Welcome to Finding Medina.

Episode 4, Jose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara.

I'm Brandon Seal.

Just before Father Miguel Idaalgo was captured in March of 1811, a man of modest means from the Rio Grande Valley named Jose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara came to him, offering, quote, my services, my asienda, and my life, end quote, for the cause of Mexican independence.

Father Idaalgo had heard of the 36-year-old Gutieres de Lara's work as a propagandist of revolution back in his home state of Tamolipas,

and so trusted the hardy frontiersman immediately, appointing him his emissary to the United States.

Gutierrez de Lara departed within days,

narrowly escaping the fate that befell Idlego.

Gutierrez de Lara was descended from one of the founding families of Tamolipas.

His father had served prominently as a city councilman in his hometown of Revilla,

a town later known as Guerrero.

One of his brothers was a priest, suggesting that the family had the means to educate their

children to some degree, though Gutierrez de Lara would insist throughout his life that his

learning came from the, quote, school of practical experience, end quote.

La Scuela de la Experiencia Practica.

Indeed, there is an old but hard to confirm tradition that Gutierrez de Lara earned at least part of his living as a blacksmith.

Either way, Gutierrez de Lara had taken up Idaalgo's Grito early on

and become one of the most vocal proponents of Mexican independence in his state.

After receiving news of Father Igalgo's capture, soon after he had left his company,

Gutierrez de Lara traveled to San Antonio. There, he made contact with the reliably Republican Arrocha and Menchaca families.

Gutierrez de Lara tasked them with recruiting a new revolutionary army,

while he continued on to the United States in search of resources and more volunteers.

...