| Hero of May 5 (the Battle of Puebla), he
was born at Bahía del Espíritu Santo, Texas, when the territory still
belonged to Mexico. He completed his first studies in Matamoros and
continued them in Monterrey. He attended seminary there as well, but soon
dedicated himself to business. He entered the National Guard with the rank
of sergeant and joined a military company in 1853, beginning his military
career with the rank of captain. When the rebellion of Ayutla broke out,
he joined and stayed with the liberals. He fought in the Battle of Saltillo
against Santa-Anna. In late 1856, he participated in the defense of
Monterrey. When the coup led by Comonfort occurred, Zaragoza was in the
capital. With a handful of riflemen from the north, he began to fight in
defense of the Constitution of 1857 and for reformist principles. In 1860,
he was commander of the siege forces at Guadalajara, managing to defeat
Leonardo Márquez’s troops. At the end of that year and with the rank of
quartermaster, he served under the command of González Ortega in the battle
of Calpulalpan, which put an end to the War of Reform.
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In 1861, Zaragoza was named defense minister but resigned his post in
December that year to take command of the Army of the East in the face of
the Tripartite Alliance forces, subsequently the interventionists. With this
rank he engaged the French forces at the summit of Acultzingo. Days later,
he beat back the French assault at Puebla, achieving the famous victory of
May 5, 1862. He survived to enjoy his triumph only for a short time; he died
in the city of Puebla on September 8 from typhoid. Decrees were issued
mourning his death throughout the country. His remains were disinterred from
the San Fernando Cemetery in Mexico City to be transferred to Puebla and
deposited in a monument erected between the two forts of Loreto and
Guadalupe on May 5, 1976. Zaragoza was declared a national hero.
Source: Diccionario Porrúa de Historia, Biografía y Geografía de
México. |