Wilmington journal., 1876-07-14
DenIh of Ns.nta Anna.

Death of Santa Anna
Our dispatches announce the death,
on the Doth ultimo, of General Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna, the great revo>
.utionist and agItator of Mexico twenty
to thirty years ago. He was born at
Xalapa in 1898, and his long life was
composed of series of events suffi-
clent to constitute realistic romance.
In 1921 he had attained the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel in the Spanish
army. but the next year he deserted
that flag and joined in the revolution
ary movement of Iturbide at Vera
Cruz, which eliminated in the rout OF
the Spanish forces and the reduction
of that province. Soon afterwards he
turned his forces against Iturbide.
who had proclaimed himself Emperor
of Mexico. The republic of Mexico
was then established, and Santa Anna
procured himself to be made Presi-
dent thereof in 1888. For several
years he maintained that position
against the claims of numerous rival
chieftains.
Meanwhile arose the war for indie
pendencs of Texas, then province of
Mexico, which Santa Anna stubbornly
resisted, committing many atrocities
| ern warfare. His frequent cold -blooded
slaughter of gallant prisoners, who
had capitulated after desperate strug
giles, excited great indignation in this
country. But the Texan patriots were
reinforced by numbers of adventurous
men from the United States, and the
contest was finally ended at San
j Jacinto, under the leadership of Gen.
Sam Houston, Santa Anna being taken
| prisoner. He was, after time, liber-
atod, and permitted to visit the United
States. coming through the West to
Washington. The object of the
| Texans was, of course, to obtain some
advantage through him in securing
their indepen nience. Subsequently
returning to Mexico, in 1888 he par>
ticipated in the repuAse of the French
troops under Prince de- Joinville at
Vera Cruz, where be lost leg in ac~
ton. He was again President of the
republic from 184l to 1S45, and was
then deposed and banished for ten
years, but was recalled, invested with
supreme power, and charged to defend
Mexico against the United States
troops. In several encounters with
those troops, under Generals Scott and
Taylor, his fnrces were depleted, and
he resigned his high power. his coun-
try having made peace with the United
| States by the cession of California and
agreement to the erection of Texas as
an independent State.
He again ruled in Mexico from 1852
t. 1855, when Carrera again drove him
into exile to st. Thomas, where he re-
sided several years. subsequently he
embraced the brief cause of Empe, or
! b,,tc oh n
returned to St Thomas He visited
the United States in 1866 in a vain eff
tort to procure our intervention in
Mexican affairs, and resided long
time at Staten Island, New York.
While there he planned all expedition
against Juarez, aud sailed from New
York with the intention to capture the
Castle of San Juan d'Ulloa, at Vera
Cruz The project failed. Santa Anna
was captured and condemned to death,
but Juaraz extended a pardon to him
on condition of his leaving Mexico and
not returning.
His military record is historic. At
San Jacinto, San Antonio. Buena Wis
Ia Cerro Gordo, Contreras. Cherubus-
CO. Molinos del Rey, Puehla, Huaman-
tlai and other bloody fields, he dis
played rare courage and indomitable
energy in the face of large odds and
skilled troops. But even his Temporal
ry successes always were disastrous
failures, and he again left Mexico as an
exile With few intervals of par tici-
patton in the subsequent chronic revo-
lutions of his counirv he has lived at
Staten Island, New York, st. Thomas,
Havana and Venezuela. HIS whole
life has been series of -bsilliant dis
asters and splendid defeats, in all which
he evincei large amount OF unculti-
waited ability and courage that knew
no such word as failure. Altogether,
though a positive failure in his ambi
tious projects, he was unquestionably
the ablest general aud most willy poll
ticien his distracted county has ever
possessed.