Between
September, 1839 and January, 1840, Guerrero, Mier, Laredo and other
villas were taken by the Federalists. On January 7, 1840, the Republic
of the Rio Grande was proclaimed by constitutional convention and Laredo
was named its capital. A small structure across the square from San
Agustin Church became its headquarters, that structure now houses the
Republic of the Rio Grande Museum. On the 17th of that same month, officers
and a general council were elected to the new republic, Jesus Cardenas,
a Lawyer from Reynosa, was chosen President. Antonio Canales was named
Commander-in-Chief of the army; Juan Nepomuceno Molano was selected
as delegate for Tamaulipas; Francisco Vidaurri y Villaseñor, delegate
for Coahuila; Manuel Maria de Llano; delegate for Nuevo Leon; and Jose
Maria Jesus Carbajal was chosen to be secretary to the Council. Colonel
Antonio Zapata served as commander of the cavalry. Almost immediately,
the Republic's forces embarked on a series of battles with Centralist
forces taking, losing, and re-taking various villas along the Río Grande
and further into Mexico. After a disastrous defeat at Santa Rita de
Morelos in Coahuila in which Canales' role is ambiguously described
as either as either cowardly and militarily inept or as cautiously prudent
depending on the historian, Federalist survivors of the battle were
court-martialed, found guilty, and shot. Antonio Zapata's head was cut
off and preserved in a cask of brandy until it was returned to his hometown
of Guerrero where it was displayed on a pike for three days as a warning
to others. The armed struggle for the border villas continued through
the summer months and by the fall it was clear that the Federalists
could not prevail. On November 6, 1840, Canales surrendered his troops
on the north bank of the river at Camargo, and President Cárdenas and
his forces stacked their rifles and arms in Laredo. The Republic of
the Río Grande was no more. The Republic of the Río Grande Museum hosts
guided tours for school age children and adults year-round and makes
presentations to schools, detention facilities, civic groups, and travel
writers on a regular basis.
Between
September, 1839 and January, 1840, Guerrero, Mier, Laredo and other
villas were taken by the Federalists. On January 7, 1840, the Republic
of the Rio Grande was proclaimed by constitutional convention and Laredo
was named its capital. A small structure across the square from San
Agustin Church became its headquarters, that structure now houses the
Republic of the Rio Grande Museum. On the 17th of that same month, officers
and a general council were elected to the new republic, Jesus Cardenas,
a Lawyer from Reynosa, was chosen President. Antonio Canales was named
Commander-in-Chief of the army; Juan Nepomuceno Molano was selected
as delegate for Tamaulipas; Francisco Vidaurri y Villaseñor, delegate
for Coahuila; Manuel Maria de Llano; delegate for Nuevo Leon; and Jose
Maria Jesus Carbajal was chosen to be secretary to the Council. Colonel
Antonio Zapata served as commander of the cavalry. Almost immediately,
the Republic's forces embarked on a series of battles with Centralist
forces taking, losing, and re-taking various villas along the Río Grande
and further into Mexico. After a disastrous defeat at Santa Rita de
Morelos in Coahuila in which Canales' role is ambiguously described
as either as either cowardly and militarily inept or as cautiously prudent
depending on the historian, Federalist survivors of the battle were
court-martialed, found guilty, and shot. Antonio Zapata's head was cut
off and preserved in a cask of brandy until it was returned to his hometown
of Guerrero where it was displayed on a pike for three days as a warning
to others. The armed struggle for the border villas continued through
the summer months and by the fall it was clear that the Federalists
could not prevail. On November 6, 1840, Canales surrendered his troops
on the north bank of the river at Camargo, and President Cárdenas and
his forces stacked their rifles and arms in Laredo. The Republic of
the Río Grande was no more. The Republic of the Río Grande Museum hosts
guided tours for school age children and adults year-round and makes
presentations to schools, detention facilities, civic groups, and travel
writers on a regular basis.