Hermenegildo Galeana (13 April 1762 – 27 June 1814) was a hero of the

Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...

, one of six brothers who fought in the insurgency. Galeana was considered the right-hand man of secular priest and leader of independence,

José María Morelos José María Teclo Morelos Pérez y Pavón () (30 September 1765 – 22 December 1815) was a Mexican Catholic priest, statesman and military leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming its leadership after the execution of ...

and was the immediate superior of insurgent fighter

Vicente Guerrero Vicente Ramón Guerrero (; baptized August 10, 1782 – February 14, 1831) was one of the leading revolutionary generals of the Mexican War of Independence. He fought against Spain for independence in the early 19th century, and later served as ...

. Guerrero was of

Afro-Mexican Afro-Mexicans ( es, afromexicanos), also known as Black Mexicans ( es, mexicanos negros), are Mexicans who have heritage from sub-Saharan Africa and identify as such. As a single population, Afro-Mexicans include individuals descended from both ...

mixed-race from the west coast of Mexico where there was considerable racial mixture of the indigenous Indians, Africans and Asians brought to Mexico as slaves. Also part of the mix were non-hispanic pirates who operated on the west coast, which was a stronghold for independence. Galeana's family were landholders and "family name is said to be hispanicized from English," with the founder in Mexico being an English pirate who jumped ship, marrying a local woman. His portrait shows him as light-complected in a region with many dark ''morenos''. Galeana died in battle, which followed the earlier death of Morelos's lieutenant, Father

Mariano Matamoros Mariano Matamoros y Guridi (August 14, 1770 – February 3, 1814) was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary rebel soldier of the Mexican War of Independence, who fought for independence against Spain in the early 19th century. B ...

, Morelos reportedly exclaimed, "I have lost both my arms, now I am nothing."quoted in Vincent, ''The Legacy of Vicente Guerrero'', p. 100. There are several places in Mexico named Galeana after the general.

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