DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, picture Galveston Island in late 1816 and on into early 1817 — not the bustling port city you might know, but a windswept strip of sand baking under what the marker calls a torrid sun, crowded with soldiers from a dozen different nations who had no business being there together and yet there they were, drilling in the heat, waiting. Waiting for reinforcements.
Waiting for the right moment to strike. This is the story of two of the most unlikely partners in the whole messy business of trying to free Mexico from Spain. First there's Francisco Xavier Mina — born in 1789, dead by 1817, so he didn't have long, and the marker doesn't let you forget it.
They call him an impetuous young Spanish general, and you get the feeling that word impetuous was chosen very carefully. Then there's Louis-Michel Aury — born around 1788, gone by 1821 — a French privateer and soldier of fortune, which is the kind of title a man earns rather than inherits. Together they made for an odd pair leading an even odder army.
Now, Mexico had been trying to wrest power from Spain for six years by this point, and the trouble wasn't will — there was plenty of that. The trouble was military leadership and supplies. Those were the two things Mina and Aury believed they could furnish, and that belief is what brought this whole ragtag bivouac into existence on the shores of Galveston Island.
Aury wasn't new to the place, either. Mexican rebel leaders had already chosen him as Commissioner of Galveston Island, a position from which he preyed on Spanish shipping — doing his part, in his own freewheeling way, for the cause. He ran his operation out of what the marker calls Galvez Town, and when Mina's forces set up camp, Mina pitched his tents west of it.
Mina's cargo — whatever he'd hauled across the water — was stored in the hulk of an abandoned ship. And Aury, drawing from his store of booty, supplied the whole operation with excellent rations. That detail has a certain charm to it.
A privateer feeding an international army out of his plunder stockpile, everybody eating well while they wait for history to move. Then April 7, 1817 arrives. Mina's invaders — eight ships, about 235 men — sail out for Soto la Marina.
Aury stays at Galveston. And that's where the two men's stories permanently fork. Mina moves inland.
At first he's victorious, pushing forward the way an impetuous young general does. But on October 27 of that same year, he is defeated at Venadito. The marker gives no softening on that point.
Defeated. Three years later, Mexico won her freedom — and the marker is careful to note that early rebel efforts such as these had a hand in that. Two young adventurers, a campsite on a sandbar, a ship's hull full of cargo, and soldiers from many nations drilling under a torrid Texas sun.
They didn't live to see what they helped start. But it started.
What the marker says
A bivouac in late 1816 and early 1817 for an oddly mixed group of soldiers from many nations joined in the common purpose of freeing Mexico from Spain. Under two spirited leaders-- Mina (1789-1817), an impetuous young Spanish general, and Aury (about 1788-1821), a French privateer and soldier of fortune-- the forces drilled while waiting reinforcements and the best time to strike. For six years Mexico had been trying to wrest power from Spain but lacked military leadership and supplies. These items the two young adventurers hoped to furnish. Aury had already been chosen by Mexican rebel leaders as "Commissioner" of Galveston Island, from which he preyed on Spanish shipping. At the campsite, Mina's cargo was stored in the hulk of an abandoned ship and, under a torrid sun, he set up tents west of "Galvez Town." Aury, from his store of booty, supplied all with excellent rations. On April 7, 1817, Mina's invaders sailed, with eight ships and about 235 men, for Soto la Marina; Aury stayed at Galveston. At first victorious, Mina moved inland but was defeated at Venadito on October 27. Three years later, having gained from early rebel efforts such as these, Mexico won her freedom.