Children heroes It is an event within the historical context of the country of Mexico, which occurred in the Battle of Chapultepec on September 13, 1847, with the participation of six Mexican adolescent cadets. Know who are the children heroes, a story to read.
Children heroes: history
Starts on historical account of the children heroes with a group of Mexican cadets, which tells the story that they died defending their national value during the Battle of Chapultepec, an event that occurred on September 13, 1847 in the Chapultepec or Chapultepec forest, an urban park located in the Miguel Hidalgo city hall, in Mexico City during the Mexican-American War. We recommend you to know the history of the Mexican character Pancho Villa
In the year 1852, he tells the national history, during the Porfiriato, a period of history that narrates about Mexico in the year 1947, he modified the events in several stages with the patriotic intention to make them stand out, because much of what was told has been made in the form of a memorable myth. So, starting in the second part of the 6th century, the title Ninos Heroes was given to XNUMX cadets of the Mexican Army.
The central theme of the heroic event, as marked by history, is composed of the action of these six cadets, as well as the participation of another 40 cadets, who had received instructions from Nicolás Bravo, to leave the Castle of Chapultepec, which at the time of the event was the headquarters of the Military College and its surroundings.
But, the boys ignored it, and decided to stay to guard the place by observing the progress and the closeness of the members of the United States Army.
There are many legends that surround this event and that have been brought to the imagination of society, maintaining them as true events, despite not having a historical basis. However, the participation of the 6 cadets in the armed event is narrated, which apparently enjoys full authenticity, the case of the cadets Melgar, Montes de Oca and Suárez.
Likewise, within the same heroic history, and with the passing of time and the passing of the years, illusory complements were added, as can be seen in the story, that these cadets were the ones who died last during the battle, as well as the fact of not having ammunition, they assassinated the opposing US soldiers with fixed bayonets, and it is probably the most traditional in Mexico.
After Montes de Oca, and Juan Escutia, seeing themselves lost, he throws himself into the depths wrapped in the Mexican flag, to protect it from the Americans taking it, dying on the rocks on the banks of the Chapultepec hill.
The Mexican Army resolved in 1947 to carry out a series of investigations that are not supported by official documents and scientific experts. They say that they located and identified the number of seven human skulls, in the place known as Ahuehuetes de Miramón, assuring that they belong to the cadets, which were taken and placed to pay official tributes at the Altar to the Fatherland. It refers to a monument on the banks of the Castle, next to Colonel Felipe Santiago Xicoténcatl.
However, there is no scientific evidence to support that these are the remains of the six cadets.
The specialist and academic expert from Michoacán named José Bravo Ugarte, indicates in a paragraph that talks about the War against Mexico of the United States, in his work History of Mexico, that after 16 months of declaring the battle against Mexico, being in On May 13, 1846, US Army troops advanced to the Mexican capital.
Likewise, it adds that after the reconnaissance by the southern Mexican authorities, General Winfield Scott established, in his capacity as commander in chief of the invading army, to carry out the attack on Mexico City by Chapultepec, on September 11 of the year 1847 with heavy bombing.
The shelter of the town of Chapultepec was kept under the care of two hundred cadets from the Military College, who receive instructions from Generals Nicolás Bravo and Mariano Escobedo; Likewise, 632 soldiers from the San Blas Battalion participated, under the orders of Colonel Santiago Xicoténcatl.
The SEGOB, as the Ministry of the Interior of the Mexican Republic is identified, recalls that in order to reinforce this minimal garrison, General Antonio López de Santa Anna sent some two thousand four hundred and fifty men to the foot of the hill, but the The presence of the invaders exceeded an amount of seven thousand invading soldiers.
Likewise, they indicate that after devastating the battalion, the soldiers of the US Army went back to the hill and entered the Castle, where the majority of the Mexican cadets between the ages of 15 and 18 fought without mercy until they were killed.
Background
As a result of being required to enter the United States Federation of the state of Texas, and at the request of the illegal Anglo-Saxon settlers and emigrants, for being separated from the Centralist Mexican Republic during the year 1837, and with the excuse of requiring the division of the state of Coahuila, and establish itself as a federated state.
As well as the reestablishment of the Mexican Federal Constitution of the year 1824, and that at that moment had been promulgated as the Republic of Texas, then, the government of Mexico broke diplomatic relations with the United States, once its entry into to the American Federation.
From this fact, the government of the United States sends army troops to assist the Rio Bravo region, to confirm the ownership of the strip of the area that was in dispute between the state of Texas and the present government. of Mexico, because the Mexican authorities only recognized the Nueces River, which is to the north, as the limit.
The US Army troops formed a large number of forts throughout the territory, which caused many encounters with military patrols from the Army of the North of the Mexican National Army.
This is the way in which the United States government once again makes its requirements to the Mexican government with the intention of agreeing on the sale of the lands located to the north of Mexico. But, once there is no agreement, but refusals on his part, it gives way to a number of governmental and private arrangements for the taking of San Francisco in the year 1845.
To this is added the prohibited immigration of many fervent people of the Mormon Church to the Salt Lake, which corresponded to Mexican areas of New Mexico in 1846, and which would later become the territory of Utah.
Expressed the war by the government of the United States, on July 25, 9, and after the Siege of the Texas Fortress, located north of Río Bravo, and with the participation of Mexico, on May 1846, In 23, many invasions of the regular army of the United States began in the northern regions, supporting the uprisings by illegal immigrants of Anglo-Saxon origin, who employed in different Mexican towns in California and New Mexico.
He dared to declare the lands independent republics for their soon addition to the United States.
Due to the small amount and no preparation on the part of the Mexican forces, these invasions were successful, however, to confirm the possession of the land, they had to start with invasions in the cities of Monterrey, and Mexico City to prevent irregular forces from reaching the north.
It is when the United States Army, seizing the moment, and led by Winfield Scott, take the port of Veracruz, and continue along the path they call the Route of Cortés.
By virtue of the response, the National Army strengthened the Rock of the Baths, all because at that time the entrance was from the east of the city between the lakes of Texcoco and Xochimilco. However, the US military forces take the longest road, surrounding the Sierra de Santa Catarina to the south, territory where the Battle of Churubusco and the Battle of Padierna would take place.
The Battle of Chapultepec
In those times, Mexico City was strengthened by a number of canals and gates that functioned as customs in the city. The most perfect entrance was through Chapultepec because the lands for the season were dry, quite the opposite to the north, east and south where there were still lakes and some slippery areas.
Due to this natural event, the government took action to strengthen the Chapultepec hill, which at the time could be used to store gunpowder, in addition to the Military College, while the gunpowder factory located in Santa Fe was evicted to prevent a onset. However, it was later devastated by the United States military forces.
Given that the facilities of the College functioned as a headquarters, at that time Colonel Nicolás Bravo ordered the cadets to leave the place, who were made up of various groups of young people whose ages ranged between 12 and 19 years old.
Many of those who were in the place complied with the order, others were removed by their families, leaving only 46 cadets with the intention of protecting the student campus. It is good to point out that this group of cadets was joined by other cadets who had just graduated, who did not receive remuneration from the National Army; also 19 other members of the administration including the director of the school, teachers, instructors and even the person in charge of the military campus.
In the month of September of the year 1847, many groups of the Army of the North who had abandoned the territory, obeying the instructions received from Antonio López de Santa Anna, took refuge in the vicinity of the forest and hill of Chapultepec.
Then, the US Army took the opportunity to take the former Archbishop's palace located in Tacubaya as a military base for operations, executing the military process against the members of the San Patricio Battalion.
Arrived on September 11, they progressed and took the casemate, located where the sun was hiding in the forest, for the 12th they decided to bomb the Castle of Chapultepec and other spaces, but on September 13, the US artillery took by invading the castle from the south to where the sun hides on the hill, which they had cleverly taken in the afternoon, progressing to the Garita de Belén.
In this place they were arrested by the Mexican army forces, who were collected in La Ciudadela, to enlist and defend the city, however, at night they received instructions from Santa Anna to leave the territory, who was not participating in the contest.
But, finally, the US army takes control of the Chapultepec Castle, knocking down the Mexican national flag belonging to the school.
On September 15, when the entire city of Mexico was taken peacefully, the soldiers of the US Army dedicated themselves to collecting all the wounded that lay in the place of the battle. They agglomerate all the corpses, and agree that the Mexican civilians and prisoners of war used the trenches as mass graves, since many of the combatants were separated from their original lands.
While the United States buries its deceased in a territory that is located at the corners of the Circuito Interior and Calzada de Tacuba, being declared a memorial place by the US government, and is currently part of the embassy of the United States. .
Name of wounded cadets, officers and prisoners
The list that contains the names of the children heroes It is located in the memorable monument located at the foot of the Chapultepec hill. You can see the different names starting with:
Prisoners of the 1st Company
In this part, it has the following names and military ranks: Captain Domingo Alvarado; Lieutenants: José Espinosa, Agustín de la Peza; Corporal José T. de Cuellar; Drum Simón Álvarez; Cadets: Francisco Molina, Mariano Covarrubias, Bartolomé Díaz León, Ignacio Molina, Antonio Sierra, Justino García, Lorenzo Pérez Castro, Agustín Camarena, Ignacio Ortiz, Manuel Ramírez Arellano, Carlos Bejarano, Isidro Hernández, Esteban Zamora, Santiago Hernández, Ignacio Burgoa Lagos and Ramón Rodríguez Arangoiti.
Prisoners of the 2st Company
In this column appear the names and military ranks of: Lieutenant Joaquín Argaez; 2nd Sergeant Teofilo Noris; Cornet: Antonio Rodríguez; Student cadets: Joaquín Moreno, Pablo Banuet, Ignacio Valle, Francisco Leso, Antonio Sola, Sebastián Trejo, Luis Delgado, Ruperto Pérez de León, Cástulo García, Feliciano Contreras, Francisco Morelos, Miguel Miramón, Gabino Montesdedca, Luciano Becerra, Adolfo Unda, Manuel Díaz, Francisco Morel, Vicente Herrera, Onofre Capelo, Magdaleno Yta and Emilio Laurent.
Prisoners of the Staff
In this list, the names and positions of: General. Cor. Director of the Mariano Monterde School; Captain Professor: Francisco Jiménez; Lieutenants: Manuel Alemán, Agustín Díaz, Luis Díaz, Fernando Poucel; Second Lieutenant: Ignacio de la Peza, Amado Camacho, Luis G. Banuet, Miguel Pouncel; and the Grocer Eusebio Llantadas
Wounded
The names of student cadets are recorded: Andrés Mellado, Hilario Péres de León and Agustín Romero, and Alejandro Algándar.
List of deceased cadets
This list is made up of the following names: Agustín Melgar, Fernando Montes de Oca, Francisco Márquez, Juan Escutia and Vicente Suárez. Despite the fact that there were only 5 dead cadets, in addition to other wounded and prisoners, only 6 were recognized, because Lieutenant Juan de la Barrera at the time of the battle had recently graduated and did not have a position in the National Army.
The formation of the myth
The children heroes of Chapultepec They have given much to talk about. They say that the story is just a myth, because for many of the Mexican people, they reason that it is difficult for a group of young cadets between 13 and 18 years of age to fight against soldiers of the US Army, a reason that produces a good Lots of myths about it.
The scholar historian Sergio Miranda, exposes that the versions have been dramatized in order to build a patriotic sense on the part of the Mexicans, using the child heroes as a governmental element with the intention of consolidating the power of the authorities. This confirms that the myth is elaborated based on the romanticism and idealization of the figures, being true, that they were stationed in the Castle of Chapultepec, instead of abandoning it, earning the title of child heroes.
Meanwhile, the myth continues to grow during the government period of President Miguel Alemán, who strengthened the story by disclosing that they had found six skulls on the slopes of the Chapultepec hill, stating that they belonged to the Children Heroes.
Continuing with the theme of the myth of the Children Heroes, for the next two decades they were not very explicit with the subject of the cadets and their performance. However, for the year 1847 in the war documents the valence of Melgar, Montes de Oca and Suárez appears. For the year 1848, in the literary work Notes for the war between Mexico and the United States, written by Ramón Alcaráz, he points out that "some students" of the Military College protected the Mexican flag.
For the year 1852, who acted as the director of the Mariano Monterde Military School, commemorates for the first time the cadets who died in battle as children.
For the year 1878, a good group of the cadets who survived the event of that year 1857 created the well-known Association of the Military College, which was founded in the year 1871, who initiated before the government of generals Porfirio Díaz and Manuel González, the commemoration to immortalize the deceased, wounded and prisoners cadets of the battle of Chapultepec.
This petition was achieved in the years 1880 and 1881, as well as the construction of a monument in the form of an obelisk in the year 1884, under the direction of the architect Ramón Rodríguez Arangoity, who was a former student of the school in 1847. The mentioned monument was built on the powerful hill to the south of the main gate of the school, and on the land of the trenches that functioned as mass graves to bury the brave Mexican soldiers.
Children Heroes Review
Motivated by the different documentation and historical accounts, the following characters were reconvened, namely:
Cadet Francisco Marquez Paniagua.
Fernando Montes de Oca, who was 18 years old when the event occurred, died in the frame of a door he was protecting, falling when a US soldier managed to pass through a window and viciously assassinate him from behind.
Cadet Francisco Márquez, who was 12 years old, died in the castle when a group of soldiers approached him, threatening him to surrender, but he shot one of them, who fell dead, and was later killed because of from the shots of other opponents.
Corps of Engineers Lieutenant Juan de la Barrera was 19 years old at the time of his death. He died while defending the outer fort, located to the south of the hill, where six lifeless bodies were later found, who were identified as the Children Heroes.
Juan Escutia was 20 years old at the time of his death. According to the expert historian José Manuel Villalpando, this apparently was not a cadet, as recent research shows that he was a soldier of the San Blas battalion. His full name corresponded to Juan Bautista Pascacio Escutia Martínez. He died at the foot of the hill, who acted as a shooter at the top of the cliff, being hit by a bullet and fell wounded, he was left on a rock, to which a plaque was placed in 1970 in his honor.
Cadet Vicente Suárez, who was 14 years old at the time of his death. He died in his sentinel post, on the stairs of honor, bayonetting against the soldiers of the US Army.
The attached cadet Agustín Melgar, who was 18 years old at the time of his death. He passed away the next day. He had enlisted with mattresses in his room at school, put his bayonet on his rifle and went into combat.
The myths of the Child Heroes
The myth that has been expanded the most is the one referring to children, due to the fact that most of what is currently classified as adolescence and premature adulthood, as well as for those times it was not considered that at the age of 15, children men get married and form their own family.
Other myths are established in the suicide of the cadet Juan de la Barrera or Juan Escutia, according to the documentation consulted. This being the most popular, because Juan Escutia, wraps himself in the national flag, the one that waved from the top of the Military College, and commits suicide to prevent the Mexican flag from being caught in the hands of American soldiers.
The national flag, being a patriotic symbol of Mexican history, certainly the flag was taken by the Americans, which they considered a war trophy at the West Point Military Academy, which was returned to the Mexican people in 1952, in the acts of the inauguration of the Altar of the Fatherland, in the company of other flags of the Mexican nation, which were seized during the battle of the year 1847.
However, the one that has the greatest emphasis and remains special was the one worn just that day.
However, during the Battle of the King's mill, executed on September 8, the captain of the artillery weapon named Margarito Zuazo, unfortunately fell wounded by actions of US soldiers and transferred to a stable, where he found under some large packages, that the flag of his regiment was hidden, the one he did not want to be taken by the Americans.
He took it from its pole and cooed it and put it in his jacket, which was kept until he was taken home to treat his wounds.
During the trip, he met his boss handing over the flag, which was displayed in the home of Division Chief Luis Salcedo. The captain died a few days after his arrival due to large wounds.
According to legend, the story of suicide emerged right at the commemoration ceremony of the year 1878, when Manuel Raz Guzmán exposes it in a glorious poem in evocation of the Battle of the Molino del Rey, which he poetically expressed as Agustín Melgar , and not like Juan Escutia or Juan de la Barrera.
…but you, Melgar…surrounded by enemies, you fire your weapon at them, and having no hope, rather than surrender, you wrap yourself in the national flag and present your youthful chest to the invader's bullets…
It was never mentioned that it had been launched, much less that it will be done wrapped in the national flag. It was a way of expressing that he was warm and warm to the country, which was placidly received by the public and spread until it became as if the event had been authentic, especially in the work of José Peón y Contreras.
As can be seen, in this fragment of the myths, there are many who have been woven into this historical event. For example, they say that they did not exist, that they were students who were punished, and that the US Army caught them when they were drunk, that Juan Escutia did not throw himself to protect the national flag, on the contrary, he stumbled. But there are those who maintain the idea that only the six cadets protected the Castle.
The legend tells of the Battle of Chapultepec, within the argument of the American Mexican War, which featured the leading role of six Mexican children who gave their lives to protect the national territory.
The story of children heroes for children, Like the biography of the hero children, it is taught during childhood in classes taught at school, explaining the date September 13. It represents a festivity that commemorates the battle of the Children Heroes of Chapultepec, against the US Army.
As has been exposed, any number of stories were created regarding the child heroes. In the sense of building an altar for the country, many exaggerated, others distorted, but really few were invented. The phrase "child heroes" became an icon of love of country and civic integrity, coated with some far-fetched romanticism, which culminated in disturbing the objective reparation of such a glorious event.
Finally, it can be added that although myths exist regarding this issue, their existence is verified and well documented, the men of the heroes are included in the official list of casualties of the Mexican Army, in fact, many of the remains of these cadets together with their deceased companions, rest in the Monument to the Heroes of the Homeland, at the foot of the Castle.
commemorative items
In the history of the Children Heroes, a series of aspects appear that lead to being memorable within Mexican history that was consolidated in national bills and coins, namely:
Altar to the Fatherland
The plaque exposed in the place where the events occurred, as well as the discovery of the remains of the corpses of the six heroes in Chapultepec in the year 1947.
Likewise, there is the Monument to the Children Heroes, placed at the entrance of the Heroic Military College of Popotla. It was built in 1925 by the architect Vicente Mendiola, together with the participation of the sculptor Ignacio Asúnsolo.
The Altar to the Fatherland, which was confused as the monument to the Children Heroes located in the Bosque de Chapultepec.
In the year 1947, on the slopes of the southern side of the Chapultepec hill, the mass grave is located where the six corpses were found, who were officially identified as those belonging to the six cadets who died in the year 1847, the corpses were exhumed and deposited in sarcophagi, on September 13, 1947.
Later, on September 27, 1952, after different public celebrations, such as honor guards in the Plaza de la Constitución, carried out by five cadets and an officer from the different military academies of America, an obelisk was inaugurated, under the direction of the architect Enrique Aragón Echegaray, built in a semicircular shape with six columns and located in what would be the former Paseo del Emperador, currently known as Paseo de la Reforma.
The coffins with the remains of an individual were placed in the six columns, in a niche built in each of the columns, as well as in the center and under the main statue the remains of Colonel Felipe Santiago Xicoténcatl were placed.
It is a monument that is dedicated to those who fought against the invasion by soldiers of the US Army during the years 1846 to 1848, where you can read the following writing:
"To the Defenders of the Fatherland 1846-1847"
With the official title of "Altar to the Fatherland", popularly known by the name of "Monument to the Heroes children”, it is very common to find official writings on this lack. On the other hand, there is a great controversy regarding the veracity of the remains of the corpses, according to the account that the precise identification based on scientific, forensic or anthropological studies was not carried out.
The official versions of the Mexican authorities indicate that the cadets are part of a historical heritage framed by their brave performance of honor and effort.
5000 pesos banknote
Initially, the figure of the Children Heroes, were contained in the design of the 5000 pesos bills, which were issued during the years 1981 and 1989.
50 peso coin
During the years 1994 and 1995, a coin of 50 new Mexican pesos was minted, which had a silver center, due to its content in the silver metal, it had a value greater than its original denomination. This innovative 50-peso coin had the design of the Children Heroes on the obverse, such as: Juan Escutia, Agustín Melgar, Juan de la Barrera, Vicente Suárez, Francisco Márquez and Fernando Montes de Oca.
It is also important to make known that in Mexico City there is a Metro station called "Niños Héroes".
Likewise, the streets of the Condesa neighborhood, which are close to the Chapultepec Castle, bear the name of each of the cadets who died in the event, as well as many schools and monuments throughout Mexico have been named with the phrase "Children heroes".
Finally, in honor of the cadets who died in the Battle of Chapultepec, since 1881, the commemoration was established every September 13, as a civic holiday in Mexico, apart from the fact that their names are embodied in gold letters inside the Wall. of Honor of the Hall of Sessions of the Congress of the Union.
Visit and Dislike in 1947
In the year 1947, in the commemoration of the Centennial of the capture of the Capital of the nation, Mexico City, then received the first official visit of who was then the president of the United States, Harry S. Truman, who he honored those who fell during the Battle of Chapultepec. He stated in his speech that he recognized and distinguished the patriotic spirit and courage of the Children Heroes, and where he settled his sorrow for those events that occurred by the US Army in this battle.
Likewise, in his speech he emphasized that a strong country had no right to punish another weak nation with its force. Likewise, he placed a flower crown at the foot of the monument, an act that angered many members of the Mexican army as well as many civilians, which caused that during the night, two cadets belonging to the Military College rode on horseback to the place, to remove the floral offering and threw it at the doors of the United States embassy.