Ciudad Mier
Encyclopedia
Mier also known as El Paso del Cántaro, is a city in Mier Municipality
in Tamaulipas
, located in northern Mexico
near the Rio Grande
, just south of Falcon Dam
. It is 90 miles (144.8 km) north east of Monterrey
on Mexico Highway 2. (26°28'N 99°10'W) In 1990 the population was recorded at 6,190. By the 2010 census, it had dropped to 4,762 inhabitants. It has an agricultural economy centered on cotton, sugarcane, corn, and livestock.
formed the new settlement. The town is called Mier because the governor of the New Kingdom of León from 1710 to 1714, Francisco Mier y Torre, used to spend the night there on his way to Texas. It began to be called Estancia de Mier and then simply Mier. This is where the steamboats used to stop when they came up the Río Bravo.
, to occupy San Antonio in early March 1842.
The “War Hawks” in the Texas Congress forced President Sam Houston to act. The President ordered General Alexander Somervell to command the assembling volunteers at San Antonio. Men of all kinds came pouring into town, some shoeless, most horseless, some seeking adventure, and others of the criminal sort, wishing only to sack Mexican towns and villages. As Houston had hoped, Somervell acted indecisively. Soon, considerable looting of Tejano stores in San Antonio, coupled with out-and-out insubordination, broke up the volunteers before they could march on Mexico and start a major war.
Relations between Texas and Mexico worsened, especially after the Mexican general Adrian Woll
and fourteen hundred troops again captured
San Antonio in September. Houston once again summoned Somervell to organize and lead the volunteers but hoped that the Texas general would remain north of the Nueces River. But as the army grew to 750 men, even Somervell realized that he would have to act. His volunteers had taken on an identity of their own; had he refused to march, the troops would have left him.
The army was slowly breaking up as a result of the disorder and looting. The 500 who remained followed Somvervell south to Guerrero, where pillaging occurred. Here a mutiny erupted in which 189 men followed William S. Fisher, Ewen Cameron
, and Thomas Green
into the Mexican town of Mier.
On December 23, 1842, Fisher and most of the men crossed the Rio Grande and entered the town of Mier, where they met no resistance. They demanded supplies from the town, which the town's alcalde promised to deliver. The troops withdrew and waited. In the meantime, a large detachment of Mexican troops arrived in the town. On December 25, the two sides engaged in a bloody battle that lasted almost 24 hours. The Texans sustained thirty casualties and ran out of food, water, and ammunition. More than 200 Texans surrendered to Mexican forces, unaware that they had mauled the Mexican troops to an almost unbelievable degree, inflicting an astounding 800 casualties.
As far as the Mexicans were concerned, the Texans were privateers on an unauthorized raid and entitled to no consideration as military prisoners of war. They were initially sentenced to death, then ordered on a forced march to Mexico City
. Fisher was separated from the group, but the men selected a leader from among themselves, a Scottish-born captain named Ewen Cameron. Along the way, Cameron led most of the prisoners in an escape attempt. The Texans tried to make a run back for the border, but they hadn't bargained on the harsh and dry conditions in the mountains. All but three were recaptured and returned to the town of Salado.
When he heard about the breakout, President Antonio López de Santa Anna
ordered that the recaptured prisoners, some 176 men, be put to death immediately. The governor of the state of Coahuila
, Francisco Mexía, refused to carry out the order and pleaded with foreign ministers in Mexico City to persuade the president to change his mind.
What happened next became known as the "Black Bean Episode." He promised the foreign ministers that he would show mercy, and then modified his decree to order the decimation of the Mier prisoners; in other words, the execution of every tenth man. On March 25, 1843, the prisoners were forced to draw from a jar containing 159 white beans and 17 black beans. At dusk that day, those unlucky enough to draw a black bean were shot to death. Cameron had selected a white bean, which should have saved his life. Although, he had earned the hostile of Mexican Colonel Antonio Canales Rosillo
for his role in the embarrassing defeat in his battle, and escape attempt at prison. Colonel Canales intervened with Antonio López de Santa Anna, and he agreed. Cameron was shot by Mexican firing squad at Perote Prison
on April 26, 1843.
The remaining prisoners were put to work on a road gang. Then, most were thrown into the notorious Perote Prison in Veracruz
, though a few were separated from the group and scattered into other prisons around Mexico
. Over the next few months, some managed to escape, while others died of wounds, disease, and starvation. Diplomats from the United States
and Great Britain
worked for the release of the Mier prisoners. They were eventually paroled in piecemeal fashion, with the last prisoner going home in September 1844.
In 1848 the bodies of the men executed in the Black Bean Episode were returned from Mexico and were buried in La Grange, Texas
.
. At that time Ciudad Mier had near 4,000 inhabitants. Its isolation and close proximity with the U.S. border led to it becoming a mecca for smugglers.
Fidel Castro had learned of the fashion in which any merchandise could be crossed illegally by the Rio Grande River into Mier. At that time Castro was preparing for a revolution in Cuba
and was meeting with leaders in Mexico City
. Castro needed weapons and went to Mier to obtain them. Mier town historian Antonio Guerra said only the best smugglers received the assignment.
The operation was assigned to Juan 'El Chapiado' González, from Mier, and Santiago 'El Chago' Guerra, from Agualeguas (Nuevo León
). These men acquired the weapons in the United States then passed them over the Rio Grande River in boats. When they disembarked the weapons were then unloaded at the Los Guajes Ranch, owned by Jesus 'El Gavilan' Ramírez.
Family and acquaintances of these men relate that after hiding the weapons, the group was directed to travel to the Cantina de la Loma del Peligro bar, many miles down the highway leading from Mier to Ciudad Guerrero. There they met the buyer of the merchandise. In the bar it was agreed that the weapons would continue south, leaving Mier to Aldamas. From there they would travel to Veracruz
where they would be loaded into a yacht named Granma
.
Castro later confirmed that the weapons leading to the Cuban revolution indeed passed through Mier with the help of Mexican smugglers.
Mier Municipality
Mier Municipality is one of the municipalitiesof Tamaulipas, Mexico. The seat is at Ciudad Mier. According to the 2010 census, the entire population of the municipality resides in the municipal seat, as both have an official count of 4,762 inhabitants...
in Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
, located in northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
near the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
, just south of Falcon Dam
Falcon Dam
Falcon Dam is an earthen embankment dam on the Rio Grande between Starr County in the U.S. state of Texas and the city of Nueva Ciudad Guerrero in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas...
. It is 90 miles (144.8 km) north east of Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
on Mexico Highway 2. (26°28'N 99°10'W) In 1990 the population was recorded at 6,190. By the 2010 census, it had dropped to 4,762 inhabitants. It has an agricultural economy centered on cotton, sugarcane, corn, and livestock.
History
The town was founded on March 6, 1753. The land was originally owned by Felix de Almandoz. Land later passed on to General Prudencio Basterra who married Felix's sister Ana Maria. 19 Families from CamargoCamargo, Tamaulipas
Camargo is a municipality in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located on the US border, across from Rio Grande City, Texas. It has an official population of 14,933 inhabitants and an international bridge. The municipal seat is Ciudad Camargo, with a population of 7,984...
formed the new settlement. The town is called Mier because the governor of the New Kingdom of León from 1710 to 1714, Francisco Mier y Torre, used to spend the night there on his way to Texas. It began to be called Estancia de Mier and then simply Mier. This is where the steamboats used to stop when they came up the Río Bravo.
Conflicts with the Republic of Texas
On his return to power, General Santa Anna, sent a force of seven hundred men, mostly mounted Mexican troops under the command of General Ráfael VásquezRáfael Vásquez (Mexican general)
Ráfael Vásquez was a 19th-Century General in the Mexican Army during the Mexican rebellion against the centralist style rule of government.-Early life:...
, to occupy San Antonio in early March 1842.
The “War Hawks” in the Texas Congress forced President Sam Houston to act. The President ordered General Alexander Somervell to command the assembling volunteers at San Antonio. Men of all kinds came pouring into town, some shoeless, most horseless, some seeking adventure, and others of the criminal sort, wishing only to sack Mexican towns and villages. As Houston had hoped, Somervell acted indecisively. Soon, considerable looting of Tejano stores in San Antonio, coupled with out-and-out insubordination, broke up the volunteers before they could march on Mexico and start a major war.
Relations between Texas and Mexico worsened, especially after the Mexican general Adrian Woll
Adrián Woll
Adrián Woll was a French soldier of fortune and mercenary who served as a general in the army of Mexico during the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War.-Biography:...
and fourteen hundred troops again captured
Battle of Salado Creek (1842)
The Battle of Salado Creek was a decisive engagement in 1842 which repulsed the final Mexican invasion of Texas. Colonel Mathew Caldwell of the Texas Rangers led just over 200 militiamen against an army of 1,600 Mexican Army troops and Cherokee warriors and defeated them outside of San Antonio de...
San Antonio in September. Houston once again summoned Somervell to organize and lead the volunteers but hoped that the Texas general would remain north of the Nueces River. But as the army grew to 750 men, even Somervell realized that he would have to act. His volunteers had taken on an identity of their own; had he refused to march, the troops would have left him.
The army was slowly breaking up as a result of the disorder and looting. The 500 who remained followed Somvervell south to Guerrero, where pillaging occurred. Here a mutiny erupted in which 189 men followed William S. Fisher, Ewen Cameron
Ewen Cameron (Captain)
Captain Ewen Cameron was an officer in the Republic of Texas army, and participated in the ill-fated Mier Expedition.Cameron, who had migrated from Scotland to Kentucky, had come to Texas in 1836, arriving just after the Texas Revolution.On December 26, 1842, The Mier Expedition was a failed raid...
, and Thomas Green
Thomas Green (general)
Thomas Green was a lawyer, politician, soldier and officer of the Republic of Texas, and rose to the rank of Brigadier General of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Tom Green County, Texas was named after him....
into the Mexican town of Mier.
On December 23, 1842, Fisher and most of the men crossed the Rio Grande and entered the town of Mier, where they met no resistance. They demanded supplies from the town, which the town's alcalde promised to deliver. The troops withdrew and waited. In the meantime, a large detachment of Mexican troops arrived in the town. On December 25, the two sides engaged in a bloody battle that lasted almost 24 hours. The Texans sustained thirty casualties and ran out of food, water, and ammunition. More than 200 Texans surrendered to Mexican forces, unaware that they had mauled the Mexican troops to an almost unbelievable degree, inflicting an astounding 800 casualties.
As far as the Mexicans were concerned, the Texans were privateers on an unauthorized raid and entitled to no consideration as military prisoners of war. They were initially sentenced to death, then ordered on a forced march to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Fisher was separated from the group, but the men selected a leader from among themselves, a Scottish-born captain named Ewen Cameron. Along the way, Cameron led most of the prisoners in an escape attempt. The Texans tried to make a run back for the border, but they hadn't bargained on the harsh and dry conditions in the mountains. All but three were recaptured and returned to the town of Salado.
When he heard about the breakout, President Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
ordered that the recaptured prisoners, some 176 men, be put to death immediately. The governor of the state of Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, Francisco Mexía, refused to carry out the order and pleaded with foreign ministers in Mexico City to persuade the president to change his mind.
What happened next became known as the "Black Bean Episode." He promised the foreign ministers that he would show mercy, and then modified his decree to order the decimation of the Mier prisoners; in other words, the execution of every tenth man. On March 25, 1843, the prisoners were forced to draw from a jar containing 159 white beans and 17 black beans. At dusk that day, those unlucky enough to draw a black bean were shot to death. Cameron had selected a white bean, which should have saved his life. Although, he had earned the hostile of Mexican Colonel Antonio Canales Rosillo
Antonio Canales Rosillo
Antonio Canales Rosillo was a 19th century politician, surveyor, and military officer.- Career:...
for his role in the embarrassing defeat in his battle, and escape attempt at prison. Colonel Canales intervened with Antonio López de Santa Anna, and he agreed. Cameron was shot by Mexican firing squad at Perote Prison
San Carlos Fortress
The San Carlos Fortress is a fort in the city of Perote, in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It is also known as the Fort of San Carlos, Perote Castle, the Castle of San Carlos, Perote Prison, San Carlos de Perote Fortress, and San Carlos de Perote Castle.The fortress was built from 1770 to 1776 by...
on April 26, 1843.
The remaining prisoners were put to work on a road gang. Then, most were thrown into the notorious Perote Prison in Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, though a few were separated from the group and scattered into other prisons around Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Over the next few months, some managed to escape, while others died of wounds, disease, and starvation. Diplomats from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
worked for the release of the Mier prisoners. They were eventually paroled in piecemeal fashion, with the last prisoner going home in September 1844.
In 1848 the bodies of the men executed in the Black Bean Episode were returned from Mexico and were buried in La Grange, Texas
La Grange, Texas
La Grange is a city in Fayette County, Texas, near the Colorado River. The population was 4,478 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimated population was 4,645. But a 2010 census estimated that the city had a population of 4,923...
.
Fidel Castro in Mier
One historic event from Mier occurred in 1956 involving Fidel CastroFidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. At that time Ciudad Mier had near 4,000 inhabitants. Its isolation and close proximity with the U.S. border led to it becoming a mecca for smugglers.
Fidel Castro had learned of the fashion in which any merchandise could be crossed illegally by the Rio Grande River into Mier. At that time Castro was preparing for a revolution in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and was meeting with leaders in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Castro needed weapons and went to Mier to obtain them. Mier town historian Antonio Guerra said only the best smugglers received the assignment.
The operation was assigned to Juan 'El Chapiado' González, from Mier, and Santiago 'El Chago' Guerra, from Agualeguas (Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
). These men acquired the weapons in the United States then passed them over the Rio Grande River in boats. When they disembarked the weapons were then unloaded at the Los Guajes Ranch, owned by Jesus 'El Gavilan' Ramírez.
Family and acquaintances of these men relate that after hiding the weapons, the group was directed to travel to the Cantina de la Loma del Peligro bar, many miles down the highway leading from Mier to Ciudad Guerrero. There they met the buyer of the merchandise. In the bar it was agreed that the weapons would continue south, leaving Mier to Aldamas. From there they would travel to Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
where they would be loaded into a yacht named Granma
Granma (yacht)
Granma is the yacht that was used to transport 82 fighters of the Cuban Revolution from Mexico to Cuba in 1956 for the purpose of overthrowing the regime of Fulgencio Batista. The 60-foot diesel-powered cabin cruiser was built in 1943 and designed to accommodate 12 people...
.
Castro later confirmed that the weapons leading to the Cuban revolution indeed passed through Mier with the help of Mexican smugglers.
Municipal Presidents of the city
- Nicolás Farías (1930–1933)
- Severo Barrera (1934–1936)
- Jesús García Gutiérrez (1937–1940)
- Florentino Ramírez Canales (1941–1942)
- Agustín Hinojosa Hinojosa (1943–1945)
- Valentín Barrera (1946–1948)
- Marcial Garza Sarabia (1949–1951)
- Julio Ramírez-Mateo García (1952–1954)
- Gerónimo Ramírez (1955–1957)
- Marco Hinojosa Villela (1958–1960)
- Álvaro Barrera Garza (1961–1962)
- Leonte Garza y Garza (1963–1965)
- Mauro Smith Bazán (1966–1968)
- Álvaro Barrera Garza (1969–1971)
- Roel Ramírez Ayala (1972–1974)
- Francisco Rodríguez Cavázos (1975–1977)
- Vladimir Treviño Rodríguez (1978–1980)
- Roberto González Guajardo (1981–1983)
- Ignacio Peña Alemán (1984–1986)
- Álvaro Barrera Ramírez (1987–1989)
- Jesús H. Hinojosa Vivanco (1990–1992)
- Enrique Maldonado Quintanilla (1993–1995)
- Jesús Ángel Guerra Mancías (1996–1998)
- Jesús Humberto Hinojosa Vivanco. (1999–2001)
- Abdón Canales Díaz (2002–2004)
- José Herbey Ramos Ramos (2005–2007)