Ignacio Zaragoza

Hero of the Battle of Puebla (el 5 de mayo)

By Felix Alvarado

April 22, 2014

He was born March 24, 1829 at Bahía del Espíritu Santo in the state of Coahuila y Texas now known as Goliad, Texas to Miguel Zaragoza and Maria de Jesus Valdez Martinez Seguin.  He was of Tejano stock or put another way, “Puro Tejano.”

The French Army came to occupy Mexico during an intervention by the Spaniards, the British and the French because Mexico was unable to pay its foreign debt.  The British and Spaniards withdrew but the French remained as an occupation force.   General Ignacio Zaragoza made history by defeating the mighty, well-trained, well-armed French Army in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. 

History is filled with many “What if’s, what would have happened if ….?”  The victory at Puebla was significant because the French were sympathetic towards the Confederacy.  A French victory would have given the French a path from Veracruz to Texas with which to funnel supplies to the Confederacy.  When it came to resources the Confederacy did not have the resources the North had.  You could say it had the short end of the stick.  If the French had provided the resources the Confederacy needed the Civil War might have had a different outcome.  IF. 

What we know factually is that Ignacio Zaragoza was a real hero and Puro Tejano.