Manuel Fernández Castrillón
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Manuel Fernández Castrillón (178?–1836) was a major general in the Mexican army of the 19th century. He was a close friend of General and Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna.
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[edit] Early life
Manuel Fernández Castrillón was born in either Spain or Cuba. He first met Santa Anna in 1822 while fighting near Veracruz, Mexico. He served as the general's agent in a campaign against a combined force of loyalist and Spanish soldiers and during the Mexican War of Independence (1810–1821).
[edit] Texas Revolution
During the Texan War of Secession from Mexico, Fernández Castrillón served as Santa Anna's aide-de-camp. He often argued against Santa Anna's decision to immediately assault the Alamo. Fernández Castrillón favored waiting for the arrival of the heavier cannon that would reduce the Alamo walls to rubble. On March 6, 1836, during the final assault of the Alamo, Fernández Castrillón took command of the Toluca Battalion after Colonel Francisco Duque was wounded. This column attacked the north wall of the Alamo. According to José Enrique de la Peña, after the Mexican victory at the Battle of the Alamo, Fernández Castrillón brought before Santa Anna six or seven Texians who he had taken prisoner during the final Alamo assault. He petitioned that their lives be spared. Santa Anna had stated that no prisoners would be taken and ordered the Texians executed on the spot. Weeks later, during the Goliad Massacre, Fernández Castrillón also protested – in vain – the execution of nearly 400 Texian prisoners, including their leader, James Fannin.
The Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, was a surprise attack led by Texas General Sam Houston, who had about 800-900 men. Santa Anna had about 1,400 under his immediate command, having previously split his army into separate and now widely scattered detachments. Houston, mounted on his horse Saracen, carried out a pre-emptive strike when the Mexican soldiers were supposed to be resting a thousand yards away. However, Santa Anna's army had no viable avenues of maneuver or retreat because of a swampy terrain to their rear and sides. It was in this brief battle that, in all the confusion, Fernández Castrillón bravely took a stand while commanding the "Golden Standard" cannon and tried to rally his troops amidst a hail of Texan gunfire. He was unsuccessful. Texian General and Secretary of War Thomas J. Rusk tried to spare the life of this proud and distinguished general. He pleaded with his men to not shoot him, but Fernández Castrillón was nevertheless shot and he died on the battlefield. Several days after the battle, Lorenzo de Zavala, an old friend, recovered Fernández Castrillón's body and had it buried on his nearby estate.
[edit] See also
[edit] External link
[edit] Further reading
- Hardin, Stephen L.; Texian Iliad-A Military History of the Texas Revolution; University of Texas Press; ISBN 0-292-730-86-1
- Roberts, R. & Olson, James S.; A Line in the Sand-The Alamo in Blood and Memory; Simon & Schuster; ISBN 0-7432-1233-9
