[Mexico]. [Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez de]

Juan Nepomuceno de la Garza y Evia, Gobernador del Departamento de Nuevo Leon a Sus Conciudadanos. Nuevoleoneses: una Corta Seccion de Nuestro Ejercito Que andaba en Persona el Benemerito de la Patria... [caption title and first line of text]

Monterrey: June 4, 1836. Printed broadside, approximately 8.5 x 8.5 inches. Trimmed at lower edge, with no loss of text. Shallow, one-inch section torn away at lower edge, also not affecting text. Contemporary manuscript rubric. Light tanning and creasing. About very good. Item #3328

A scarce broadside dated June 4, 1836, in which the Governor of Nuevo Leon, Juan Nepomuceno de la Garza, announces the capture of Santa Anna by the Texans to his citizens. "Though [the first] announcement of Santa Anna's capture was made on May 19, it was known to the Mexican government at least as early as May 15, on which day Tornel wrote to Filosola acknowledging the latter's despatch of April 25 giving the news" -- Streeter. Thus, word of developments first traveled to Mexico City and then emanated to the states, with the result that this broadside did not announce the fate of Santa Anna until over a month after the fact, even though the state practically borders Texas. In his terse announcement, Nepomuceno states that Santa Anna had been captured "near Harrisburg," a former town between Houston and San Jacinto, in what should have been the "crowning glory" of the Mexican campaign against Texas:

"Nuevoleonenses: Una corta seccion de nuestro ejército que mandaba en persona el benemerito de la Pátria, el General Presidente D. Antonio Lopez de Santa-Anna, hà sido sorprendida á las immediaciones de Harrisbourg y preso su ilustre Gefe. Una sèrie de triunfos gloriosos orlaba las sienes del soldado mejicano, y Harrisbourg era el ultimo punto que debía coronar tan heroicos esfuerzos; dispúsolo de otra suerte el árbitro de las Naciones. ¿Quien puede enmendar sus obras?"

He continues, telling his citizens that fresh sacrifices will be required to achieve the return of Santa Anna and to avoid "abjection and ignominy:"

"Conciudadanos: el honor y la justicia á la lid. El Congreso y el Gobierno general toman ya medidas enérgicas y fuertes para reparar este pequeño golpe y conseguir la libertad del benemérito de la Pátria Santa Anna: un furor santo enciende los pechos de los mejicanos: vosotros lo sois, y os habeis sacrificando en esta guerra sagrada: nuevos sacrificios ecsige la Pátria. ¿Y quien puede economizar los intereses ni la vida misma por obtener en cambio la abyeccion y la ignominia?"

This proclamation is not a reprint or a bando of the federal announcements of Santa Anna's capture, but an original message from the Governor of Nuevo Leon to its inhabitants, printed and issued in Monterrey on June 4, 1836. We locate only two other copies of this broadside, in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library and at Yale. Streeter lists examples of state announcements of the capture known to him, but the present broadside is not among them.
Streeter Texas 884 (ref).

Price: $2,500.00