Benito Armiñán

Benito Armiñán was a Spanish soldier who served as interim governor of Texas, replacing Cristóbal Domínguez, from October 1814 to July 1815, resigning from the government of the province due to health problems. He also stood out as the leader of the Extremadura Battalion, which fought against the pro-independence troops in several places in New Spain: Texas, Tamaulipas and San Luis de Potosí.

Benito Armiñán
Governor of the Spanish Colony of Texas
In office
October 1814 – July 1815
Preceded byCristóbal Domínguez
Succeeded byMariano Valera
Personal details
NationalitySpain Spaniard
ProfessionSoldier and administrador colonial of Texas

Biography

Armiñán joined the Spanish army in his youth, becoming a colonel. He joined the Spanish battalion of Extremadura, which he went on to lead.[1][2]

Later, Armiñán was appointed General Commander of the Huasteca, in the north of Veracruz.[3]

In 1813, Armiñán led his battalion to Texas to fight against the Republican troops seeking independence from New Spain. He arrived in the province after the Battle of Medina had ended, but had to suppress some insurgent movements that rose up against the Spanish Crown.[1]

Later, in October 1814, Armiñán was appointed interim governor of Texas to replace Cristóbal Domínguez, but he only held the position until July 1815, resigning from the government of the province due to health problems.[4] Shortly afterwards, the viceroy ordered Armiñán to travel with his troops to Tampico and Altamira, in Tamaulipas (in the north of present-day Mexico), to fight against the Republican troops.[3] 

In 1817, his battalion participated in the Battle of Peotillos, near the old hacienda of the same name, in San Luis Potosi. Leading a troop of two thousand soldiers, they attacked the troops of Francisco Xavier Mina. However, Mina defeated Armiñán in a space of only three hours. In this battle, Armiñán lost a fifth of the army that had arrived with him.[2]

References
  1. Edmondson, J.R. (2000). The Alamo Story-From History to Current Conflicts. Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press. ISBN 1-55622-678-0.
  2. Julio Zárate (1880). La Guerra de Independencia. Ballescá y compañía. 3rd Volume.
  3. Juan Ramón de Andrés Martín (2000). "Las tropas realistas del general Arredondo y la expedición de Mina tras la victoria de la fragata Sabina en mayo de 1817". Mélanges de la Casa de Velázquez (40–2): 199–217. doi:10.4000/mcv.3685. Chapter: La huída de Medina.
  4. Bradley, Ed (10 February 2015). We Never Retreat - Filibustering expeditions into Spanish Texas, 1812-1822. Texas A&M University Press. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-62349-257-1.
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