This Day in Texas History: Benavides Crosses Rio Grande in Pursuit of Mexican “Unionists” September 1, 1863 On this day in 1863, Maj. Santos Benavides, the highest-ranking Mexican American to serve in the Confederacy, led seventy-nine men of the predominantly Tejano Thirty-third Texas Cavalry across the Rio Grande in pursuit of the bandit Octaviano Zapata.…
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This Day in Texas History: Father of Conjunto Born in Reynosa October 29, 1911 On this day in 1911, Narciso Martínez was born in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. His parents immigrated to the United States that year and settled in La Paloma, a town outside Brownsville. Martínez took up the accordion in 1928. Around the same…
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This Day in Texas History: Killing of Sheriff Precipitates Ballad Tradition June 12, 1901 On this day in 1901, Gregorio Lira Cortez shot and killed Karnes County sheriff W. T. Morris and fled. The apparent misunderstandings that led to the killing, and the extended pursuit, capture, and trials of Cortez made him a folk hero.…
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This Day in Texas History: Texas Force Decimated After Black Bean Lottery March 25, 1843 On this day in 1843, seventeen Texans were executed at Salado, Tamaulipas, Mexico. As the members of the defeated Mier expedition were being marched from Mier to Mexico City, they attempted a mass escape on February 11. Some 176 were…
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