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Post by alanhufffines on Aug 18, 2010 14:46:03 GMT -5
Question regarding my favorite units: I have two presidial companies at the Alamo.
1. Río Grande commanded by Captain Manuel R. Barragán
2. Béxar commanded by LT Manuel Menchacho (Filisola and Almonte)
Am I correct in this? Was there a third company or detachment? If Menchacho commanded the Béxar company what happened to Castañeda from Gonzales?
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Post by Kevin Young on Aug 18, 2010 16:29:55 GMT -5
I assume that you are talking about the Alamo de Parras Company.
It would appear that after the siege of Bexar, the Alamo de Parras company, which Castendena command, merged with the Bexar Company. But it is later reformed under his command.
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Post by alanhufffines on Aug 18, 2010 16:32:57 GMT -5
Thanks, knew you would have something. So we are talking three presidial companies during the Alamo proper?
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Post by Kevin Young on Aug 18, 2010 16:55:31 GMT -5
Thanks, knew you would have something. So we are talking three presidial companies during the Alamo proper? Darn you-I am going back to pull the file! ;D I can tell you that Castendena is the officer that formally turns San Antonio over Juan Seguin when the Mexican Army pulls out in May 1836. |
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Post by alanhufffines on Aug 18, 2010 17:00:58 GMT -5
I am darned!  I only listed the two companies in my OB for Blood. Could it be Parras retreated with Cos in December and did not return until AFTER the Alamo? Interesting stuff. |
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Post by Kevin Young on Aug 18, 2010 17:38:13 GMT -5
I am darned! I only listed the two companies in my OB for Blood. Could it be Parras retreated with Cos in December and did not return until AFTER the Alamo? Interesting stuff. Ok-just looked at the Alamo de Parras file. The Alamo Company apparently is broken up after the siege of Bexar and Cos' withdrawl. It appears what members did not jump ship were taken into the reformed Bexar company. Casteneda is apparently back in San Antonio sometime, because as mention he is the last Mexican officer in San Antonio when Sequin comes in that June (not May as prevoiusly stated). Casteneda remains in the Presidal service-he is made a bvt. Lt.Col. for the 1842 invasion and is in command ofa brigade of 7 Presidal Companies (including Bexar and La Bahia). So not sure if he is there during the Alamo siege. It would be intesting to find out if he was. Being familar with the San Antonio area and the Alamo as well as he was, you think they would have had him along. As it is, he starts the Texas Revolution and kind of ends it... There is an excellent article done by some guy named with the same last name as yours on the Mexican Cavalry at the Alamo in Volume 2 Number 1 (Fall 1997) of the Journal of the Alamo Battlefield Association. |
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Post by alanhufffines on Aug 18, 2010 21:44:36 GMT -5
I am darned! I only listed the two companies in my OB for Blood. Could it be Parras retreated with Cos in December and did not return until AFTER the Alamo? Interesting stuff. Ok-just looked at the Alamo de Parras file. The Alamo Company apparently is broken up after the siege of Bexar and Cos' withdrawl. It appears what members did not jump ship were taken into the reformed Bexar company. Casteneda is apparently back in San Antonio sometime, because as mention he is the last Mexican officer in San Antonio when Sequin comes in that June (not May as prevoiusly stated). Casteneda remains in the Presidal service-he is made a bvt. Lt.Col. for the 1842 invasion and is in command ofa brigade of 7 Presidal Companies (including Bexar and La Bahia). So not sure if he is there during the Alamo siege. It would be intesting to find out if he was. Being familar with the San Antonio area and the Alamo as well as he was, you think they would have had him along. As it is, he starts the Texas Revolution and kind of ends it... There is an excellent article done by some guy named with the same last name as yours on the Mexican Cavalry at the Alamo in Volume 2 Number 1 (Fall 1997) of the Journal of the Alamo Battlefield Association. |
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Post by stuart on Aug 19, 2010 1:20:21 GMT -5
What complicates this of course is the defection of some of Cos' presidiales during the 1835 siege of Bexar. The Agua Verde company went over to Grant and Gonzales and Cos also complained of losing two companies from Rio Grande - this may be a mistake for the two Tamaulipas companies as there was only the one Rio Grande company commanded by Barragan. However while Barragan later turns up with Santa Anna at the Alamo siege, Sanchez Navarro specifically identifies him by name as one of the defectors to the Federalistas back in December.
Confused, Moi...?
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Post by Donald Hash on Aug 19, 2010 23:31:43 GMT -5
Thanks, knew you would have something. So we are talking three presidial companies during the Alamo proper? Darn you-I am going back to pull the file! ;D I can tell you that Castendena is the officer that formally turns San Antonio over Juan Seguin when the Mexican Army pulls out in May 1836. I thought Andrade, arriving late but just in time to sign the documents with the exaggerated death tolls, was in command of San Antonio after Santa Anna left... And then turned it over to Juan Seguin? I would have to get my books out to find the page where I've read this. |
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Post by garyzaboly on Aug 20, 2010 14:49:42 GMT -5
Andrade left Bexar long before Seguin and his men arrived. It's a very fuzzily documented episode, to be sure.
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Post by Kevin Young on Aug 20, 2010 16:25:48 GMT -5
Andrade left Bexar long before Seguin and his men arrived. It's a very fuzzily documented episode, to be sure. The source is Seguin's Personal Memoirs. In the first week of June, Seguin, under orders from Thomas Rusk, arrived in San Antonio with 22 men. Andrade had already pulled out, but Castaneda was there with 18 men under orders from Filisola. It should have been a interesting moment, since Seguin and Castaneda certainly knew each other, as well as the members of their companies knew each other as well...It was probably Bexarano meeting Bexarano. Castaneda then turned the town over to Seguin and headed for Matamoros... Gerald Pierce's Texas Under Arms (Austin: Encino Press1969) goes into this as well in the San Antonio listing. |
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