Domingo de Ugartechea (c. 1794 – 24 May 1839) was a 19th-century
Mexican Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
officer for the Republic of Mexico.
Biography
Early years
![Domingo de Ugartechea](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Domingo_de_Ugartechea.jpeg)
Domingo de Ugartechea served for
José Joaquín de Arredondo
José Joaquín de Arredondo y Mioño (also known as Jose Arredondo y Miono Pelegrin y Oceja) (1768–1837) was a 19th-century Spanish and Mexican soldier who served during the last two decades of Spanish rule in New Spain. He was military comman ...
in 1813. Ugartechea as well as
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (; 21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. usually known as Santa Ann ...
were cadets during the suppression of the
Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition
The Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition was an 1812–1813 joint filibustering expedition by Mexico and the United States against Spanish Texas during the early years of the Mexican War of Independence.
Background
In 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Cos ...
, and at the
Battle of Medina
The Battle of Medina was fought approximately 20 miles south of San Antonio de Bexar (modern-day downtown San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas) on August 18, 1813, as part of the Mexican War of Independence against Spanish authority in Mexico ...
.
In June 1832, Ugartechea commanded 125 men at the fort at
Velasco, Texas
Velasco was a town in Texas, United States, that was later merged with the city of Freeport by an election conducted by eligible voters of both municipalities on February 9, 1957. The consolidation effort passed by a margin of 17 votes. Founded ...
; he attempted to employ his artillery to prevent rebelling Texas colonists under John Austin from taking cannon from Brazoria to Anahuac at the time of the Anahuac disturbances. Although defeated by the Texans in the eleven-hour
Battle of Velasco
The Battle of Velasco, fought June 25-26, 1832, was the first true military conflict between Mexico and Texians in the Texas Revolution, colloquially referred to as the "Boston Harbor of Texas" It began when Texian Militia attacked Fort Velasco, ...
, Ugartechea was permitted to evacuate
the fort.
In 1835 Ugartechea was military commandant of
Coahuila and Texas
Coahuila y Tejas, officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de 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 (1822–1825) fo ...
in command of the forces at
Presidio San Antonio de Béxar
Presidio de Béxar was a Spanish fort built near the San Antonio River, located in what is now San Antonio, Texas, in the United States. It was designed for protection of the mission San Antonio de Valero and the Villa de Béjar. The Presidio de B ...
, all the while struggling with deficiencies in funding, supplies, and manpower. Although 200 men appeared on his rolls, only half that number were in active service. His observations from this position in the spring of that year contributed to the hardening of attitudes in Mexico concerning Anglo-American abuse of land policies and of native Tejanos in the departments of Nacogdoches and Bexar. He also considered the Texans to be disrespectful toward the government and its leaders, writing in one letter: ''"Nothing is heard but God damn
St. Anna. God damn Ugartechea."''
In mid-May 1835 Ugartechea worked through the political authorities to avoid armed conflict with the militiamen under
Juan N. Seguín, who departed from the town of Bexar toward
Monclova, Coahuila
Monclova (), is a city and the seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila. According to the 2015 census, the city had 231,107 inhabitants. Its metropolitan area has 381,432 inhabitants and a ...
, to aid federalist Governor
Agustín Viesca
Agustín Viesca (1790–1845) was a governor of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas in 1835. He was the brother of José María Viesca, also a governor of Coahuila y Tejas during 1827-1831.
Administration in Texas
As Mexican President Antoni ...
. Only last-minute concessions from political chief
José Ángel Navarro prevented a clash between the militia and Ugartechea's soldiers. Subsequently, Ugartechea received and passed on to Mexico many reports that the spirit of conciliation was growing in the summer of 1835 and that the greatest threat to a consensus favoring peace would be to bring more troops from Mexico to Texas. However, at the end of July Ugartechea expressed his opinion to his superior,
Martín Perfecto de Cos
Martín Perfecto de Cos (1800–1 October 1854) was a Mexican Army general and politician during the mid-19th century. Born in Veracruz, the son of an attorney, he became an army cadet at the age of 20, a lieutenant in 1821, and a brigadier gener ...
, that reinforcements were still quite necessary. In this way Ugartechea both reflected and furthered the hardening of attitudes that brought about war.
In dealing with the people of Texas, Ugartechea continued to issue reassurances about the potential for peace if his arrest orders were carried out. Those whom he ordered the Texas authorities to detain and hold included representatives to the
Coahuila legislature, leaders of the Anahuac expedition or rebellion of June 1835, and other opponents of centralism such as
Lorenzo de Zavala
Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Sanchez (October 3, 1788 - November 15, 1836), known simply as Lorenzo de Zavala, was a Mexican and later Tejano physician, politician, diplomat and author. Born in Yucatán under Spanish rule, he was clo ...
. During the course of the summer the units under his command grew to nearly 500 men, including about 200 cavalry on active duty. In September, reports circulated that Ugartechea intended to execute these arrests himself. Indeed, it was under his orders that Lt.
Francisco de Castañeda went to
Gonzales, Texas, to secure a cannon from the hands of the Texans, leading to the
battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
on October 2 that initiated hostilities in the
Texas Revolution. Ugartechea then urged peace but warned the Texans to surrender their arms or face a renewed advance from San Antonio.
Siege of San Antonio
During the
siege of Béxar
The siege of Béxar (or Béjar) was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texian army defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar (now San Antonio, Texas). Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican governme ...
,
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...
conducted the Texan forces from the outskirts of the town, while Ugartechea at first remained with the Mexican forces in town. A unit of his cavalry engaged in reconnoitering around
Cibolo Creek in mid-October. He then led a body of 275 infantry with two cannons from the town on the morning of October 28, precipitating the
Battle of Concepción. Colonel Ugartechea commanded a unit of cavalry that slipped through the siege forces on November 12 and made its way in about ten days to the
Rio Grande (Río Bravo) to seek reinforcements. On November 26 he guided a force of 454 conscripts and 173 veteran troops from Laredo to relieve the centralist army under Cos at Bexar. Their arrival on December 8, actually increased the burden of supply on the centralist army and helped to precipitate its surrender on December 9, to the Texans.
Texas Revolution
Ugartechea returned to Laredo with Cos's forces. He came back to Texas with the Mexican army in 1836. In late March Ugartechea received command of the inexperienced troops left in reserve at Copano, Victoria, and Goliad, making his headquarters in the latter place, and having responsibility for reconstructing shelter for the garrison and activating fortifications. Following the Mexican retreat after the
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto ( es, Batalla de San Jacinto), fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day La Porte and Pasadena, Texas, was the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engage ...
, Ugartechea went to
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, and the municipal seat of the homonymous municipality. It is on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from ...
, where he reportedly helped initiate the policy of persuading
Native Americans to make war against the people of Texas. He continued to support the centralist cause, helping defeat a federalist uprising at
Saltillo, Coahuila
Saltillo () is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and is also the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. Mexico City, Monterrey, and Saltillo are all connected by a major railroad and hig ...
, from his post in
Monterrey, Nuevo León
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anc ...
, in February 1839. He was killed in defense of Saltillo on May 24, 1839.
References
* . Accessed June 1, 2005.
Further reading
* Hubert Howe Bancroft; ''History of the North Mexican States and Texas (2 vols''., San Francisco: History Company, 1886, 1889).
* Paul D. Lack, ''The Texas Revolutionary Experience: A Political and Social History'' (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1992).
* Jeff Long, ''Duel of Eagles: The Mexican and U.S. Fight for the Alamo'' (New York: Morrow, 1990).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ugartechea, Domingo
1839 deaths
Mexican soldiers
Mexican people of Basque descent
People of Mexican side in the Texas Revolution
Mexican military personnel killed in action
History of Laredo, Texas
Year of birth uncertain