Nemesio Salcedo was Commanding General of the Eastern Interior Provinces of Mexico (1802-1813). His brother, Juan Manuel de Salcedo, was the 11th and last Spanish governor of Louisiana (serving from 1801 to November 30, 1803, when Louisiana was handed back to the French). Juan Manuel's son, and Nemesio's nephew, Manuel Maria Salcedo, served as governor of the Spanish province of Texas from 1808, until he was executed, on 3 April 1813, the day after the Royal Spanish forces he had commanded in defense of Bexar (current San Antonio), the capital of Texas, were defeated by the insurgent Republican Army of the North led by Jose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara. The decisions that Commandant-General Nemesio Salcedo made had a tremendous impact on the history of development of Texas, the western and southwestern portion of the United States, and a great portion of northern Mexico, too., for which he has not been properly recognized by past historians.
Some historians have even erroneously reported that General Salcedo died in Mexico in 1814 (when he finally received permission from the King to retire from his post in America), but I have found several archival sources (see examples attached) that prove he returned to Spain after his service in Mexico, where he was not only very-much-alive, but had been promoted to higher rank and was serving an honorable post as head of the deputation of his native villa of Bilbao in 1816, and two years later, in 1818 was having a new house built on the Old Plaza of the port city of San Sebastian, on the northern Basque seacoast, an architecturally-planned town reconstruction which was being re-built after having been totally destroyed in 1813, from the fires lit during the fighting between French and British forces. The house being built for him was at a location on the Old Plaza at the corner near the present Casino of San Sebastian (see attached photo), a location that will be passed by tens(maybe hundreds ?)-of-thousands of tourists during the upcoming year of 2016 as San Sebastian has been designated as the European Capital of Culture for 2016. Perhaps someone going to San Sebastian for one of the many special cultural events planned can find-out where this honorable old Basque gentleman's remains are buried and send me some information? And, even better, also find an image-from-life of him, and send me information or a copy?
With my best respects, and thanks ahead for any assistance or information,
Bob Skiles
Dear Ivo,
Thank you very much for your attention to my question; yes, I have seen these documents.
Bob
Dear Ivo,
I have searched what they have available online (which is very limited), but I haven't, yet. made inquiry of anyone in the Museum. I suppose that should be my next step. Thanks for the advice.
My regards,
Bob
Dear Ivo,
Your offer of assistance is most gratefully appreciated; I shall write-up a brief document, basically a guide to what little I know about Nemesio Salcedo (his birthplace / date / family / military service record / etc) in the morning and attach it here. Of course, what I most hope to find-out relating to San Sebastian is: (1) was the Nemesio Salcedo for whom the new house was being built on the Old Plaza in 1818 (at the corner just nearest the New Casino), one-and-the same as Lt-General Nemesio Salcedo, of Basque ancestry, a native of Bilbao; (2) if so, did he move into that house, and reside there, what exactly is the modern correlate of the address for his old house; (3) did he die in San Sebastian, if so, was he buried there, when and where; (4) are any of the local folks (historians ? municipal authorities ? tourism folks ?) aware that they have an important historical personage who could add immeasurably to the promotional HOOPLA of their upcoming 2016 celebration of being declared Europe's Cultural Capital ??? If Not, then your relative(s) could perhaps help their city (and me) most by lighting-a-fire underneath the appropriate someone on their tourism/promotion board/commission to get-with-the-program and help get their local historians fired-up working on developing the history of this great man, their one-time citizen, so they can tout him {and the greatness of Basque history and culture] properly during their great cultural spotlight next year!
I generally hate such shameless promotion, but if it gets a worthwhile goal accomplished ... I'm an old man ... I don't have forever to wait to find alternatives any more *chuckle* ... and I think it a very fortuitous thing to find a very gracious person, such as you, who has relatives in San Sebastian. I can't thank you enough for being willing to assist.
My fondest regards,
Bob
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Michael Bletzer
Pueblo of Isleta
Hi Bob,
El teniente general [!] D. Nemesio Salcedo" was definitely alive and well enough in 1816 to send his "sentimientos de amor, respeto y fidelidad" (together with other diputados from Bilbao) to Fernando VII on the latter's "augusto enlace" to Maria of Portugal. See Gaceta de Madrid, Vol. 2 (whole thing is now a Google ebook). The year before Salcedo was among the inaugural "caballeros grandes cruces [sic]" of Fernando VII's new "Real y Militar Orden de S. Hermenegildo" (see this untitled "guia" of c. 1820: http://dspace.ceu.es/visor/libros/322161/322161.pdf). Perhaps you may find an image of the man in the archives of this military order? Buena suerte, Michael.
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Bob Skiles
State of Texas (retired)
Hello Michael,
Hey, thanks for the info and good to know another archaeologist has an interest in Salcedo. I had found the 1816 Gaceta salutations (see my translation in the document attached above) to Ferdinand VII from the Bilbao deputation, but had not, yet, figured-out that the glorious event they were toasting the King upon was his engagement. So, you've cleared one mystery for me. I had already found /downloaded the guia militar from Google, but its very difficult to determine an exact date for this printing. Someone penciled the query "1822?" on the front flyleaf and based on internal evidence, I tend to think that's about right ... how about you?.
Your tip on looking for an image in the archives of the Real y Militar Orden de San Hermenegildo is probably the best hope of all of ever finding one (outside of a crazy chance of tracing one still in a descendant's hands ... I'm trying to work forward a family genealogy in hopes of finding some ... he had a lot of noble and rich and well-connected relatives ... so somebody might have made/kept a portrait of a favorite old uncle in his impressive uniform ... I can always dream ...) ... any idea on WHERE such archives may reside nowadays?
Thank you, Michael, for your assistance, and what I hope shall be your continuing interest in el teniente general.
Un mil gracias,
Robertito
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Michael Bletzer
Pueblo of Isleta
Hola Robertito :-)
I had a feeling from your initial bio of Don Nemesio that you might have gone through everything Google has to offer on him already. Sorry I couldn't contribute anything new to the problem (Btw, I think the 1822 pencil record of the "guia" looks about right, but still a bit strange that there doesn't seem to be an official date anywhere in the document. It is also interesting to see other colonial militares listed, e.g. Juan O'Donoju). It seems curious, however, that the man has left such an undersized "photographic record," as it were.
Although Ivo's connections may be your best bet to get at a portrait or other drawing, the San Hermenegildo Order could also be of use. I haven't been able to determine where its records are located, but since it is an active order maybe an inquiry with the Ministerio de Defensa might help. Come to think of it, given Salcedo's elevated military position, the Museo del Ejercito in Madrid/Toledo could be another opportunity, especially as its orgins go back to 1803.
Best of lack y plus ultra,
Miguelito
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