Welcome to Finding Medina.

Episode 8, The Battle of Alasan Creek.

I'm Brandon Seal.

Joaquin de Aredondo was a Spanish nobleman, born to a line of soldiers and administrators

that included a governor of Cuba and a viceroy of Buenos Aires.

He had begun 1810 as a mere colonel of the Royal Regiment of Veracruz,

but the coming revolutionary tumult in Mexico suited his talents well.

Over the next two years, Ardondo and his Veracruz regiment excelled as royalist firefighters,

quelling uprisings in modern-day Nuevoleon, San Luis Potosi, and Tamolipas,

where one wonders if you might have heard of a fiery revolutionary from the Rio Grande

named Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara. Arrondo promised to put to quote, fire and sword, end quote,

all who opposed him, and he was a man of his word. He tortured enemies who fell into his hands,

executed prisoners captured in combat,

and proved himself to be a ruthless and relentless campaigner. With a patch covering one eye,

he even looked the part of an aristocratic rebellion crusher. He was brutal, he was feared, and he was unquestionably effective.

When Arrondo heard about the Republican victory at the Battle of Rosillo, in the capture of San

Antonio, he informed the viceroy that he would personally march north and remedy the situation.

That's right, he didn't wait for orders or ask for permission.

He just told the viceroy that he was going to go handle it.

More accurately, he ignored the viceroy's actual orders to attend to a smaller revolt back in Tamolipas.

But so necessary was Arredondo to the royalist cause, and so far removed from central authority was his command, that the viceroy could do little more than fume about his disobedience and letters.

A new viceroy soon came along, and, recognizing Aradondo's abilities and importance, formally promoted him to the position of Commandante General of Guaulahua, Nue Leone, Tamolipas, and Texas.

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