José Urrea (1797 - 1849)

Born 19 Mar 1797 in El Presidio de San Augustín de Tucson, Los California's, New Spain (Tucson, Arizona)

Died 1 Aug 1849 at age 52 in Mexico City, Mexico

Biography

General José Urrea served with the Mexico during the Mexican-American War
Service Started: mmm dd, 1829
Unit(s):
Service Ended: mmm dd, 1846

.......I was unable, therefore, to carry out the good intentions dictated by my feelings.....overcome by the difficult circumstances that surrounded me. I authorized the execution.....of thirty adventurers taken prisoners......setting free those who were colonists or Mexicans

.....These orders always seemed to me harsh, but they were the inevitable result of the barbarous and inhuman decree which declared outlaws those whom it wished to convert into citizens of the republic......I wished to elude these orders as far as possible without compromising my personal responsibility......They doubtlessly surrendered confident that Mexican generosity would not make their surrender useless, for under any other circumstances they would have sold their lives dearly, fighting to the last. I had due regard for the motives that induced them to surrender, and for this reason I used my influence with the general-in-chief to save them, if possible, from being butchered......

--Diary of the Military Operations of the Division which under the Command of General José Urrea Campaigned in Texas February to March 1836

Years of service

1807-1824 (Spain)

1829-1846 (Mexico)

Rank: Captain (Spain) and General (Mexico)

Battles/wars

Texas Revolution

Battle of San Patricio

Battle of Agua Dulce

Battle of Refugio

Battle of Coleto

Mexican American War

He was a military cadet in the presidial company of San Rafael Buenavista in 1809 and a lieutenant in 1816, participating in battles in Jalisco and Michoacán. In 1821 he supported the Plan of Iguala of Agustín de Iturbide. He participated in the anti-Iturbide Plan of Casa Mata and the siege of San Juan de Uluá.

Sources

• Wikipedia:José_de_Urrea José de Urrea

José de Urrea on Handbook of Texas Online

Diccionario Porrúa de historia, biografía y geografía de México (3d ed., 2 vols., Mexico City: Editorial Porrúa, 1970, 1971).

Carlos Casteñeda. The Mexican Side of the Texan Revolution