The Republic of the Rio Grande

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The two armies stared at each other through Christmas. Then on December 27, Arista sent spies into the Army of the Rio Grande’s camp, bribing 700 Mexicans into abandoning the river republic cause. Now faced with a vastly superior, well-trained Mexican army, Canales broke and ran for Mier. Arista saw his opportunity to destroy the rebel army, but rear-guard action by Zapata and Jordan saved the day for the rebels.

Canales reached the safety of Mier on January 7, 1840. He sent out riders carrying a call for delegates from the three Mexican states along the Rio Grande — Tamaulipas, Nuevo León and Coahuila — to meet him at the Orevea Ranch on the east bank of the river, outside Laredo. On January 18, the delegates officially declared the three states the independent Republic of the Rio Grande, with its northern border the Nueces River, the former border between Texas and Mexico. A flag with three white stars on a red field with two stripes was raised over Laredo, the new national capital of the republic, and a constitution was formally ratified. Soldiers marched by the new flag, most of them pausing to kiss it as a sign of loyalty. Ceremony demanded a presidential guard, and one was hastily formed — made up of 60 Texans under Captain Jack Palmer — to escort the appointed officials of the new nation. A formal ball was held at Zapata’s home that night.

Jesús de Cárdenas, a lawyer, was selected as the republic’s president, while Canales was picked as commander in chief of the army. Canales had only 75 Texans under his command when word arrived in February that the Mexican army under General Arista had entered the Rio Grande Valley. Jordan wanted to retreat to the Nueces River and recruit more Texans into the fighting force. When Canales rejected his suggestion, Jordan left for Texas, taking 60 Texans with him.

The citizens of the Rio Grande Republic failed to rally en masse around the new flag as Arista marched on Laredo. President Cárdenas and his new government quickly fled to Victoria, Texas. But Canales, Zapata and their army — still made up of vaqueros, American adventurers and Cane Indians — decided to make a fight of it.

On March 3, the Army of the Republic of the Rio Grande arrived at Presidio del Rio Grande, ready to take on Arista’s Centralist forces. Needing provisions, Canales sent Zapata and 30 men into Santa Rita de Morelos, only a few miles from where the army made camp. Zapata and his men stayed in Morelos overnight, but as he was leaving the next morning, citizens surrounded him and asked him to stay. Zapata agreed, ordering his men to dismount. He was not aware that a large number of Arista’s men were encircling his small band. Suddenly, the men were fired upon by close to 200 Mexican soldiers. Zapata immediately took refuge in the nearest house, and for three hours the two sides exchanged fire. Zapata lost seven men. He was out of ammunition when Arista himself entered the town with 1,800 soldiers. Zapata felt he had no choice but to surrender, but he managed to send out a Texan who made it back to the main army.

Arista told Zapata that he would be pardoned if he swore allegiance to Santa Anna. Zapata refused. The Texan who escaped informed Canales of what happened, but Canales already knew. He had heard the shooting. Late that evening, after Zapata was already in chains, Canales rode in with a small party, fired a few artillery shells into the village and left the vaquero to his fate.

For five days Zapata was asked to swear loyalty to Santa Anna. On the fifth day, March 29, 1840, the order came for his execution. A small tear rolled down from the corner of his eye as the blindfold was put in place. After the prisoner was shot, Arista had him decapitated and the head taken to Guerrero under guard. There, Zapata’s head was stuck on top of a pole set up in front of his house so that his wife and children and other Federalists would not forget his fate.

While Zapata was being held prisoner in late March, Canales had engaged Arista in a second battle, at San Fernando. It had been a disastrous defeat. From his 400-man army, Canales had lost 250 men, mostly Cane Indians. The dream of a new nation was becoming a death song for the Canes. Still, the Republic of the Rio Grande refused to wither. Canales set up a new capital at Lake Espantosa, between Carrizo Springs and Crystal City, before going into Texas again for help.

Canales made his way to Austin in late April 1840 for a private discussion with President Lamar. By now Lamar was having grave doubts about the wisdom of supporting the Rio Grande Republic, and the British had failed to convince Mexico to recognize Texan independence, let alone an extension of the Texan border to the Rio Grande. Lamar made a public declaration of no support for the river republic while privately encouraging a second round of Texan involvement.

Canales went on to Houston, where he raised money thanks to leading citizens of the Republic of Texas holding formal dinners in his honor. He arrived on June 1 at San Patricio, along the Gulf Coast. There, the Army of the Republic of the Rio Grande was being refitted, rearmed and reorganized, this time under the eye of Colonel Samuel W. Jordan. More than 300 Mexicans from both sides of the Rio Grande and 80 Cane Indians were already assembled, along with 410 Texans.

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Tags: Westward Expansion, Wild West, Women's History

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