The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940 Page: 228
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
not knowing the subdeacon's true intentions, the other conspirators
became greatly alarmed when they saw their leader talking to
Father Juan Salazar, who had just arrived with Don Ignacio
Aldama, Hidalgo's envoy to the United States. It was later
learned, however, that Zambrano had had the following conversa-
tion with Salazar:
"Father, my friend, this is the famous Father Zambrano. Speak
with confidence. Tell all your cares, for he is able to get you
out of danger; and he is the man who can take you where your
enemies will never find you."
"I am well pleased with you, huero,"'s confided the unwary
priest; "I have known of you for a long time, and I have had
good reports as to who you are."
Salazar then affectionately put his arms around Zambrano and
added, "Get together all the horses and mules that you can secure,
and some money, so that we can make a successful trip to the
United States. Only there shall we be safe from Callexa. That
terrible man has defeated us everywhere, and we have no other
choice but flight."19
Salazar's admission of defeat chartered a course for Zambrano.
Together with the original four conspirators, at nine o'clock the
night of March 1, 1811, Zambrano summoned several other promi-
nent royalists. The small group of men, with Lieutenant Antonio
Saenz as their leader, silently marched to the army barracks.
Surprising and disarming the sentries, they overpowered and cap-
tured the officers in command. The privates at once joined the
counter-revolutionary movement.
Rapidly and effectively, through the grapevine system of com-
munication, news of the coup spread through the town. Armed
settlers hurried to the army barracks to reinforce the counter-
revolutionary ranks. With convincing royalist eloquence the lead-
ers addressed the assemblage of soldiers and settlers.
By midnight, sentiment had crystallized in favor of the counter-
revolution to such an extent that the original five leaders decided
to elect a Junta to head the movement. By a majority of votes,
Subdeacon Don Juan Manuel Zambrano was elected president of
18A term used in Latin-America to designate a person with a fair com-
plexion, blue eyes, and blond hair.
1oGeneral Report (translation), Junta to Nemesio Salcedo, April 29,
1811, Nacogdoches Archives, transcripts, Vol. 15, pp. 201-234, Archives,
The University of Texas.228
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940, periodical, 1940; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101111/m1/242/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.