Mexican War
1836 Texas Revolt Mexican Broadsheet Decree Commuting the Death Penalty of Certain Texan Prisoners of War Passed after Victory at the Alamo, by Secretaria de Guerra y Marina
April 14, 1836-Dated Texas Revolution (1835-1836), Historic Mexican Printed Broadsheet Decree of the Congreso General Commuting the Death Penalty of Certain Texan Prisoners of War, to be decided by the President Commanding General of the Army (Santa-Anna), Choice Extremely Fine.
The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 " April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) in putting up armed resistance to the centralist government of Mexico. This extremely rare historic Mexico-Texan War Broadsheet is of a printed Decree measures about 8.25" x 12", 2 pages, typeset in black on clean wove period paper. This Decree of the Congreso General, approved by Jose Justo Corro, president ad interim, on April 14, 1836, and promulgated the same day by Jose Maria Tornel, in substituting "Perpetual Banishment" for the death penalty in the case of certain Texan prisoners of war, but not extended to members of the government and leaders in the Texas Revolution, and fixing in some cases, lesser penalties.
This important Drecree being passed after the Mexican Army victory at the Battle of the Alamo (February 23 - March 6, 1836) a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Subsequent events at the Battlefield of San Jacinto a week later than this being issued, on April 21, 1836, would obviate the necessity for such a decree, being the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Whereby, led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engaged and defeated General Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna's Mexican army in a fight that lasted just 18 minutes. Title from first line of text. With heading: "Secretaria de Guerra y Marina. Seccion Central.-Mesa 1.a." Dated and type-signed at end: "Mexico 14 de abril de 1836. Tornel."
Roughly translated: The first five articles are as follows:
1. Prisoners taken in the Texas war at the time of the publication of this decree, who are under sentence of death are commuted from it, even if they were taken with arms in hand.
2. The same commutation is applied to those who voluntarily place themselves under control of the Government subject to its terms.
3. The exceptions from this pardon, in all cases, are the principal leaders of the revolution: those who have formed the so called General Council of Texas; those who have intrusively served as governor and vice-governor; those who have been captured commanding any land or sea armed force, and those who have committed a murder in cold blood.
4. Capital punishment shall be commuted to perpetual exile from the Republic for those who entered under the law of 6 April 1830 (colonists). The others may elect the same punishment, or that of confinement for ten years in the places in the interior designated by the Government at least sixty leagues from the coasts and border areas.
5. Those colonists who migrated legally and elect confinement in the interior of the Republic under the previous article may have their time reduced relative to their greater of lesser participation in the war, but not for less than four years.
There are Seven Articles of Implementation:
1. The time set for the surrender of Insurgent Colonists is fifteen days, but may be extended by the President Commanding General of the Army (Santa-Anna).
2. The determination of the time and place for the embarkation of those to be Exiled is to be made by the Commanding General.
3. The place or places of confinement for those who elect to remain in the Republic will be determined by the government after consultation with the Commanding General.
4. A reduction in time of confinement of Legal Colonists will by subject to the opinion of the Commanding General.
5. The President Commanding General of the Army may delegate authority to division commanders if so desired.
6. The President Commanding General will issue a document to those pardoned that confirms the commutation conceded, ordering that descriptive identification be taken of those Exiled so the can be recognized in the event they return to the Republic.
7. If Exiles who return are identified, it will be considered an aggravation of their crime, that will be judged according to the law.
Exceedingly rare and important. Lacking in virtually all early Texas historical collections. OCLC locates only three copies, at the University libraries of Yale, Baylor, and Texas A&M.
The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 " April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) in putting up armed resistance to the centralist government of Mexico.
Although the uprising was part of a larger one, the Mexican Federalist War, that included other provinces opposed to the regime of President Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna, the Mexican government believed the United States had instigated the Texas insurrection with the goal of annexation. The Mexican Congress passed the Tornel Decree, declaring that any foreigners fighting against Mexican troops "will be deemed pirates and dealt with as such, being citizens of no nation presently at war with the Republic and fighting under no recognized flag".
Only the province of Texas succeeded in breaking with Mexico, establishing the Republic of Texas, and eventually being annexed by the United States.
The Revolution began in October 1835, after a decade of political and cultural clashes between the Mexican government and the increasingly large population of American settlers in Texas. The Mexican government had become increasingly centralized and the rights of its citizens had become increasingly curtailed, particularly regarding immigration from the United States.
Mexico had officially Abolished Slavery in Texas in 1830, and the desire of Anglo Texans to maintain the institution of chattel Slavery in Texas was also a major cause of Secession.
Colonists and Tejanos disagreed on whether the ultimate goal was independence or a return to the Mexican Constitution of 1824. While delegates at the Consultation (provisional government) debated the war's motives, Texians and a flood of volunteers from the United States defeated the small garrisons of Mexican soldiers by mid-December 1835.
The Consultation declined to declare independence and installed an interim government, whose infighting led to political paralysis and a dearth of effective governance in Texas. An ill-conceived proposal to invade Matamoros siphoned much-needed volunteers and provisions from the fledgling Texian Army. In March 1836, a second political convention declared Independence and appointed leadership for the new Republic of Texas.
Determined to avenge Mexico's honor, Santa Anna vowed to personally retake Texas. His Army of Operations entered Texas in mid-February 1836 and found the Texians completely unprepared. Mexican General Jos de Urrea led a contingent of troops on the Goliad Campaign up the Texas coast, defeating all Texian troops in his path and executing most of those who surrendered.
Santa Anna led a larger force to San Antonio de Bxar (or Bxar), where his troops defeated the Texian garrison in the Battle of the Alamo, killing almost all of the defenders.
A newly created Texian army under the command of Sam Houston was constantly on the move, while terrified civilians fled with the army, in a melee known as the Runaway Scrape. On March 31, 1836 Houston paused his men at Groce's Landing on the Brazos River, and for the next two weeks, the Texians received rigorous military training. Becoming complacent and underestimating the strength of his foes, Santa Anna further subdivided his troops.
On April 21, Sam Houston's Texas army staged a surprise assault on Santa Anna and his vanguard force at the Battle of San Jacinto. The Mexican troops were quickly routed, and vengeful Texians executed many who tried to surrender. Santa Anna was taken hostage; in exchange for his life, he ordered the Mexican army to retreat south of the Rio Grande.
Mexico refused to recognize the Republic of Texas, and intermittent conflicts between the two countries continued into the 1840s. The annexation of Texas as the 28th State of the United States, in 1845, led directly to the Mexican"American War.