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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2009
A late-comer in the privileged corporate structure of New Spain, the army struggled to wrest a position and to gain recognition. Other jurisdictions such as the merchant consulados, the Acordada, the Mining Guild, and the jealous creole-dominated ayuntamientos, contested military pretensions and triggered numerous judicial and jurisdictional disputes over how far the military could extend its legal powers. Representatives of the reformed Bourbon civil administration, unsure in some instances of the limits of their own authority, did not welcome a dynamic and grasping presence. For their own part, the army officers dispatched to command Mexican regular and militia units often represented the aggressively haughty airs of the European Spaniard – attitudes that rasped at the deep-rooted inferiority of the creoles and left them enraged. Little wonder that there was a constant stream of disputes, misunderstandings, and challenges directed against the army and the fucro militar.1
1 For background see McAlister, Lyle N., The ‘Fuero Militar’ in New Spain, 1764–1800 (Gainsville, 1957);Google ScholarSantiago, Gerardo Suárez, El ordenamiento militar de indias (Caracas, 1971);Google ScholarMaría, del Carmen Velázquez, El estado de Guerra en Nucua España, 1760–1808 (México, 1950);Google ScholarCampbell, Leon G., The Military and Society in Colonial Peru, 1750–1810 (Philadelphia, 1978);Google ScholarKuethe, Allan J., Military Reform and Society in New Granada, 1773–1808 (Gainesville, 1978);Google Scholar and my own book, The Army in Bourbon Mexico, 1760–1810 (Albuquerque, 1977).Google Scholar
2 Juan Velázquez to Viceroy Marqués de Branciforte, January 1795, Archivo General de la Nación, Indiferente de Guerra (cited hereinafter as AGN:IG), Vol. 211-B.
3 Pedro de Laguna to Branciforte, Oaxaca, 9 February 1796, AGN:IG, Vol. 175-A.
4 Ayuntamiento of Mexico to Viceroy Conde de Revillagigedo, 12 May 1793, Archivo General de Indias, Section 5, Méíco (cited hereinafter as AGI, Mexico), leg. 1437; Captains of the Provincial Regiment of Mexico to the King, 29 July 1794, Archivo General de Simancas, Guerra Moderna, leg. 1969; and Branciforte to the Minister of War, Conde de Alange, 5 October 1794, AGI, Mexico, leg. 3438. Also see Archer, C. I., The Army in Bourbon Mexico, pp. 147–9.Google Scholar
5 Francisco, de Septién y Montero to Revillagigedo, , Guanajuato, , 14 04 1794, AGN:IG, Vol. 155-B.Google Scholar
6 Félix Calleja to Viceroy Miguel José de Azanza, 8 October 7798, AGN:IG, Vol. 157-B.
7 Calleja, to Viceroy, José de Iturrigaray, 6 09 1805, AGN:IG, Vol. 315-A. As a result of the dispute in 1794 between the sub-inspector general and the ayuntamiento of Mexico, the minister of war granted the municipal authorities permission to propose militia officer candidates. In 1795, Viceroy Branciforte used the ruling to permit all ayuntamientos the right of patronage in this area.Google Scholar
8 See the Reglamento para las milicias de la lila de Cuba… (Madrid, 1769); and the Reglamento para las milicias disciplinadas de Infantería y Dragoacs del Nuevo Reino de Granada… (Madrid, 1794).Google Scholar
0 Instrucción que deben arreglar sus funciones los comandantes de brigada, 12 March, 1800, AGN: IG, Vol. 386-A.
10 Calleja, to Iturrigaray, , 6 09 1805, AGN:IG, Vol. 315-A.Google Scholar
11 Dictamen, de Miguel Bataller, 9 02 1806, AGN:IG, Vol. 315-A. Iturrigaray approved Bataller's report in a note dated 11 February 1806.Google Scholar
12 Cruz arrived in Mexico in October 1810, on the warship Miño and was ordered to report to the capital for immediate service. He was named commander of the First Militia Brigade and of the Ejército de la Derecha. See Francisco Javier de Venegas to José de la Cruz, 6 November 1810 and 15 November 1810. AGN: Operaciones de Guerra (cited hereinafter as OG), Vol. 141.
13 Calleja, to Venegas, , 21 09 1810 to, and 28 09 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 369.Google Scholar
14 Manuel de Acevedo to Calleja, 1 October 1810, and Calleja to Acevedo, 34 October 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 91.
15 Conde, de la Cadena to Ignacio, García Revollo, 30 09 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 94-A.Google Scholar
16 Cadena, to Venegas, , 29 09 1810, and Calleja to Antonio Riaño, n.d., AGN:OG, Vol. 94-A.Google Scholar
17 Cadena, to José, Alonso Terán, 2 10 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 94-A.Google Scholar
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21 Ibid. Terán did not know that Guanajuato had fallen to the insurgents.
22 José, Alonso to Cadena, , 22 10 1810; and Cadena, to Venegas, , 12 10 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 94-A.Google Scholar
23 Cadena, to Venegas, , 7 10 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 94-A.Google Scholar
24 Bernardo, Tello to Cadena, , Chichimequillas, , 6 10 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 94-A.Google Scholar
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32 Calleja, to Venegas, , 12 08 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 190.Google Scholar
33 Cruz, to Venegas, , 17 11 1810;Google Scholar and Venegas, to Cruz, , 22 11 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 141.Google Scholar
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36 Calleja, to Venegas, , 28 11 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 170.Google Scholar
37 Venegas, to Calleja, , 10 12 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 170.Google Scholar
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45 Cruz, to Calleja, , 15 07 1811, and Cruz, to Calleja, , 9 04 1814, AGN:OG, Vol. 145.Google Scholar
46 See Hamill, Hugh M., The Hidalgo Revolt: Prelude to Mexican Independence (Gainesville, 1966), pp. 210–11;Google Scholar and Charles, Harris III, A Mexican Family Empire: The Latifundio of the Sanchez Navarro Family, 1765–1867 (Austin, 1975), pp. 134–5.Google Scholar
47 Reglamento político militar que deberán observar bajo las penas que señala los pueblos, haciendas, y ranchos a quienes se comunique por las autoridades, 8 June 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 186.
48 Ibid., and Calleja, to the Alcaícle of León, Ildefonso, Septién, 13 08 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 145.Google Scholar
49 Cruz, to Calleja, , 15 07 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 145.Google Scholar
50 Fernando, Perez Marañon to Calleja, , 20 12 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 195.Google Scholar
51 Peréz, Marañon to Venegas, , 19 01 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 179.Google Scholar
52 Ibid.
53 José, Luis García to Pérez, Marañon, 21 01 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 195.Google Scholar
54 Pérez, Marañon to Calleja, , 19 11 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 195.Google Scholar
55 Francisco, Uraga to Calleja, , 24 09 1810, AGN:OG, Vol. 189.Google Scholar
56 Luis, Caballero to Calleja, , 27 09 1911,Google Scholar and Uraga, to Calleja, 4 10 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 189.Google Scholar
57 Uraga, to Calleja, , 14 10 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 189.Google Scholar
58 Vecinos, honorados de San Miguel to Calleja, , 12 10 1811, and Uraga, to Calleja, , 11 11 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 189.Google Scholar
59 Calleja, to Venegas, , 15 10 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 192.Google Scholar
60 José, María Malo to Calleja, , 17 11 1811, and 23 11 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 189.Google Scholar
61 Calleja, to Venegas, , 28 11 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 195. This event was widely publicized in the Gazeta de México. See the Gazeta, 14 12 1811,Google Scholar and Lucas, Alamn, Historia 2, 191.Google Scholar
62 Calleja, to Venegas, , 29 01 1812, AGN:OG, Vol. 197;Google Scholar and Calleja, to the Minister of War, 5 04 1813, ACT, Mexico, Leg. 1322. Calleja's bad health has been dismissed as a political illness by some historians. There can be no doubt, however, about his suffering. Calleja and Cruz discussed their intestinal and stomach disorders and it was common knowledge in the army that he was in very bad health.Google Scholar
63 Calleja, to Venegas, , 11 08 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 190.Google Scholar
64 Calleja, to Venegas, , 7 11 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 195. Carlos María Bustamante noted in the margin of this document that the monster (Calleja) had done just that to Zitácuaro by ordering the town burned.Google Scholar
65 Calleja, to Venegas, , 28 02 1812, AGN:OG, Vol. 198.Google Scholar
66 Bando, ot Calleja, , 5 01 1812, AGN:OG, Vol. 165,Google Scholar and José, Maria de Echeagaray to Calleja, , 33 01 1812, AGN:OG, Vol. 165.Google Scholar For a copy see Carlos, María de Bustamante, Cuadro histórico de la revolución mexicanaI (México, 1961), 42–4.Google Scholar
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77 Ayuntamiento of Mexico to Calleja, , 1 07 1811, AGN:OG, Vol. 32.Google Scholar
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84 Alvarez, to Calleja, , 14 12 1814, AGN:OG, Vol. 1.Google Scholar
85 Antonio, Requera to Alvarez, , 15 07 1814, AGN:OG, Vol. 1.Google Scholar
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95 Cruz, to Apodaca, , 13 10 1818, AGN:OG, Vol. 155.Google Scholar
96 Cruz, to Apodaca, , 18 12 1818, AGN:OG, Vol. 155.Google Scholar
97 Cruz, to Apodaca, , Conde, del Venadito, 20 09 1820, AGN:OG, Vol. 157.Google Scholar
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