La Battallia del Encinal de Medina

On August 18th, 1813 ourTejano ancestors set out to fight in what would
become known as the biggest and bloodiest battle ever fought on Texas soil;
the Battle of Medina. Twenty three years before the Alamo our anccestors
would fight against a mighty Spanish army and they would choose to fight to
the last man. After 300 years of Spanish tyranny they chose to fight and die
on their feet rather than to continue to live on their knees.

On August 7th, 1812 Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara and Augustus Magee
crossed the Sabine River flying the Emerald Green flag of the First Texas
Republic. This Green Flag would fly over Texas for 1 year and 11 days and
under this flag our ancestors would defeat the Spanish at every skirmish and
battle leading up to the Battle of Medina. Unfortunetly Spain was still a super
power and would send a powerful Spanish Army to quash the revolution. This
army would be led by General Juaquin de Arredondo who had earned the nick
name "El Carnicero," the butcher. He had earned that title because the
previous year he had murdered hundreds of Mayan Indians in the Yucatan
Penninsula for daring to revolt against his Spanish King. Under his command
would be a young 19 year old Lieutenant Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

At the Battle of Medina the Republicans numbered 1400 combatants,
comprised of 900 Tejanos, 300 US Citozens and 200 Lipan Apaches. They
would face a Spanish Army with 1830 well armed, and well trained disiciplined
men. The Republicans were lured into a trap which would result in over 300
Republicans falling dead or mortally wounded, but the battle would rage for
over 3 hours. On the initial encounter the badly mauled Republicans , shaken
and scared would fall back in to the safety of the forest and would regroup and
continue to fight.

Our Tejano ancestors would charge on the left trying to out flank the Spanish
and then again to the right to no avail, suffering numerous losses. There was
so much smoke and dust no one was sure who was winning. Suddenly over
the shouts of wounded and dying men a gust of wind cleared the field of all
the dust and Arredondo realized he was winning and orders his bugler to
sound the bayonet charge. After the battle over 900 bodies were left to rot for
over nine years. Another 100 would be captured and executed as they tried to
escape to Louisiana. Charging into San Antonio the Spanish Cavalry arrested
over 500 Tejanos suspected of supporting the rebels. The following morning
several are released but 327 would be detained. Ten a day would be taken
out and shot, numerous would be beheaded and their heads placed on spikes
and displayed around Military Plaza. No one would be spared the wrath of
Arredondo not even the women or children. Over 400 wives, mothers and
daughters of the Tejanoe were forced on their knees from 4 in the morning to
ten at night to grind the corn to make the tortillas to feed the dispised Spanish
Army: several of the women would be brutally and repeatedly raped several
dying as a result of the brutality and through the windows of their make shift
prison the mothers could see their children searching for food and shelter. So
disastrous was this event that one third of our Tejano community would be
dead, one third would flee to Louisiana and the remaining third would live in
terror. To this day these unsung heroes have remained unknown and
unrecognized for their ultimate sacrifice.

Dan Arellano Author/Historian
President Battle of Medina Historical Society
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