Forgotten hero of the American Revolution

Daisy Wanda Garcia of Austin is the daughter of civil rights pioneer Dr. Hector P. Garcia. She writes monthly for the Caller-Times. Email her at wanda.garcia@sbcglobal.net.

Posted July 2, 2011 at 7:03 p.m.

CORPUS CHRISTI — One of the forgotten heroes of the American Revolution is Bernardo de Galvez y Madrid. Galvez was instrumental in helping the 13 colonies become independent from Britain.

I learned about Galvez from Dan Arellano. Dan, a Travis County historian, is the president of the Tejano Genealogical Society.

Dan has uncovered obscure information omitted in history books about Americans of Mexican/Spanish descent. One of the jewels in Dan's crown is his investigation of the battle of Medina. Dan feels that his research helps diminish anti-Hispanic sentiment.

Bernardo de Galvez was born in the province of Malaga, Spain, on July 23, 1746. He chose the military as a career and quickly rose through the ranks. Galvez received many honors for his accomplishments in the military. Eventually Spain deployed Galvez for service in New Spain. While in the new world, he was wounded several times in various battles. In 1777, Spain appointed Galvez governor of the Spanish territory of Louisiana.

Gen. George Washington in 1779 sought the help of Bernardo de Galvez against the British. Galvez corresponded directly with Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and Charles Henry Lee before Spain formally declared war with Britain. In 1779, King Carlos III declared war and commissioned Galvez to organize forces against the English. Galvez focused on the Mississippi and the Gulf. He sealed off the port of New Orleans so that British ships could not use the Mississippi River.

Galvez used the Mississippi as a resource to supply money, ammunition and weapons to Washington. Galvez supplied more than $70,000 for the cause.

Read more:

http://www.caller.com/news/2011/jul/02/f...can-revolution/

@Sanguine

Most Texans know that Galveston Island is the namesake of Bernardo de Galvez and why...

It's a shame that the rest of America has never even heard the name.