Medina was fought approximately 20 miles south of San Antonio de Bexar on August 18, 1813 as part of the Mexican War of Independence against Spanish authority in Mexico...
- Battle of Alazan CreekBattle of Alazan CreekThe Battle of Alazan Creek, occurred on the banks of Alazan Creek in Coahuila y Tejas on June 20, 1813, during the Mexican War of Independence...
- Manuel María de SalcedoManuel María de SalcedoManuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , (Malaga, Spain, (1776 - executed, 3 April 1813), was a governor of Spanish Texas from 1808 until his execution in 1813. Salcedo gained leadership experience helping his father Juan Manuel de...
- Gutiérrez-Magee ExpeditionGutiérrez-Magee ExpeditionThe Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition was an 1812–13 joint Mexican-American filibustering expedition against Spanish Texas during the early years of the Mexican War of Independence.-Background:...
- History of TexasHistory of TexasEuropean conquistadors first arrived in the region now known as Texas in 1519, finding the region populated by various Native American tribes...
- Samuel KemperSamuel KemperSamuel Kemper was an American adventurer and filibusterer.Born in Fauquier County, Virginia, Kemper was involved with his brothers in the 1804 rebellion in West Florida. He later participated in the 1812-13 Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition into Spanish Texas, becoming commander of after the death of...
- Reuben KemperReuben KemperReuben Kemper was an American pioneer and fillibuster.-Kemper and West Florida:Born in Fauquier County, Virginia, Kemper and his brothers Nathan and Samuel settled in Feliciana, near Baton Rouge, Spanish West Florida, shortly after 1800...
Sources
- 1. "The Sons of the Republic of Texas" By Thomas B. Green, 2003,
- 2. "Texas Tales Your Teacher Never Told You" by C. F. Eckhardt, published by Wordware publishing, Inc. Regional Division.
- 3. "Program for Ceremonies Commemorating The 175th Anniversary of The Battle of Medina August 21, 1988" by Robert H. Thonhoff.
- 4. "Report of The Battle of Medina by Spanish participant Joaquin de Arredondo" translated by Mattie Austin Hatcher in The Texas Historical Association Quarterly XI no. 3 January 1908 pages 200 - 236.
- 5. "Green Flag Over Texas" by Julia Kathryn Garrett, Cordova Press, New York.