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Juan Nepomuceno Seguín (October 27, 1806 – August 27, 1890) was a Tejano hero of the Texas Revolution.
As a teenager in Mexico he had a strong interest in politics. He was very critical of his contemporary Mexican leader, Antonio López de Santa Anna, and gladly joined the Texas Revolution to rid Texas of Santa Anna's rule. He led a band of twenty-five Tejanos who favored a revolt and fought on the Texan side at the Battle of the Alamo. Because Seguín spoke only Spanish, he was chosen to carry the message through lines that the Texans "shall never surrender or retreat." Seguín got the message to the other soldiers on the Texan side. He returned to the Alamo, but it had already fallen to Santa Anna's army. Seguín arranged for the dead Alamo defenders to be buried with military honors.
He later commanded an infantry company and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. Seguín was elected to the Texas Senate in 1839 and became mayor of San Antonio in 1841. Seguín was forced from office on charges that he was aiding the Mexican army and for his defense of Tejano rights. He fled to Mexico in 1842 to "seek refuge amongst my enemies," where he was arrested and forced to enlist in the Mexican army as an officer. He later served against Texas and the United States in the Mexican-American War.
Seguín periodically returned to Texas after that, being elected to two terms as Justice of the Peace of Bexar County in 1852 and 1854 and as County Judge in Wilson County in 1869. He eventually settled in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where his son Santiago was mayor. He died there on August 27, 1890. His remains were returned to Texas in 1974 and reinterred in his namesake town, Seguin, during ceremonies on July 4, 1976.
Legacy
A town, Seguin, was named after him. Over the years, the attitude to Juan Seguin was mixed. On one hand he was recognized as the Alamo hero, on the other he was often labeled as traitor, both by Texans and Mexicans.[1] In the second half of the 20th century, with the growing interest in the Tejanos' role in the Texas revolution, the interest in Juan Seguin grew. He was portrayed in the TV drama: American Playhouse: Seguin (1982), directed by Jesús Salvador Treviño, where he was played by A. Martinez.[2] In the 2004 film The Alamo (by John Lee Hancock), he was played by Jordi Molla. Although he was only a supporting character, his role in the film was important, because the director considered this character as a "moral bellwether of the story".[3] In a September 2001 ceremony, Park Road 1836, which connects Battleground Road (formerly Texas State Highway 134) to the San Jacinto Monument Grounds near Houston, was renamed in Seguin's honor and the Interstate 610/Texas State Highway 225 interchange in southeast Houston was bestowed with the name of "Juan N. Seguin Memorial Interchange."[4].Juan Seguin helped in the San Jacinto battle.
Footnotes
External links
- Juan Seguín from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Seguin Descendants Historical Preservation
- Juan Seguín at Find a Grave
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