James Grant, "jefe de armas"/"jefe de la milicia"

[TRK]

This post is a synthesis of messages from Stuart's "Ben Milam" thread in the "Texas Revolution and Republic of Texas" section. These posts were starting to take the thread off-topic; hence, the new thread:

Stuart wrote on October 31, 2007:
Grant was also a "Jefe de Armas" (Colonel?) in the Coahuila Militia and acting as an officer in the Federal service of Mexico. Milam, who arguably was working for Grant, also derived his title as Colonel from the Mexican service.

trk replied on October 31:
A jefe de armas could be a generic term meaning a military chief or commander, but the more specific usage in the 19th century (and, no doubt, the Grant example) was for an appointed military commander with jurisdiction over a certain locality or territory. You'll see jefes de armas for military posts, cities, districts, provinces, etc. I believe it was a title, not a rank.

Stuart replied on October 31:
Thanks Tom, that was pretty much what I thought, but wondered if in a broader sense it would "translate" in American terms as a colonel of militia. Grant in this case was jefe de armas for Parras.

trk replied on October 31:
I can't say for a fact if a jefe de armas was considered militia. And, I'm not sure if there was an equivalent position in American military/political culture during that era.

Stuart replied on November 1:
Although I don't have the texts to hand the initial reference to Grant as a jefe de las armas is in Robles 1:24, while he's more specifically described as commanding the civic militia of Parras in 1:510

trk replied on November 1:
The pertinent references to Grant in Vito Alessio Robles, Coahuila y Texas Desde la consumación de la Independencia hasta el Tratado de Paz de Guadalupe Hidalgo (2 vols.) (Mexico: 1945; reprint, Editorial Porrua, 1979), are:

I, p. 510 (reference is to events in 1834): "En Parras fue designado jefe de la milicia cívica el norteamericano [sic] con ciudadanía coahuiltexana, don Diego Grant, quien se puse del lado de los monclovitas." (In Parras, Don Diego [James] Grant, an American with citizenship in Coahuila and Texas, was designated chief of the civic militia; he aligned himself the Monclovans [in the dispute with Saltillo over the location of the state legislature]."

I, p. 520: reference to "Diego Grant, jefe de armas en la misma Parras" in July 1835.

(no references to Grant in I, 24)

Stuart replied on November 1:
Obviously a misprint in my notes, but either way I'm assuming that in this case at least jefe de la milicia cívica and jefe de armas en la misma Parras mean the same thing.

[stuart]

Most kind Sir, and do you have anything to add?

[Jake]

Guys, I ran across Grant while I was working on the Sanchez article with Jack. He was involved with the Sanchez lands in Coahuila, and later Sanchez dealt with him during the 1835 events in San Antonio -- specifically, Cos's surrender. Stuart, have you seen that article in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly?

[stuart]

Hi Jake

I picked up various useful refs to him in that article, but I'm intrigued about Sanchez referring to his involvement in Cos' surrender. All I've actually got on him at the moment is the fact he was wounded on the first day of the assault - circumstances suggest a head wound but I've never been able to find anything specific - and he and Gonzales were closely associated; so I'll be interested in anything you've got

[dimbo33]

Stuart, I am too lazy to go research your book. I have recently come across Urrea's official report of the taking of San Patricio. At the end he says he is now going to look for Dr. Grant. He has about 50 rifleman and an unknown number of Mexicans from the Mier area--according to his sources.
If you have not seen this and need a reference, let me know. Gregg Dimmick

[stuart]

Hi Gregg, I've seen some of Urrea's stuff but don't recall the reference to 50 riflemen and an unknown number of Mexicans from the Mier area so I'd be interested to see that particular bit of text

[stuart]

Just as an aside, I have wondered when Grant was so overtly aligned with the Mexican Federalistas whether he was wearing a variation of the Coahuila milita uniform during the campaign in addition to flying the 1824 flag:

www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/hispanic_period/uniforms1.html

[dimbo33]

Stuart, This is from the official report of Urrea to Santa Anna about his taking of San Patricio. It was printed in the supplement to edition number 124 of the "Opinion" in San Luis Potosi--dated March 10, 1836. The official report was written by Urrea on Feb. 27. I will give you the original Spanish so you do not have to trust my translation.

"Ahora me ocupo en buscar al Dr. Grant que parece se halla con 50 rifleros y no se que numero de mejicanos por las inmediamentes de Mier, segun los informes que he tenido."

My rough translation--Now I am busy looking for Dr. Grant, who, it seems has 50 riflemen and an unknown number of Mexicans from the area around Mier, according to the informants that I have.

I hope this helps Gregg

[stuart]

Does indeed, Gregg, thank you very much. While Urrea is summarising his intelligence - which may not have been very good if we believe Filisola - rather than an actual headcount, it does paint a different picture from the traditional one of a small gang of American filibusters out "mustanging"