KEN BRIDGES
On Wednesday (May 5), Mexico will celebrate one of its most important patriotic holidays, known simply as Cinco de Mayo. It marks the victory of Mexico over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
It was an improbable victory against overwhelming odds. Above all, it is a day remembered for courage. This special day for Mexico is a day made possible by the daring and valor of a native Texan, Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza.
Zaragoza was born in March 1829 in Presidio la Bahia, which is the current city of Goliad, about 90 miles southeast of San Antonio. He was born into a prosperous and respected family of landowners and politicians. His uncle, Erasmo Seguin, had served as mayor of San Antonio and helped draft Mexico’s 1824 constitution which established it as a republic. Seguin had also helped Stephen F. Austin with his early colonization efforts. Seguin’s son, Juan Seguin, also served as San Antonio mayor and was a captain in the Texas Army during the Texas Revolution.