1813 -- Battle of Rosillo Creek (Battle of Rosalis)

 

The Battle of Rosillo Creek (also known as the Battle of Rosalis) was originally called the Battle of Salado. (Note:  The Battle of Salado Creek is a different battle that occurred in 1842.)  This was a conflict of the Mexican War of Independence occurring March 29, 1813 in Coahuila y Tejas, approximately nine miles southeast of San Antonio de Bexar near the confluence of Rosillo Creek and Salado Creek. The site of this battle is near the present-day intersection of W.W. White and Hildebrand Streets in southeastern Bexar County, Texas.

The Republican Army of the North progressed further south through Louisiana in order to win Texas for the United States. The RAN was comprised of Anglo-Americans, Mexicans and Indians and was led by Jose Bernardo Gutierrez and Samuel Kemper. Their opposition were the Spanish Royalists led by Governor Manuel de Salcedo. The battle of Rosillo resulted in the capture of San Antonio and the establishment of a first "republic of Texas."

"On April 1st, at nine in the morning, the republican army marched to a beating drum from the Alamo to the main plaza of San Antonio. They crossed the river by means of a miserable bridge, replaced today by the excellent and beautiful one at Commerce Street. The Hispanic-Mexican army had disbanded and retreated the previous night and could not be found in any part of the city. Only a few persons immobilized by terror and the families of some citizens of San Antonio remained. Gutiérrez took possession of the Casas Reales, where the beautiful store of the Vances now stands. He immediately called an administrative junta or civil council of those citizens who, with the greater ardor, had opposed Spanish rule and who consequently had favored Mexican independence. The junta was composed of a president, a secretary, and eight to ten members. From the writing of Gutiérrez it seems that he created it with the sole object of court-martialing and sentencing the Spanish prisoners.

The secretary of this junta, (Captain) Mariano Rodriguez, is still living. At that time he was an active and jolly youth. Today he is an antiquated septuagenarian who merely exists in San Antonio with a very limited recollection of the past and an utter indifference for the future. On the fourth day of April, or possibly on the night of the fifth, a group of sixty Mexican men under the command of Antonio Delgado led fourteen Spanish prisoners, including four of Mexican birth, out of San Antonio to the eastern bank of Salado Creek, near the same spot where the battle of Rosillo occurred. There they dismounted from their fine horses, with no other arms than the big knives that each of those monsters carried hanging from their belts for use in the country. After having heaped offensive words and insulting epithets upon them, they cut their throats. With inhuman mockery some of those assassins sharpened their knives on the soles of their shoes in the presence of their defenseless victims."

 Here lie the brave Mexicans,
Following the example of Leonidas,
Who sacrificed their wealth and lives
Fighting ceaselessly against tyrants.

 

 [Source: http://www.sonsofdewittcolony.org/navarromem1.htm]

 

The records of the Campo Santo burial ground follow.

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - AMADOR, Gregorio, Spanish, Lt. in the military, killed at the battle of Rosillo Creek by the insurgents uprising. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - ARRAMBIDE, Juan Ignacio, Spanish, married. Captain in the military from Alamo de las Parras. Killed at the battle of Rosillo Creek by the insurgents. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - CASO, Juan, Spanish. Lt. in the military, from Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Single. Killed at the battle of Rosillo Creek by the insurgents. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - De ARCOS, Francisco, Spanish, 2nd Lt. of the military, killed at the battle of Rosillo Creek by insurgents. Single, son of Miguel de Arcos, Lt. Col. of the military. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - De ARCOS, Luis, Spanish, Lt. of the military, killed at the battle of Rosillo Creek by the insurgents. From New Santander, Mexico. Killed with his brothers, Francisco. Single. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - De ARCOS, Miguel, Lt. Col. of the military, Spanish, killed at the battle of Rosillo Creek by the insurgents, with his 2 sons, Francisco and Luis. From New Santander, Mexico. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - De HERRERA, Geronimo, Spanish, Colonel of the military, single; killed by the insurgents at the battle of Rosillo Creek. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - De HERRERA, Simon, Spanish, General of the Eastern Providence, widower of Maria Josefa. He was killed by the insurgents at the battle of Rosillo Creek. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - De SALCEDO, Manuel, Spanish, Governor of this Capitol, married to Maria Guadalupe PRIETO. He was killed by the insurgents at the battle of Rosillo Creek. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - ECHEVARRIA, Juan, Spanish, Captain killed by the insurgents at the battle of Rosillo. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - GOSEASCOCHA, Jose, Spanish, married. Lt. Col. in the military; killed at the battle of Rosillo Creek by the insurgents. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - LOPEZ, Antonio, Lt. in the military, Spanish, married; killed by the insurgents at the battle of Rosillo Creek. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - MONTERO, Bernardino, Spanish soldier, married to Juana RODRIGUEZ. He was killed at the battle of Rosillo and died like a true patriot. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - PEREIRA, Francisco, Spanish, retired military Captain, married, killed at the battle of Rosillo by insurgents.

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - RAMON, Jose Maria, Coyote Indian, married to Guadalupe BRAVO, killed by the insurgents at Rosillo Creek. 

Burial #541 - Aug 28 - De UGARTE, Joaquin, Captain of the military, veteran from Aqua Verde Company, killed by the insurgents at the battle of Rosillo Creek.

Virtual Cemetery: 

https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/1523060?page=1#sr-81198739

 

[Source: Texas State Genealogical Society. Stirpes, Volume 22, Number 2, June 1982, periodical, June 1982; Houston, TX. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29525/: accessed May 16, 2022), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Genealogical Society.]