By Andy Porras
!Viva Zapata!
Almost every semi-educated American knows this particular Spanish surname and what it meant during the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
But almost nobody knows about the “other Zapata.” The one from Texas. The one from another revolution.
Thanks in part to Dr. Roberto Mario Salmon and his research and excellent posting of information on the Texas State Historical Society website, many thirsty-for-facts writers can now report this most interesting forgotten trozo of Texas/U.S./Mexico history.
Dr. Salmon’s research reveals that Antonio Zapata, born around the 1800s in the northern Mexican state of Tamauilpas, would spend his youth as a simple sheepherder. Zapata then hones those sheepherding-smarts to a science to convert him into a well-to-do ranchero. Later he would also become a well-known militia officer during Indian skirmishes and known to the Comanche and Lipan natives as “Sombrero de Manteca or ‘lard-hat’ on account of a greasy type of hair dressing he chose to slick down his locks.
According to the report by Dr. Salmon, Zapata joined with other northern leaders in armed resistance to Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna‘s Centralist subversion of the Mexican Constitution of 1824.
Zapata was commissioned a colonel and went to battle for the existing Federalist cause under the command of Antonio Canales Rosillo.
“Rosillo,” writes Dr. Salmon. “Was a gifted cavalry officer, he has been compared to Chevalier Bayard and Stonewall Jackson.”
About this time in Col. Zapata’s life, his property was looted to the tune of $70,000. The loss made but a tiny dent in his financial armor as he had become extremely wealthy as a rancher.
His loss, however, may have given him a more serious reason to continue the fight against the Mexican Centralist government.
Meanwhile, in January, 1840, the streets of Laredo were abuzz with a special convention in their city. Around mid month the convention attendants broke the news that they were declaring independence from Mexico and claimed for its independent territory the areas of Tamaulipas and Coahuila north to the Nueces and Medina rivers, respectively, adding Nuevo León, Zacatecas, Durango, Chihuahua, and New Mexico.
The newly formed Republic of the Rio Grande elected as its leaders leaders, Jesús de Cárdenas, president; Antonio Canales Rosillo, commander-in-chief of the army; Juan Nepomuceno Molano, delegate and member of the council for Tamaulipas; Francisco Vidaurri y Villaseñor, for Coahuila; Manuel María de Llano, for Nuevo León; and José María Jesús Carbajal, secretary to the council.
Zapata became Rosillo’s cavalry commander as they prepared to launch initial attacks against the Centralist forces while Laredo became their capital.
Col. Zapata’s proven leadership begin to bear fruit as he led the troops into early battles against the Centralist troops taking town after town. At the Battle of Matamoros, however, the Federalist followers faced stiff competition, but succeeded in lifting the town’s siege. It was on to Monterrey, an important city held by the Centralists.
As the plans for the attack of the city begin, internal strife enveloped the Canales-Zapata led soldiers and many of them decided to join the Centralists. A big blow made worse as the intense fighting brought heavy losses to the Federalists.
It is interesting to note that part of the Zapata-led troops were made up of anglos, Tejanos and Native Americans. Sent on a volunteer recruiting mission along the soon-to-be U.S.-Mexico border, Col. Zapata and his men were surprised at the Coahuila town of Santa Rita de Morelos and captured.
Col. Zapata and his men refused to betray their newly formed republic and were convicted of treason.
All of them were executed. The Centralists decided to send a bloody message to their enemy and on March 29, 1840, Col. Zapata’s head was severed and taken to Guerrero, his home town, to be exhibited on a pole for three days, serving as a warning to those thinking of splitting from the existing Mexican government.
The Federalists took the Col. Zapata’s beheading to heart and soon disbanded their entire operation and sought refuge along the Nueces River. They would, according to Dr. Salmon, occasionally revive their independence inspiration to no avail.
In a twist of fate, in 1858, that South Texas area was part of two counties, Starr and Webb. Residents of the area then known as Carrizo, decided to separate and become independent as their own county.
They named both their county and county seat, Zapata.
¡Viva Zapata!