(Redirected from Juan Seguin)
'Juan Nepomuceno Seguín' (IPA: , or ) (
October 27,
1806–
August 27,
1890) was a
Tejano hero of the
Texas Revolution.
As a teen in Mexico he had a strong interest in politics. He was very critical of the current Mexican leader,
Antonio López de Santa Anna, and gladly joined the Texas Revolution to rid Texas of Santa Anna's rule. He led a band of twenty-five Tejanos who favored a
revolt and fought on the Texan side at the
Battle of the Alamo. Because Seguín spoke only
Spanish, he was chosen to carry the message through lines that the Texans "shall never surrender or retreat." Seguín got the message to the other soldiers on the Texan side. He returned to the
Alamo, but it had already fallen to Santa Anna's army. Seguín arranged for the dead Alamo defenders to be buried with military honors. Newcomers to
Texas who disliked all Tejanos falsely accused Seguín of
plotting rebellion.
He later commanded a
cavalry company and fought at the
Battle of San Jacinto. Seguín was elected to the Texas Senate in
1839 and became
mayor of
San Antonio in
1841. Seguín was forced from office on charges that he was aiding the Mexican army and for his defense of Tejano rights. He fled to
Mexico in
1842 to "seek refuge amongst my enemies," where he was arrested and forced to enlist in the Mexican army as an officer. He later served against Texas and the
United States in the
Mexican-American War.
Seguín periodically returned to Texas after that, being elected to two terms as
Justice of the Peace of
Bexar County in
1852 and
1854 and as
County Judge in
Wilson County in
1869. He eventually settled in
Nuevo Laredo,
Tamaulipas,
Mexico, where his son Santiago was mayor. He died there on
August 27,
1890. His remains were returned to Texas in 1974 and reinterred in his namesake town,
Seguin, during ceremonies on
July 4,
1976.
External links
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Seguin Descendants Historical Preservation