José Antonio Mijares (c. 1819–1847) was a
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army () is the combined Army, land and Air Force, air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army.
The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National Defense o ...
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
who led the
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
resistance force against the American
garrison
A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters.
A garrison is usually in a city ...
of
San José del Cabo
San José del Cabo (, ''Saint Joseph of the Cape'') is a coastal city located on the Gulf of California coast, near the southern tip of Baja California Sur (state), México. San José del Cabo is situated on the edge of a shallow bay, some northea ...
in the
Battle of San José del Cabo
The Battle of San José del Cabo was a military engagement of the Mexican–American War which took place on two November days in 1847, after the fall of Mexico City.
Background
On 21 July, 115 men from the Seventh Regiment of New York Volunte ...
where he was killed leading the assault.
Early life
Jose Antonio Mijares was born in
Santander, Spain
Santander ( , ; ) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. It has a population of 172,000 (2017). It is a port city located in the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Cantab ...
, and came to
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, and became a citizen of
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. He joined the
Mexican Navy
The Mexican Navy () is one of the components of the Mexican Armed Forces. The Secretariat of the Navy is in charge of administration of the navy. The commander of the navy is the Secretary of the Navy, who is both a cabinet minister and a career ...
in 1842 and participated in the
Naval Battle of Campeche
The Naval Battle of Campeche took place on April 30, 1843, and May 16, 1843. The battle featured the most advanced warships of its day, including the Mexican steamer '' Guadalupe'' and the equally formidable '' Montezuma'' which engaged a squad ...
, becoming a Lieutenant. Following the
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...
, Mijares retired from the navy and married Dolores Aviles in June 1847.
[ Jardin Cabenos Ilustres; Biographies; Lt. Jose Antonio Mijares (1819–1847) from mexican-folk-art-guide.com accessed on April 5, 2013.](_blank)
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Mexican War Service and Death
The looming outbreak of the Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
prompted him to join the Mexican Army. As a Lieutenant, he was sent to Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur, is a state in Mexico. It is the 31st and last state to be admitted, in 1974. It is also the second least populated Mexican state and the ninth-largest state by ...
, joining the command of Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Manuel Pineda Munoz
Manuel may refer to:
People
* Manuel (name), a given name and surname
* Manuel (''Fawlty Towers''), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers''
* Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire
* Manuel I of Portugal, king of Po ...
, who had defeated a U. S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
attempt to capture Mulege in the Battle of Mulege and was moving south to attack American forces in La Paz
La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...
.guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
leader Jose Matias Moreno with about 100 men to San José del Cabo, where the U. S. Navy Commodore
Commodore may refer to:
Ranks
* Commodore (rank), a naval rank
** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom
** Commodore (India), in India
** Commodore (United States)
** Commodore (Canada)
** Commodore (Finland)
** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...
William Shubrick
William Branford Shubrick (October 31, 1790 – May 27, 1874) was an officer in the United States Navy. His active-duty career extended from 1806 to 1861, including service in the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War; he was placed on the re ...
had left a garrison of four passed midshipmen and twenty marines, and twenty friendly ''bajacalifornios'' from the town, along with a 9-pound carronade
A carronade is a short, smoothbore, cast-iron cannon which was used by the Royal Navy. It was first produced by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, and was used from the last quarter of the 18th century to the mid-19th cen ...
under Lieutenant Charles Heywood
Major General Charles Heywood (October 3, 1839 – February 26, 1915) was the ninth Commandant of the Marine Corps. He served as an officer for over 45 years and was the first Marine to reach the rank of major general. During Heywood's term a ...
.
Upon reaching San José del Cabo on November 19, 1847 the force offered terms of surrender to Lt. Heywood, which were refused. The next night, the Mexicans launched their assault on the American positions in the town. Heywood's force barricaded in the priests house (nowadays the site of the Casa de la Cultura) and the surrounding houses.forlorn hope
A forlorn hope is a band of soldiers or other combatants chosen to take the vanguard in a military operation, such as a suicidal assault through the breach of a defended position, or the first men to climb a scaling ladder against a defended ...
to seize the piece of artillery and distract the defenders from the main assault on the walls. In the attack, Lt. Mijares was severely wounded and his men seeing him fall, the attack faltered, and they were repulsed. Lt. Mijares died the next day.
Mexico considers Lieutenant Mijares a hero and have a monument to him on the main street of San José del Cabo, called Boulevard Antonio Mijares.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mijares, Jose Antonio
Mexican military personnel of the Mexican–American War
Spanish emigrants to Mexico
1810s births
1847 deaths
People from Santander, Spain