- Biography
- Early years
- Beginning of his military career
- Process of the Spanish War of Independence
- Open field combat
- Mina, prisoner of France
- End of the Spanish War of Independence
- Participation in the Mexican War of Independence
- Mina's Proclamation
- Stage of resistance
- Mina's relationship with Moreno
- Last days
- Recognitions
- References
Francisco Xavier Mina (1789-1817) was a Spanish lawyer and military man who participated in two important conflicts, which went down in the history of the Iberian country and of Mexico as an independent nation.
The first significant event of which he was a part was the Spanish War of Independence against the First Empire of France. This event occurred as a consequence of the Napoleonic invasions in Spain.
After ending this conflict, he fought in the Mexican War for Independence with the intention of joining the insurgent struggle against the rule of the Crown in the colonies. He went down in history as one of the most important Spaniards to declare his loyalty to the American independence cause.
Biography
Early years
Francisco Xavier Mina was born on July 1, 1789 in the Community of Navarra, Spain, under the name of Martín Xavier Mina y Larrea. He ended up adopting the name of Francisco as a "war name."
He is the third son of Juan José Mina Espoz and María Andrés Larrea. It was a family that devoted itself throughout its life to farming.
The good economic position of her family, allowed Mina to move and study in Pamplona when she was only 11 years old. There she lived with her uncles, Clemente and Simona Espoz. At the age of 18 she left Pamplona and moved to Zaragoza where she began her law studies at the university.
During the War of Independence, in the early 1808s, Spain was under the occupation of France. The invasion caused Mina to flee into the forest hills of her hometown.
Beginning of his military career
When he learned of the Napoleonic invasion, he dropped out of his studies and later joined the military resistance against France. Mina carried out espionage activities, heading north of the Pyrenees.
The General in charge of the resistance, Joaquín Blake, commissioned a commander, named Aréizaga, to command the infantry forces of the Army of the Right. The intention was to rescue Zaragoza. Areizaga promoted Mina to general, who served all the orders of his superior.
In 1809, at the request of Generals Blake and Aréizaga, Mina was sent back to Navarra to begin his guerrilla actions in the forest. Under his leadership, he initially formed a ten-man guerrilla group, but managed to reach just over 200 over time.
After taking 80 horses, he managed to arm the cavalry of "El Corso". Having a relatively solid army, he began to participate in larger military battles.
Process of the Spanish War of Independence
Francisco Espoz, Lucas Górriz, Ramón Elordio, Félix Sarasa and some peasants formed the guerrilla group; his contest was established in Pamplona. The guerrilla assaults continued to bear fruit. As the guerrilla grew, the number of prisoners, belongings, weapons and money increased.
In 1809, there were already a large number of young people who wanted to contribute to the cause of the guerrillas and defend Spain from the French.
The first confrontation of Mina's forces took place in Estella, one of the municipalities of Navarra. The French took action to send troops, where they almost captured Mina. On the way to Urbasa he had another encounter with the French, in which he lost 18 men. However, Mina took it upon herself to train the men at her disposal.
Mina considered her prisoners respecting their guarantees. However, in Urbasa's actions, the invaders captured Vicente Carrasco along with 18 other guerrillas. The French then made the decision to hang Carrasco and shoot Mina's 18 men.
After that event, Mina finally made the decision not to respect any guarantees of the prisoners of the opposite side.
Open field combat
United Corso de Navarro and the guerrilla of the Aragonese Miguel Sarasa, ambushed a large French troop of approximately 500 men, in Tiermas (Zaragoza). That was the first open field confrontation between the guerrillas and the French.
From that combat, El Corso de Mina did not rest; They fought in several clashes that occurred in various municipalities of Navarra. Finally, the guerrilla forces of Mina took over the routes of Navarra and Alto Aragón.
On the other hand, it gave Mina time to restructure her troops. After the confrontations, it had 1,200 infantry and 150 cavalry men, forming the group "Primero de Voluntarios de Navarra".
After the events, Napoleon ordered General Harispe to hunt down and kill Mina's men. After learning of Napoleon's strategy, Mina surprised the French general on the road to Tubela, causing him a significant amount of French losses and 140 prisoners.
Mina, prisoner of France
In 1810, Mina decided to rest in Labiano, Pamplona, with only 14 of her men. After a few days, a French column surprised them and ordered their capture. The French devised a maneuver so that Mina's men could get out and thus intersect them.
After the escape, orchestrated by the French themselves, Mina was wounded in the left arm, which caused him to end up being a prisoner.
When they took him to Pamplona, he was locked up and interrogated. After several days he was transferred to France escorted by 400 French soldiers. Mina was locked up in the Old Castle; While there, the news reached him that his uncle, Francisco Espoz, had taken over the leadership of the volunteers.
On February 8, 1814, Mina was transferred and met with other Spanish prisoners such as Blake, Lardizábal, La Roca, among others. After the fall of Napoleon, he returned to Navarre.
End of the Spanish War of Independence
When Mina returned to Spain, he was appointed colonel of the Hussars of Navarre by King Fernando VII. However, he did not sympathize with the king for having abolished the 1812 constitution that guaranteed democracy in Spain.
After failing an orchestrated coup against the king, Mina fled to France; de Bayona traveled to England where she met Servando Teresa de Mier, a Mexican priest.
The priest Servando Mier made Mina understand the purpose of his trip to the Americas: The independence struggle of America as part of the process against the absolutism of the King of Spain.
Finally, in May 1816, 20 Spanish officers plus an Italian and English team left the British port of Liverpool.
Servando Teresa Mier explained to Mina the expedition to help the insurgents of New Spain. The priest invited Mina and other Spaniards to go with him to Mexico.
Participation in the Mexican War of Independence
Mina sailed with her crew on two ships; They arrived in Galveston, New Spain, on November 24, 1816.
Upon arrival, Mina affirmed through a manifesto that her intention was not to fight Spain as such, but rather the tyranny of King Fernando VII. Finally, on May 24 of that same year, he advanced towards the interior of the country to join Pedro Moreno and the insurgents.
On May 17, one of the Spanish ships sank one of Mina's ships; however, he managed to escape the attack unscathed. Then he went to the Hacienda del Cojo (whose owners were against Mexican independence) with 300 men, appropriating 700 horses.
From there, he began his fight by taking various states of New Spain; passing through Valle del Maíz, Peotillos and Real del Pino. On May 24, he met again with Moreno, at Fort del Sombrero, with a group of insurgents.
On the other hand, a group of soldiers located in Soto la Marina were defeated; Servando Mier was arrested in the same place.
On October 27, 1817, Moreno was one step away from death and Mina was immediately arrested.
Mina's Proclamation
On April 15, Mina disembarked in Soto Marina, a town that it took because it had been abandoned. In the following days she printed a proclamation addressed to the Americans explaining the reasons for her intervention.
Mina issued a manifesto stating that her intention was to combat the tyranny of King Ferdinand VII. She thought of the need to explain to the Americans the reasons why a Spaniard would fight against her own compatriots.
He began his speech by explaining in detail the events held in Spain; the imposition of the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte against Spain.
He explained that he believed in the king for having been yet another victim of the war. However, either the monarch completely forgot his cause. He explained that their duty was to recover the democratic constitution that had been abolished by the tyranny, after having recovered Spain from the massacre.
Mina saw in New Granada an opportunity to save Spain. She analyzed the need to take refuge in a foreign country with one of her colleagues, not only to defend her cause, but also to defend theirs. She finally affirmed that "the cause of the Americans is also mine."
He ended his speech by asking them to participate in his cause by accepting his services as a prepared military man, being part of them.
Stage of resistance
The war of resistance was a period of the Mexican War of Independence, where Francisco Mina had a greater role, since he was the one who started such a fight.
After the death of Pedro Moreno, the struggle for independence declined significantly; it lacked leaders and those who were there did not have the necessary military knowledge to fight a war.
When Fernando VII returned to power, he abolished the constitution of 1812. By affirming absolutism, he did not allow Mexican prisoners to be tried before they were eliminated. For that reason, the insurgents preferred to apply the tactic of not advancing, but organizing a single resistance.
In all the time that the insurgents were in the resistance, Mina began his military campaigns, which were victorious. However, in August 1817 on one of the trips to Guanajuato, he and his men (led by Pedro Moreno) were attacked.
They managed to create the Fort of the Hat, where they appeared to fight the Spanish. The fighting continued for a few more days, so they had to flee quickly from the fort. However, Mina and her men continued their confrontation with the Spanish; without success, they returned to take refuge in the fort without any provisions.
Mina's relationship with Moreno
Moreno was a respected landowner who joined the cause to fight the Mexican War of Independence, alongside the peasants. He obtained good results as a leader for his speed and imposition of his attacks.
He established his military operations in the Fort of the Hat, where Mina arrived to be his most faithful assistant. Together they managed to win several campaigns, creating a strategic and resistance society against the Spanish.
After fighting off the royalist attacks on the fort, Mina gave the order to evacuate it. On August 15, 1817, the Mexican leader went out at night with other of his men. That same day, the insurgent column was attacked. Some managed to escape, and others were killed. Moreno managed to meet again with Mina.
They both left for the interior of the country; however, they held several meetings with the royalists.
Last days
After Moreno's death, Mina was taken as a prisoner to the Pascual Liñal detachment. On November 11, he was transferred on a picket line to the crest of Cerro del Borrego de los Remedios, Mexico. He was shot by the soldiers of the Zaragoza Battalion.
He died at the age of 28. His remains rest in the Column of Independence in Mexico City, as a form of recognition for having participated in the Mexican War of Independence.
Recognitions
"Mina" was the name that was given to one of the municipalities of Mexico, in the state of Nuevo León. Previously it was called San Francisco de Cañas, however, on March 31, 1851 it was renamed in honor of the Spanish who participated in the Mexican cause.
In 1823, the Mexican Congress declared him "Hero in a heroic degree." Currently there is a statue that rests on the pedestal of the Independence Monument on the main avenue of the Mexican capital.
In 1830, a city in colonial Texas was renamed "Mina", but after the Texas Revolution, the name was changed to "Bastrop."
The General Francisco Javier Mina International Airport is located in Tampico, Mexico.
References
- Martín Javier Mina y Larrea, wikipedia in English, (nd). Taken from wikipedia.org
- Francisco Xavier Mina, Writers of Biographies and Lives: Online Biographical Encyclopedia, (nd). Taken from biografiayvidas.com
- The two programs of Francisco Xavier Mina: from heroes to villains, Antonio E. de Pedro, (2014). Taken from magazines.uptc.edu.co
- AGNRemember the arrival of the liberal Francisco Xavier Mina, gob.mx writers, (nd). Taken from gob.mx
- Stage of Resistance of the Independence of Mexico, wikipedia in english, (nd). Taken from wikipedia.org