Santa Ana,
ANTONIO LOPEZ DE, military officer ; born in Jalapa, Mexico,
Feb. 21, 1798; began his military career in 1821 in the revolution by
which Mexico achieved its independence of Spain. Imperious, disobedient,
and revengeful, he was dismissed from the service. A keen intriguer, he
secured the overthrow of the existing government in Mexico in 1828. He
was a brave and rather successful military leader, and led insurrection
after insurrection, until in March, 1833, he obtained his
election to
the Presidency of the republic of Mexico. He was a favorite with the
army, but unpopular with the natives. |

Santa Anna
|
There were repeated
insurrections during his administration, and finally, discontents in
Texas broke out into revolution. Santa Anna took the field in person
against the revolutionists. He was personally in charge of the
Mexican Army at the
battle of
the Alamo (March, 1836), and he was responsible for the brutal and
treacherous
massacre at Goliad (March 1836). He pursued Sam Houston across
Texas in what is known as the "Runaway
Scrape". He was defeated at the
battle of San Jacinto by
General Sam Houston, and taken prisoner. He was deposed from the
Presidency.
In taking part in defending Vera Cruz against the French in
1837 he was wounded and lost a leg by amputation. In the long contest
between the Federalists and Centralists, taking part with the former, he
was virtually dictator of Mexico from Oct. 10, 1841, to June 4, 1844,
under the title of provisional President. He was constitutional President
from June 4 to Sept. 20, 1844, when he was deposed by a new revolution,
taken prisoner near Tlacolula, Jan. 15, 1845, and banished for ten
years.
He took up his residence in Cuba, where he secretly negotiated
for the betrayal of his country to the United States. He was allowed to
pass through Commodore Conner's fleet into Mexico, where he was
appointed generalissimo of the army, and in December was again elected
provisional President. With an army of 20,000 men he lost the
battle of
Buena Vista. He was afterwards defeated in battle at Cerro Gordo, and
about the middle of September, 1847, was driven with nearly 2,000
followers from the city of Mexico. He was deposed, and in April, 1848,
fled from the country to Jamaica. He returned to Mexico in 1853, where
he was received with great enthusiasm and appointed President for one
year, after which time he was to call a constitutional Congress; but he
fomented a new revolution by which he was declared President for life,
with power to appoint his successor. He began to rule despotically, and
was soon confronted by a revolution led by General Alvarez. After a
struggle of two years, he signed his unconditional abdication, and
sailed for Cuba, Aug. 16, 1855.
He afterwards spent two years in Venezuela, and thence went to St.
Thomas. During the French military occupation of Mexico he appeared
there and pledged himself to take no part in public affairs. But his
passion for intrigue could not be repressed, and having issued a
manifesto calculated to raise a disturbance in his favor, General
Bazaine ordered him to quit the country forever in May, 1864. Some time
afterwards, the Emperor Maximilian made him grand-marshal of the empire;
but in 1865, having been implicated in a conspiracy against the Emperor,
he fled to St. Thomas. In 1867 he again made an attempt to gain
ascendency in Mexico, but was taken prisoner at
Vera Cruz and condemned
to be shot. President Juarez pardoned him on condition of his quitting
Mexico forever. He came to the United States. After the death of Juarez
he was permitted to return to his native country, and afterwards lived
in seclusion in the city of Mexico, where he died, June 20, 1876. |