Martín Perfecto de Cos

Martín Perfecto de Cos
Martini
Personal details
Born October 1, 1800
Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Died October 1, 1854 (aged 54)
Minatitlán, Veracruz
Nationality Spanish (1800–1821) and Mexican (1821–)
Spouse(s) Lucinda López de Santa Anna
Profession General

Martín Perfecto de Cos (October 1, 1800 – October 1, 1854)[1] was a 19th-century Mexican general. He was married to Lucinda López de Santa Anna, sister of Antonio López de Santa Anna.

Military career

Texas Revolution (1835–1836)

La Villita, San Antonio

Cos was appointed commander of military forces in Texas in July 1835 and was sent there to disarm any rebellious citizens. He arrived in Texas on September 21, 1835 with 300 soldiers. Cos proceeded to the town of Goliad on October 1, then moved on to San Antonio de Béxar. Cos ordered the arrest of William B. Travis and any other rebel leaders. Once he was in San Antonio (Siege of Béxar), Cos was assailed by Texan forces under the leadership of Stephen F. Austin. The town was put under siege by the Texan army. After a 56-day siege of the town and Alamo mission, on December 9, Cos surrendered the town of San Antonio and weapons to the Texans then proceeded to leave Texas. Cos and his men were allowed their muskets for protection and one four-pound cannon. Mexican losses during the siege were about 150. On his way south, Cos met up with Santa Anna's forces at Laredo marching north to put down the rebellion.[2]

Cos returned to San Antonio and led a column of 300 soldiers against the northwest corner of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. Eventually Cos' soldiers overran the Alamo's north wall.

On April 21, 1836, Cos arrived with over five hundred reinforcements for Santa Anna shortly before the Battle of San Jacinto. He was taken prisoner on April 24, after his battalion was smashed and routed by a combined attack by Texas volunteers under Colonels Sidney Sherman and Edward Burleson.

Mexican-American War (1846–1848)

Cos was in charge of the garrison at Tuxpan, but did not play a significant role in the fighting with the United States Army.

Film depiction

Among the depictions of Cos on film is that of the Mexico City-born actor Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr., in the 1956 picture, The First Texan, about the rise of Sam Houston in Texas. In the film, Cos orders the arrest of William B. Travis and directed his Mexican soldiers to scale successfully the walls of The Alamo.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Ortman, Stephen R. (2012). "Cos, Martín Perfecto de". In Tucker, Spencer. The Encyclopedia of the Mexican–American War: A Political, Social, and Military History 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 176. ISBN 9781851098538.
  2. ↑ Claudia Hazlewood, "COS, MARTIN PERFECTO DE," Handbook of Texas Online , accessed January 23, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  3. ↑ "The First Texan". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 12, 2014.

External links