Seguin, Juan Nepomuceno, << say GEEN, hwahn nay poh moo SAY noh >> (1806-1890), was a military leader in Texas’s fight for independence from Mexico in the 1830’s. He was also a political leader during the nearly 10 years when Texas was an independent republic and during the early years of Texas statehood.
Seguin was born on Oct. 27, 1806, in San Antonio to a prominent Tejano << tay HAH noh >> family. Texans of Mexican descent were called Tejanos. He was elected to his first political office, that of San Antonio alderman, in 1828. During most of 1834, he served as the chief administrative officer for Mexico’s Department of Texas.
Seguin began his military career in 1835, when Texas began fighting for independence from Mexico. He organized a company of Tejano volunteers that helped drive Mexican troops from San Antonio in December 1835. Seguin was present at the beginning of the siege of the Alamo in February 1836 but was sent away to get help. Before he could return, all the defenders of the Alamo were killed by Mexican forces. On April 21, 1836, Seguin’s Tejano company took part in the defeat of the Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto. That battle marked the victorious end of Texas’s war for independence. See Alamo ; San Jacinto, Battle of .
Seguin was the military commander of San Antonio from 1836 to 1838. He then served as a member of the Senate of the Republic of Texas. In 1840, he was elected mayor of San Antonio. In 1842, however, he fled to Mexico. By that time, relations had grown steadily worse between Tejanos and the increasing number of settlers from the United States. Many U.S. settlers looked upon the Tejanos with suspicion. Seguin was accused of being loyal to Mexico and was forced to leave Texas.
In Mexico, Seguin was threatened with imprisonment if he did not join the Mexican army. He fought on the side of Mexico against the United States in the Mexican War (1846-1848). After the war, he returned to Texas. During the next 20 years, he held public offices in Wilson and Bexar << bayr >> counties. He helped found the Democratic Party in Bexar County.
About 1870, Seguin moved to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, where one of his sons lived. Seguin died in Nuevo Laredo on Aug. 27, 1890. In 1976, his remains were reburied in Seguin, Texas, which had been named for him.
