Battle of Tampico (1829)

Battle of Tampico (1829)
	Part of Spanish attempts to reconquer Mexico
	; Painting depicting the surrender of the Spanish army at Tampico
Date	26 July – 11 September 1829
Location	Tampico, Tamaulipas
Result	Mexican victory Spain recognizes the independence of the United Mexican States in 1836;
Belligerents
Mexican Republic	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Antonio López de Santa Anna ; Manuel de Mier y Terán	Isidro Barradas
Strength
8,000+ troops: 500 (Tampico garrison); 1,000 (Veracruz reinforcements); 1,500 (early August reinforcements); 5,000 (San Luis Potosí Division); Local militias;	3,500

Last updated January 12, 2025

The Battle of Tampico, also referred to as the Barradas Expedition, was a series of military engagements between the First Mexican Republic and Spain. Fought from July to September 1829 and culminating on 11 September,^[1] the battle was part of several Spanish attempts to re-establish control over Mexico. The battle was a major victory for Mexico and marked the final major battle between Spain and its former colony.

Background

During the 1810s, a series of revolts broke out in the Spanish colony of New Spain, severely damaging Spanish authority in the Colonial Mexico. Various issues had caused the rebellions, with many of the various factions eventually determining that New Spain should become independent from Spain and form a new, Mexican nation. While the Spanish Empire was initially successful in suppressing the rebellion, by the late 1810s the Mexican revolutionaries had established control over much of the country. Mexico achieved its de facto independence with the signing of the Treaty of Córdoba in 1821, but the Spanish government refused to accept the legitimacy of the treaty; Spanish military garrisons remained in Mexico until 1825, and the Spanish navy used the nearby island of Cuba as a base from which to attack Mexican shipping in the Gulf of Mexico.^[2]

As early as 1822, Spanish military commanders envisioned a reconquest of Mexico. Early plans were delayed by the liberal faction holding power in the Spanish Parliament, though by 1823 the power of the Spanish throne had been restored and invasion plans began in earnest. Potential landing points for the invasion included Veracruz, Campeche, Tampico, or the Yucatán peninsula. Invasion plans called variously for several thousand to twenty-five thousand troops and often included the addition of Spanish volunteers recently exiled from Mexico. Many Spanish planners thought that the Mexican populace would not support the Mexican government, and so disease (especially yellow fever) and distance were considered the largest obstacles for any invasion.^[2]

The order to invade Mexico was signed by Ferdinand VII in April 1829. Planning for the invasion took place over the summer months in Havana, where an invasion fleet was gathered, eventually choosing to land at the port of Tampico. Led by General Isidro Barradas, an invasion force of several warships, 15 supply ships, and 3500 men sailed from Havana on 5 July. The fleet took three weeks to sail to the Mexican coast, where it was scattered by a hurricane and landed instead in Cabo Rojo, just outside Tampico.^[2]

Mexican officials first learned of invasion rumors in early 1829 from the Mexican consulate in New Orleans. While the Spanish invasion force was inbound from Cuba, the Mexican government took efforts to strengthen its coastal defenses, but it remained unaware of where the Spanish invasion force would land.^[2]

Battle

The Spanish landed on Cabo Rojo on 26 July, and by 29 July began their advance on Tampico. The army advanced north along the coast for the next several days, occasionally skirmishing with and coming under fire from Mexican forces. News of the Spanish landing reached the Mexican government on 2 August, spurring the government to call on state governors to raise militias. As the Spanish had not instituted a naval blockade, Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna was able to sail north from Veracruz with 1000 men to reinforce Tampico.^[3] The city of Tampico was itself evacuated by Mexican authorities to ensure the Spanish could not recruit collaborators from the town.^[2]

Barradas continued to advance into early August, winning minor skirmishes against Mexican forces and capturing Tampico Alto.^[4] The Spanish reached Tampico on 5 August and occupied the port soon after, but not before the Mexican defenders had evacuated and stripped the town of all supplies. After their withdrawal, Mexican forces consolidated in the town of Altamira to wait for more reinforcements. Santa Anna arrived on 11 August, moving the Mexican army to the mouth of the Pánuco River, just north of Tampico. On the 15th, Barradas ordered the Spanish fleet to set sail for Cuba to gather reinforcements and began to send foraging parties into the nearby countryside, resulting in skirmishes with Mexican units. The next day, 1800 Spanish soldiers advanced northwards toward Altamira in search of supplies, but their advance was hindered by Mexican skirmishers and no supplies were found at Altamira.^[4] Santa Anna counterattacked on the night of 20 August, unsuccessfully attempting to infiltrate the Spanish positions but successfully withdrawing afterward.^[4]

Mexican reinforcements continued to arrive over the next several days while the Spanish built a fort on the left bank of the Panuco river. Barradas continued to launch probing attacks into the Mexican positions, but was unable to breakout into the countryside. On 7 September a large Mexican division of 5000 men arrived to reinforce Santa Ana, while Barradas' army suffered severe attrition from disease and lack of supplies. On 8 September Santa Anna requested that Barradas surrender unconditionally, which the Spanish general refused, leading to further negotiations. On the 9th a large storm disrupted both armies by flooding earthworks and causing many Mexican militiamen to desert; the next day, Santa Anna ordered an attack with his professional troops on the Spanish riverside fort, which was repulsed with 127 Mexican dead and 191 wounded compared to 104 Spanish dead and 66 wounded. At 3:00 pm that afternoon, junior Spanish officers decided to draft an instrument of surrender, which Barradas ratified. Under the terms of the surrender, the Spanish army gave up its weapons, was allowed safe passage back to Cuba, and was obliged to sign a vow not to take up arms against Mexico in the future. Barradas departed for New Orleans soon after to secure transport for the army back to Cuba, while Santa Ana was proclaimed a hero in Mexico.^[4]

Aftermath

The battle at Tampico was the last major confrontation between the Mexican Republic and the Spanish Empire, with future Spanish invasion plans being aborted by the political situation in Spain.^[2] The victory of his army at Tampico made Santa Anna a popular hero in Mexico, a status that would influence his political career.^[5]^[6] The defeat of the expedition convinced many in Spain that Mexico was permanently lost, with one source noting that the defeat moved Spain to accept a more conciliatory stance towards Mexico.^[7]

Related Research Articles

The Texas Revolution was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos against the centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas. Although the uprising was part of a larger one, the Mexican Federalist War, that included other provinces opposed to the regime of President Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican government believed the United States had instigated the Texas insurrection with the goal of annexation. The Mexican Congress passed the Tornel Decree, declaring that any foreigners fighting against Mexican troops "will be deemed pirates and dealt with as such, being citizens of no nation presently at war with the Republic and fighting under no recognized flag". Only the province of Texas succeeded in breaking with Mexico, establishing the Republic of Texas. It was eventually annexed by the United States.

Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about 10 kilometers (6 mi) inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth-largest city in Tamaulipas, with a population of 314,418 in the city proper and 929,174 in the metropolitan area.

Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña was a Mexican military officer from 1810-1821 and a statesman who became the nation's second president in 1829. He was one of the leading generals who fought against Spain during the Mexican War of Independence. According to historian Theodore G. Vincent, Vincente Guerrero lived alongside indigenous in Tlaltelulco and had the ability to speak Spanish and the languages of the Indigenous.

The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event and military engagement in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar. About one hundred Texians were then garrisoned at the mission, with around a hundred subsequent reinforcements led by eventual Alamo co-commanders James Bowie and William B. Travis. On February 23, approximately 1,500 Mexicans marched into San Antonio de Béxar as the first step in a campaign to retake Texas. In the early morning hours of March 6, the Mexican Army advanced on the Alamo. After repelling two attacks, the Texians were unable to fend off a third attack. As Mexican soldiers scaled the walls, most of the Texian fighters withdrew into interior buildings. Those who were unable to reach these points were slain by the Mexican cavalry as they attempted to escape. Between five and seven Texians may have surrendered; if so, they were quickly executed. Subsequently almost all of the Texian inhabitants were killed.

On 9 March 1847, during the Mexican–American War, the United States military made an amphibious landing and besieged the key Mexican seaport of Veracruz. The port surrendered twenty days later. The U.S. forces then marched inland to Mexico City.

A brown-water navy or riverine navy, in the broadest sense, is a naval force capable of military operations in littoral zone waters. The term originated in the United States Navy during the American Civil War, when it referred to Union forces patrolling the muddy Mississippi River, and has since been used to describe the small gunboats and patrol boats commonly used in rivers, along with the larger "mother ships" that supported them. These mother ships include converted World War II-era mechanized landing craft and tank landing ships, among other vessels.

Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially, Mexican Texas operated similarly to Spanish Texas. Ratification of the 1824 Constitution of Mexico created a federal structure, and the province of Tejas was joined with the province of Coahuila to form the state of Coahuila y Tejas.

The "Battle of Tampico" was fought November 15, 1835, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Gregorio Gómez and the Mexican Centralist garrison engaged Gen. José Antonio Mexía and 150 American volunteers. This was part of an uprising against General Santa Anna, and its outcome affected the future of the Texas War of Independence.

José Antonio Mexía Hernández was a 19th-century Mexican general and politician. He served as secretary of the Legation of Mexico in Washington from about 1829 to 1831.

The siege of Béxar was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texian army defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar. Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican government as President and General Antonio López de Santa Anna's tenure became increasingly dictatorial. In early October 1835, Texas settlers gathered in Gonzales to stop Mexican troops from reclaiming a small cannon. The resulting skirmish, known as the Battle of Gonzales, launched the Texas Revolution. Men continued to assemble in Gonzales and soon established the Texian Army. Despite a lack of military training, well-respected local leader General Stephen F. Austin was elected commander.

The following are synopsis of the campaigns of the Mexican–American War (1846—1848).

Trinidad Anastasio de Sales Ruiz Bustamante y Oseguera was a Mexican physician, general, and politician who served as the 4th President of Mexico three times from 1830 to 1832, 1837 to 1839, and 1839 to 1841. He also served as the 2nd Vice President of Mexico from 1829 to 1832 under Presidents Vicente Guerrero, José María Bocanegra, himself, and Melchor Múzquiz. He participated in the Mexican War of Independence initially as a royalist before siding with Agustín de Iturbide and supporting the Plan of Iguala.

Spain, through its alliance with France and as part of its conflict with Britain, played a role in the independence of the United States. Spain declared war on Britain as an ally of France, itself an ally of the American colonies. Most notably, Spanish forces attacked British positions in the south and captured West Florida from Britain in the siege of Pensacola. This secured the southern route for supplies and closed off the possibility of any British offensive through the western frontier of the United States via the Mississippi River. Spain also provided money, supplies, and munitions to the American forces.

Isidro Plácido Del Rosario Barrada y Valdés was a Spanish general sent to Mexico in 1829, eight years after Mexican independence in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to reconquer the country for the Spanish Crown.

Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón, usually known as Antonio López de Santa Anna, or just Santa Anna, was a Mexican soldier, politician, and caudillo who served as the 8th president of Mexico on multiple occasions between 1833 and 1855. He also served as vice president of Mexico from 1837 to 1839. He was a controversial and pivotal figure in Mexican politics during the 19th century, to the point that he has been called an "uncrowned monarch", and historians often refer to the three decades after Mexican independence as the "Age of Santa Anna".

The Pacific Coast Campaign refers to United States naval operations against targets along Mexico's Pacific Coast during the Mexican–American War. It excludes engagements of the California Campaign in areas of The Californias north of the Baja California Peninsula. The objective of the campaign was to secure the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, and to blockade/capture west-coast ports of Mexico—especially Mazatlan, a major port-of-entry for imported supplies. The resistance of Mexican forces to the north in the Los Angeles area and the lack of ships, soldiers and logistical support prevented an early occupation of the peninsula and the west-coast Mexican seaports. The U.S. Navy attempted blockades of the ports three times before being able to successfully blockade and/or occupy them.

Spanish attempts to reconquer Mexico were efforts by the Spanish government to regain possession of its former colony of New Spain, resulting in episodes of war comprised in clashes between the newly born Mexican nation and Spain. The designation mainly covers two periods: the first attempts occurred from 1821 to 1825 and involved the defense of Mexico's territorial waters, while the second period had two stages, including the Mexican expansion plan to take the Spanish-held island of Cuba between 1826 and 1828 and the 1829 expedition of Spanish General Isidro Barradas, which landed on Mexican soil with the object of reconquering Mexican territory. Although the Spanish never regained control of the country, they damaged the fledgling Mexican economy.

The Mexican Border War, also known as the Border Campaign, refers to a series of military engagements which took place between the United States military and several Mexican factions in the Mexican–American border region of North America during the Mexican Revolution. It was the last major conflict fought on U.S. soil.

Giuseppe Avezzana was an Italian soldier and businessman. He fought in wars in Europe and the Americas.

References

↑ Fletcher, John (2013). The Wars of Spanish American Independence 1809–29. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-767-8.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Andrews, Catherine. García Martínez, Leticia, Dunay. 2007. Spanish Plans for the Reconquest of Mexico and the Invasion of Tampico (1829). pp. 477–487 URL: https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=digitalbooks
↑ "Historia de San Luis" (PDF). 2011-04-09. pp. 497–504. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-04-09. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
1 2 3 4 González Pedrero, Enrique (2005). Country of one man: the Mexico of Santa Anna. Volume I. The round of the opposites . Mexico: Economic Culture Fund. ISBN 968-16-3962-6.
↑ Fowler, Will (2015). "Santa Anna and His Legacy". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.18. ISBN 978-0199366439 . Retrieved 2021-02-03.
↑ Costeloe, Michael P. (1988). "The Mexican Press of 1836 and the Battle of the Alamo". The Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 91 (4): 533–543. ISSN 0038-478X. JSTOR 30240054.
↑ Canedo, Lino G. The Americas 16, no. 4 (1960): 422–424. Accessed February 3, 2021. doi : 10.2307/979006.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Fletcher, John (2013). The Wars of Spanish American Independence 1809–29. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-767-8.

[:0-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Andrews, Catherine. García Martínez, Leticia, Dunay. 2007. Spanish Plans for the Reconquest of Mexico and the Invasion of Tampico (1829). pp. 477–487 URL: https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=digitalbooks

[3] "Historia de San Luis" (PDF). 2011-04-09. pp. 497–504. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-04-09. Retrieved 2021-02-03.

[:1-4] 1 2 3 4 González Pedrero, Enrique (2005). Country of one man: the Mexico of Santa Anna. Volume I. The round of the opposites . Mexico: Economic Culture Fund. ISBN 968-16-3962-6.

[5] Fowler, Will (2015). "Santa Anna and His Legacy". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.18. ISBN 978-0199366439 . Retrieved 2021-02-03.

[6] Costeloe, Michael P. (1988). "The Mexican Press of 1836 and the Battle of the Alamo". The Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 91 (4): 533–543. ISSN 0038-478X. JSTOR 30240054.

[7] Canedo, Lino G. The Americas 16, no. 4 (1960): 422–424. Accessed February 3, 2021. doi : 10.2307/979006.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]