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To: laotzu
Santa Ana was in and near San Antonio during Mexico's War Of Independence, ca. 1820; he was a lt. fighting for Spanish Colonial rule. Learned to decapitate fighters opposing Spain. When coming to San Antonio to crush the rebels in 1836 he had just finished up 'the rape of Zacatecas', no details needed.

Local Hispanic people suffered under Spanish colonial rule, Mexican corrupt rule, they suffered under intense attacks from Comanche and Apache raiders and slavers, and then undeniably suffered under Anglo land-grabbers when Texas Republic was established. The vile coward Mustang Gray and his murder of the Benavides family comes to mind.

This idjit doesn't care about real history. Posturing, sneering narcissist.
8 posted on 04/15/2004 7:21:44 AM PDT by squarebarb ("You gotta learn to street-fight with these vermin." --- Michael Savage)
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To: squarebarb
To provide a little background for those not from the Corpus Christi area here is a short summary of the Grey-Benavides massacre. Unfortunately many native Tejano families were stripped of their lands (such as the De Leon's) and driven from what was their native country after the triumph of the Texas Revolution.




Captain Placido Benavides
From Victor Rose's History of Victoria, Laredo, 1883

Don Placido Benavides was a native of the village of Reynosa, state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and when but a mere child was taken in charge by his Padrino, or God Father, Captain Don Henrique Villarreal, and properly educated. In the year 1828, he, in company with his older brothers, came to Don Martín De León's colony; being at that time quite young. He was employed by the commissioner, Don Fernando, as a secretary in all the business transactions relating to the issuance of land titles to the colonists, until the year 1831, when he married Miss Augustina De León, daughter of the Empresario; and at once applied for a league and labor of land, to which he was entitled, as an actual settler; and located the same on the Placido creek, in Victoria county, adjoining the land of his brother, Don Eugenio, where they both established ranches of livestock. The year following he was elected alcalde of Guadalupe Victoria; and reelected in 1834. About that time, in consequence of the death of Don Martín, he was authorized by the supreme government to continue the operations necessary to fulfill his second contract for the introduction of colonists. The next year he hastened, at the head of his company, to reinforce the Texas army operating against the forces of General Cos, in San Antonio, and contributed no little in effecting the capitulation of that officer; receiving marked notice in the report of the Texas commander for his gallantry, fidelity, and general efficiency. Of his comrades in that expedition the names now only of Silvestre De León, Carlos Laso, Albino Cavazos, Maximo Gomez, Manuel Escalera, and Amado, are remembered. It may be remarked in passing that Albino Cavazos continued to live in Victoria county until February, 1884, when he died, in obscurity and poverty, near Carlos Ranch, on the San Antonio river.

Several times previous to this campaign Captain Benavides and Silvestre De León had led expeditions against the hostile Indians; following them to their villages and punishing them for depredations committed. At one time they pursued the Tonkawas to their retreat on the peninsula, and brought back with them some eighteen Tonkawa children, which were distributed among the citizen, and baptized. Early in 1836, while engaged with others on the Nueces, in procuring horses for the Texan cavalry, Capt. Benavides met with a hazardous adventure, in being surprised and closely pursued by the dragoons of Gen. Urrea. He and Dr. Grant were riding in advance of the caballado, and upon the sudden appearance of the cavalry in their front, put spurs to their horses; and after an exciting chase Dr. Grant was killed, Benavides effecting his escape. Says Mr. Patricio De León, "Captain Placido Benavides often stated that had Dr. Grant acted in conformity to his suggestions he unquestionably would have succeeded in effecting his escape, as he did. But the Doctor became excited and beat his horse, and used his spurs with unnecessary severity, which, confusing the animal retarded instead of accelerating his speed.

Placido Benavides retired, with the De León family to New Orleans after the battle of San Jacinto, and died a Opeloosas, in the parish of San Landry, in 1837. His widow accompanied Mrs. Carbajal to Mexico in 1839, and lived in the town of Sota la Marina, where she died five years after the death of her husband. Their family consisted of three daughters: Doña Pilar, the eldest married Don Cristobal Garza, who lived at Rio Grande City, Texas; Doña Librada, the second daughter is the wife of Mr. Patricio De León, a prominent and much respected citizen of the Mission Valley neighborhood. Doña Martianita, the youngest, married Don Serapio Garza, of Rio Grande City. The brothers of Capt. Benavides were Ysidro, Eugenio, and Nicolas. They returned from Louisiana in 1838, and settled upon their lands. Don Ysidro on the Chocolate creek, in Calhoun county, Don Nicolas on the Arenosos, and Eugenio, on the Placido creek, as stated.

Don Ysidro married Miss Cayetana Moreno, and had three sons, viz: J. M. Benavides, who married Miss Josépha Benavides, and now resides on the Placido creek, Victoria county; Placido, second son, married Miss Romualda Hinojosa, of Mier, Mexico, at the present writing, a resident of Duval county, Texas, at the Benavides station on the railroad leading from Corpus Christi to Laredo; and Ysidro Jr. who married Miss Reyes Garza, of Goliad, and resides in Duval county; and three daughters, the eldest of whom, Miss Juanita, married Capt. James Cummings; the second, María Antonia, married the Rev. W. M. Sheely, a Methodist preacher; and Martianita, the youngest, married Mr. Warren Sheely. Don Eugenio Benavides had four sons, viz: David, Ygnacio, Francisco, deceased, and Romulo, who married Miss Refugia Lopez, and resides on the Placido creek, in Victoria county; and four daughters: Josépha, Pilar, and Librada, all deceased, and Leónor, widow of Ines Villarreal, who lives on the Placido, in Victoria county, her husband having died May 10th, 1882.

Don Nicolas Benavides moved to Hidalgo county, from his place in Jackson county, in 1862. His sons were, Placido and Eugenio, deceased, Nicolas, and Ygnacio, living in Hidalgo county; and his daughters, Josépha, married Refugio Bernal, and Concepcion, unmarried, both deceased.

The massacre of the friends of Don Ysidro Benavides, briefly adverted to in the narrative proper, was one of the most heinous crimes ever perpetrated by people claiming to be civilized. This occurred in Zarco creek, nine miles west of Goliad in 1843; the victims were nine in number, only the names of José M. Barrera and his brother, Manuel Barrera, and Don Regalado Moreno, brother of Don Ysidro's wife, being now remembered. They had been on a visit to the family of the latter, and were returning home, in Mier, Mexico, with a small quantity of tobacco and other goods for the Mexican trade. They were pursued by a party of "cowboys," led by "Mustang" Grey; overtaken, disarmed through professions of friendship, and executed in a ghastly heap; the paltry spoil furnished the sole motive for this act of supreme atrocity. Strange to relate that though the thugs fired upon their victims from the very muzzle of their guns, one of the number, José M. Barrera, was not killed, though grievously wounded in the face. Mr. John Fagan, some time after found him wandering about in the vicinity of Carlos Ranch, and had him conveyed to the home of Don Ysidro Benavides, on the Chocolate Creek. When able to travel, Mr. Benavides conveyed him to Mier, where he died of the effects of the wound two years afterward. Not the least strange is the statement that the perpetrators not only were never made to suffer the penalty of their crime, but no steps, that we have any knowledge of, were ever taken to bring them to the bar of justice. In the light of which, and kindred facts, it is not strange that Texas achieved a most unsavory reputation among the more moral and law abiding citizens of the older states, and we of the present day have more cause to rejoice that the desperado, robber and murderer has gone, than that the savage Comanche has sounded his war whoop long since for the last time in the beautiful valley of our own Guadalupe.

[The photo is from Hammett's The Empresario and noted in error in that and several sources as Placido Benavides. According to researcher Jose Guerro Jr., the photo is actually Santos Benavides of Laredo. Second greatgrandson of the founder of Laredo and a major influence in border politics in Laredo in the second half of the 19th century, Benavides was a member of the Texas Legislature. As Colonel in the army of the Confederate States of America, Benavides was the highest ranking Mexican-American to serve the Confederacy, one of two brothers that influenced late 19th century Laredo politics and served in the Confederate Army. It is unknown if he was related to Placido Benavides.]
21 posted on 04/15/2004 10:56:47 AM PDT by robowombat
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To: squarebarb

I think you're missing the point of the author...he said that after the battle of the alamo, Hispanics were discriminated against (at the least) and even lynched. That's what I got from this article...I don't think is was a complete history of Texas and its many skirmishes.
Also: I've met Oscar Villalon, and if he's an idjit, Einstein's an earthworm. The guy is brilliant.


42 posted on 12/28/2005 6:54:44 PM PST by constant32
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