Forgotten Tejano Heroes

by Jack Ayoub

Ambrosio Rodriguez

Texas history has long forgotten Tejano heroes who fought for Texas independence from Mexico in 1836, such as 2nd Lieut. Ambrosio Rodriguez.  Born in San Antonio, his father was Don Manuel Ignacio Rodriguez and his mother was Antonia Curbiere, of the early Canary Island families, which settled San Antonio; he was married to Miss Maria de Jesús Olivarri on January 16, 1828. He joined Captain Seguin’s Company on the 23rd day of February, 1836.  On April 21st, 1836, Rodriguez marched with Capt. Sequin’s Tejanos in Texas General Sam Houston’s army at the Battle of San Jacinto for victory against the Mexican General Santa Anna’s army.

None of his Tejano comrades knew that day of the battle, that Ambrosio has hiding a family secret. His first cousin, Mariano Rodriguez, was a Mexican soldier in the paymaster corp of Santa Ana’s army.  Rodriguez also contributed during the war for Texas Independence when he became the first Tejano in Capt Seguin’s company to warn Lt. Col William Barrett Travis that Gen. Santa Ana’s army had crossed the Rio Grande about 150 miles north of Laredo in the dead of winter, after being informed from his wife’s parents living in the Laredo area.

Although Travis did not believe Rodriguez, Capt. Seguin did and decided to send Jose Cassiano to spy for Texas, as well as send his best Tejano scout, Blas Herrera, to patrol the Laredo area for Santa Ana’s army.  Although both reported to Seguin that Santa Ana had indeed crossed the Rio Grande River and was marching to San Antonio, Travis still refused to believe both reports about the Mexican Army movements.

Texas Independence from Mexico was won because of contributions from our Texas heroes and our Tejano heroes, such as 2nd Lieut. Ambrosio Rodriguez who were willing to fight and die for Texas.  He died in San Antonio in 1848.

VIVA TEJAS Y VIVAN LOS TEJANOS

 

 

Battle of Bexar

Texas History has long forgotten our Tejano heroes who fought and died for Texas Independence in 1836, and that trend continued through 1875.  In 1870, the State of Texas was granting pensions to anyone who fought for Texas Independence from Mexico. Texans and Tejanos would go before the board, raise their right hand, and take the oath that everything they were saying was the truth.  The Texans were granted their pensions, but unfortunately, the Tejanos never received their just compensation. This led to 20 Tejanos, including Lt. Col. Juan Seguin and Capt Antonio Menchaca, on Jan.12th, 1875, to petition the State Comptroller and document their military participation in five major battles for Texas Independence.

At the Battle of Bexar (San Antonio), 160 Tejanos under command of Capt Juan Seguin  fought along side of about 200 Texans with Col. Ben Milam and Col. Ben McCullouch, house to house and finally capturing the Alamo from General Cos and his Mexican Army.  Two miles outside of San Antonio, 70 Tejanos with 25 Texans under the command of Col. Jim Bowie defeated 300 Mexican soldiers including calvary and one cannon, at the Battle of Concepcion. Fifteen Tejanos entered the Alamo with Capt. Juan Seguin, and eight Tejanos would die along side Davy Crockett, Col. Jim Bowie, and Lt. Col. William Travis.

After the Battle of San Jacinto, Capt. Seguin was asked to list the names of the 20 Tejanos who were on the battle field that day on April 21st, 1836. According to the lost Tejano petition, there were Tejanos on calvary patrols south of San Antonio protecting ranches from Indian raids and Mexican soldier deserters.  Deaf Smith, Chief of Texas scouts, had Tejanos scouting in his company, as well as there were Tejanos serving as guards and escorts for the Texas families fleeing eastward from General Santa Anna’s army. Horses and luggage had to be taken care of and protected, as well as several Tejanos who were sick at San Felipe.

Texas Independence Celebration Association, hold its event on the San Benito Fair Grounds, to reenact the courage and bravery of our Texas heroes and Tejano heroes will be honored and remembered at the re-enactments of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto.  And just before the Battle of San Jacinto, the battle field narrator will announce the correct actual number of Tejanos who fought for Texas Independence in the Texas Army with Gen. Sam Houston against General Santa Anna.

VIVA TEJAS Y VIVAN LOS TEJANOS

 

 

Jose Cassiano

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Jose Cassiano of San Antonio should be honored and remembered for his contributions for the Texas War for Independence.  Born Giuseppi Cassini in San Remo, Italy, in 1791, he came to San Antonio in the 1820s and opened a general store.  Giuseppi changed his name to Jose Cassiano and married into the prominent Menchaca family. Soon, Cassiano became prosperous and bought land and properties in and around San Antonio.

During the siege and the Battle of Bexar (San Antonio) in Dec 1835, Cassiano gave the Texas army the use of his house for the officers as well as the supplies in his general store.  Financial contributions were also made by Jose for the Texas army.  His good friend, Capt Juan Seguin, asked him to spy for the Texas revolution whenever he was on his regular trips to Mexico for supplies. Cassiano soon reported to Seguin that General Santa Anna’s Mexican Army was marching to San Antonio.  Unfortunately, Lt. Col. William Travis, co-commander of the Alamo, did not believe Cassiano’s report, but most of Seguin’s  company of Tejano soldiers did.  They asked Travis for permission to leave San Antonio, so they could move their families out of harms way.  Reluctantly, Travis granted them his permission with the condition they would return back to the Alamo. However, most of the Tejanos could not get back to the Alamo in time before General Santa Anna’s army encircled the mission.  This would explain why there were almost 160 Tejanos at the Battle of Bexar (San Antonio) on Dec.10, 1835  but only 8 Tejanos who fought and died at the Alamo on March 6th, 1836.

On March 10th, 2018, San Benito will be celebrating Texas Independence Day (March 2nd, 1836) to remember and honor our Texas heroes and Tejano heroes, like Jose Cassiano, who was a Tejano by choice, not by birth, who all contributed for our independence and freedom.

VIVA TEJAS Y VIVAN LOS TEJANOS

 

 

Rear Action Guard

Texas history has long forgotten who served as the rear action guard for Texas General Sam Houston’s retreating army, after the fall of the Alamo to Mexican General Santa Anna’s soldiers. Houston was concerned about the Mexican calvary attacking his army from behind.  Unlike the Mexican infantry who often recruited convicts and prisoners at the point of a sword, Mexican soldiers had to show they were excellent horsemen to qualify for the calvary who all carried metal tipped sharped edges on their 7 foot lancers. Many of the Mexican calvarymen wore metal helmuts and metal vests, so they looked and fought like the medival knights of old.

General Houston could have chosen Capt. John Billingsly, a frontiersman and Indian fighter, or Capt Mosely Baker, totally fearless and a good shot, or Capt. Henry Karnes, an excellent scout.  And all these Texas captains had fought the Mexican infantry before and were good choices, but his best choice to confront the Mexican calvary was his Tejano vaqueros under the command of Capt Juan Seguin.  These rancheros were riding horses before they could walk and had all worked on their ranches, branding cattle and roping horses.

According to the memoirs of Juan Seguin, he felt honored and priviledged to have his company of Tejanos chosen to be Houston’s army rear guard action, and his Tejano soldiers were not going to let the general down.  Houston’s deepest concerns came true, when advanced units of Mexican calvary confronted Capt. Seguin’s Tejanos at the town of San Felipe at the river crossing.  Gun shots were exchanged, but the Mexican calvary were never able to cross over to attack the Texas army. Seguin’s Tejanos were able to catch up to General Houston and fight with their Texas comrades at the Battle of San Jacinto to help win Texas Independence.

In addition to being Houston’s rear guard action, Capt. Seguin and his Tejanos fought in 5 different battles, including the Alamo and San Jacinto, but Texas history does not even remember their military contributions with a foot note in the history books. However, on March 10th, 2018, Saturday, at the San Benito Fair Grounds, battle field re-enactors will honor our Tejano heroes and Texas heroes at the re-enactments of the Battle of the Alamo and San Jacinto, and hopefully the battle field narrator will explain all the actions and events leading up to these battles.

VIVA TEJAS Y VIVAN LOS TEJANOS.

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