Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition
Encyclopedia
The Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition was an 1812–13 joint Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

-American filibustering
Filibuster (military)
A filibuster, or freebooter, is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution...

 expedition against Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. Although Spain claimed ownership of the territory, which comprised part of modern-day Texas, including the land north of the Medina and Nueces Rivers, the Spanish did not attempt to colonize the area until after...

 during the early years of the Mexican War 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...

.

Background

In 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla began a revolt against the Royalist Spanish in Mexico, which would initiate the Mexican War of Independence. Likewise, in 1811, Juan Bautista de las Casas
Juan Bautista de las Casas
Juan Bautista de las Casas led a revolt against the governor of Spanish Texas in 1811 and served as head of the province for 39 days until he was deposed.-Revolt:...

 led a revolt against Spain at San Antonio, capturing the Spanish governor. The Spanish struck back, however, crushing the revolt. Governor Manuel María de Salcedo was restored to power. Father Hidalgo was executed in July, in Chihuahua, while de las Casas and his associates were executed in August.

The remaining rebels then turned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 for help. Nuevo Santander
Nuevo Santander
Nuevo Santander was a region of the Virreinato de Nueva España, corresponding generally to the modern Mexican state of Tamaulipas and southern Texas. Nuevo Santander was named after Santander, Spain, and settled by Spanish American colonists in a concerted settlement campaign peaking in 1748-1750...

 blacksmith Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara
Bernardo 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:...

 traveled to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, but received little more than the knowledge that the U.S. government would not interfere with his efforts. After trying the government's patience, he entertained the idea for a filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...

, consulting as many who would listen, including his cousin Guerro Caja de las Casas. They both traveled to 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...

 to seek support for their filibuster. In New Orleans, they met Governor William C. C. Claiborne and William Shaler.

The expedition

Gutiérrez gained the support of Augustus W. Magee and formed a force of 130 men at Nachitoches, Louisiana. In early August, The men then crossed into Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. Although Spain claimed ownership of the territory, which comprised part of modern-day Texas, including the land north of the Medina and Nueces Rivers, the Spanish did not attempt to colonize the area until after...

, and captured the town of Nacogdoches. In 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...

 their numbers increased to 300, and they proceeded to take the town of Santísima Trinidad de Salcedo, (now Midway, Texas
Midway, Texas
Midway is a city in Madison County, Texas, United States. at the junction of the La Bahía Road and the Old San Antonio Road in northeastern Madison County.-Geography:Midway is located at ....

) on September 13. Their success would push them on. They traveled south, to conquer the next Spanish stronghold.

The Spanish governor, 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...

, with about 800 men, was patrolling the Guadalupe River
Guadalupe River (Texas)
The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...

 area, in search of the revolutionaries. He later found them on the lower San Antonio River
San Antonio River
The San Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in central Texas in a cluster of springs in north central San Antonio, approximately four miles north of downtown, and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state. It eventually feeds into the Guadalupe River about ten miles from...

 at Goliad. They had easily taken and were controlling the Spanish fort there, 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...

. Magee was besieged for four months. Magee negotiated with the Spanish leaders and considered surrender, but finally decided to fight. However, Magee's army lost confidence in him, and discord spread among the republican leaders. Then, tragedy struck Magee and he died on February 6, 1813. 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...

 succeeded to the command. Captain John McFarland was sent to find new recruits, volunteers from Nacogdoches; Spanish army defectors and a few Coushatta
Coushatta
----The Coushatta are a historic Muskogean-speaking Native American people living primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the territory of present-day Georgia and Alabama...

 Indians joined in.

Kemper beat back the governor's attacks. On February 10 and 13, Kemper successfully defeated Salcedo, who retreated toward San Antonio on February 19.
In March, Kemper's forces again swelled, by some 500 men. The expedition would pursue the Spanish, now in Bexar
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

. Joining the Republican Army in the pursuit to San Antonio were volunteers, consisting of Americans, Tejanos, former Spanish soldiers, Lipan and Tonkawa
Tonkawa
The Tickanwa•tic Tribe , better known as the Tonkawa , are a Native American people indigenous to present-day Oklahoma and Texas. They once spoke the now-extinct Tonkawa language believed to have been a language isolate not related to any other indigenous tongues...

 Indians. On March 29, they defeated Simón de Herrera's Spanish army of 1,200 men, at the Battle of Rosillo Creek
Battle of Rosillo Creek
The Battle of Rosillo Creek 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.-The Combatants:The battle was fought between the Republican Army of...

 (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:...

). Governor Salcedo surrendered on April 1, 1813.

Gutiérrez suggested the prisoners be sent to the United States for safe keeping. But, as the prisoners were marched out of town by Captain Antonio Delgado, they were halted, tied to trees and killed.
On April 6, the Republican Army drafted a declaration of independence, establishing the first Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...

 of Texas and adopted a solid "Green Flag" for a banner. Gutiérrez declared himself President of the new Republic.

Because of poor judgement, Gutiérrez would lose the confidence of Kemper and the other Americans. His proclamation and allowing the execution of the Spanish governor and other officials, proved to be too much. Kemper ended up quitting and led about 100 Americans back to Louisiana and took no further part. The Republicans looked for a new leader.

Colonel Ignacio Elizondo
Ignacio Elizondo
Francisco Ignacio Elizondo Villarreal, , was a New Leonese royalist general, mostly known for his victorious plot to seek to capture important insurgency precursors of the Mexican War of Independence such as Miguel Hidalgo, Ignacio Allende, and Juan Aldama in Baján, Coahuila in...

 and General José Joaquín de Arredondo
Jose Joaquín de Arredondo
Joaquín de Arredondo y Mioño was a 19th-century Spanish–Mexican soldier who served as Chief Civil and Military Commandant of Texas during the first Texas revolution.-Early life:...

 would take charge of the Spanish effort to secure Texas. Elizondo would lay siege to San Antonio with 900 men. Without Kemper's leadership, the rebels suffered from internal divisions. First Rueben Ross took command, but was unsupported and dropped to second in command. The job next fell to United States Colonel Henry Perry. On June 20, Perry routed Elizondo's troops in a dawn attack, at the Battle of Alazan Creek
Battle of Alazan Creek
The 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...

, once again freeing the Spanish hold on San Antonio.

The splintered Spanish Army would have to regroup.

The success of the Republican Army began to stir additional support. Now interested in the conflict was José Álvarez de Toledo y Dubois
José Álvarez de Toledo y Dubois
José Álvarez de Toledo y Dubois was a politician and leader of a military force against Spanish rule in Texas.Toledo was born in Havana, Cuba. His father, Luis de Toledo y Liche was a native of Seville, Spain. He was educated at the Escuela Naval de Cádiz and then joined the Spanish Navy in 1806...

, who had been consulted at the beginning of the filibuster. He proceeded into San Antonio on August 1, with the desire to take charge of the Texians and confront Arredondo. Advising was United States special agent
United States Ambassador to Mexico
The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823, when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. Jackson declined the appointment, however, and Joel R. Poinsett became the first U.S. envoy to Mexico in 1825. The rank...

 William Shaler. Shaler and José Álvarez de Toledo would team up and initiate a propaganda campaign against organizer Gutiérrez. The Americans, convinced that Gutiérrez was not concerned with their interests, threatened to leave unless Gutiérrez was replaced. Gutiérrez would exit for Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...

 on August 6, which ultimately saved his life. In his absence, Toledo took charge.

The Republican Army's dissension persisted. Some Texian
Texian
Texian is an archaic, mostly defunct 19th century demonym which defined a settler of current-day Texas, one of the southern states of the United States of America which borders the country of Mexico...

s liked their new leader, while others didn't. Toledo wanted to fight the Spanish in Bexar, but was persuaded by Perry and San Antonians to spare the city and march out to surprise the Spanish. Colonel José Menchaca, (a former Spanish officer, now leader of the Tejanos), being opposed to Toledo as their leader, instigated discord, slowing Álvarez de Toledo's advance against the Spanish. The Republican leader, Toledo was not able to make his move upon the Royalists until August 15.

This situation would end up badly for the Texians. Even though they had decisively won at the battle of Alazán and now had a large force, (composed of 1400 Americans, Tejanos, Spanish, Indians, and Blacks), they would suffer a crushing defeat on August 18, 1813, at the Battle of Medina
Battle of Medina
The 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...

. Toledo had planned on surprising the Spanish, however when he moved upon them, it turned into an unintentional ambush. Toledo tried to turn the men around, but Colonel José Menchaca had chosen to fight till the death. By chasing what appeared to be the main body of the Spaniards, they would end up surrounded. For in the meantime, Arredondo and Elizondo had reorganized a force of 1800 and were ready to fight. The Gutiérrez-Magee expedition would end with a terrible loss of some 1300 men. Toledo and a few of the men were able to flee to the United States.

The Spanish would recapture San Antonio and conduct a brutal reprisal, executing over 300 people. The situation in Nacogdoches was hardly any better, where the Spanish were brutally purging the rebels. On September 12, however, Elizondo's ruthlessness was ended, when he was assassinated by one of his own officers.

The repercussions and vengeance of the Spanish caused many to flee Texas, and they would never fully come to trust the Spanish Royals again. San Antonio natives and future signers of the 1836 Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...

, José Francisco Ruiz
Jose Francisco Ruiz
José Francisco "Francis" Ruiz was a Texas revolutionary-Early life and family:Ruiz was born in San Antonio de Bexar, Texas to Juan Manuel Ruiz and María Manuela de la Peña. Appointed the first schoolmaster of San Antonio in 1803, he designated a house acquired by his father on Military Plaza as...

 and José Antonio Navarro
José Antonio Navarro
José Antonio Navarro was a Texas statesman, revolutionary, politician, and merchant. The son of Ángel Navarro and Josefa María Ruiz y Pena, he was born into a distinguished noble family at San Antonio de Béxar in New Spain....

, were among those who fled Texas. Texas would remain a hot spot for revolution and filibusters for years to come.

External links

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