A Guide to the José Enrique de la Peña Collection, 1835-1840, 1857
Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator | Peña, José Enrique de la | |
| Title | José Enrique de la Peña Collection | |
| Dates: | 1835-1840, 1857 | |
| Extent | 1 ft., 3 in. | |
| Language | Materials are in Spanish and English. | |
| Repository | Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin | |
Biographical Note
Mexican Army officer Lt. Col. Jose Enrique de la Peña (approximately 1805-1841) served under General Antonio López Santa Anna during the 1836 campaign in Texas. As an anti-Santa Anna agitator and an outspoken opponent of the Mexican centrist government, Lt. Col. Peña found himself in a series of Mexican prisons beginning in 1838. He disappears from the historical record after the publication of his pamphlet “A Victim of Despotism” in 1839. He is believed to have died in 1841 or 1842.
Scope and Contents
The bulk of the collection consists of Peña’s personal papers that provide an eyewitness account of the Mexican army’s campaign to suppress the Texas Revolution. The personal papers, or narrative, fall into two sections: a field diary (109 pages) and an extended memoir (400 pages) based upon the diary. Peña wrote the memoir by verifying happenings he recorded in his field diary and by adding information based upon his fellow officer’s reports.
The Peña account provides a look at the maneuverings of the Mexican Army in Texas, descriptions of disputes between Santa Anna and his officers, a recounting of the Battle of San Jacinto, and a version of Col. James Fannin’s execution at Goliad. Additionally, a detailed description of the Battle of the Alamo includes a report that Mexican soldiers captured David Crockett after the battle ended and executed him on Santa Anna’s orders.
Also in the collection are Mexican military records from the Texas Revolution including an itinerary of the Battalion of San Luis, an official list of Mexican army commanders and officers taken prisoner at San Jacinto, a commentary on General Filisola’s narrative of the Texas campaign, and correspondence received by Peña.
Restrictions
Use Restrictions
Access to the original narrative is restricted. Photocopies are available for research use.
Index Terms | ||
| Subjects (Persons) | ||
| Bowie, James, d. 1836. | ||
| Crockett, Davy, 1786-1836--Death and burial. | ||
| Fannin, James Walker, 1804?-1836. | ||
| Filisola, Vicente. | ||
| Pena, Jose Enrique de la, 1807-1841 or 2--Diaries. | ||
| Pena, Jose Enrique de la, 1807-1841 or 2--Resena y diario de la campana de Texas. | ||
| Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez de, 1794?-1876. | ||
| Travis, William Barrett, 1809-1836. | ||
| Subjects | ||
| Generals--Mexico. | ||
| Mexico. Ejército. | ||
| San Jacinto, Battle of, 1836. | ||
| Texas. Army. | ||
| Texas--History--Revolution, 1835-1836--Campaigns. | ||
| Texas--History--Revolution, 1835-1836--Personal narratives, Mexican. | ||
| Subjects (Places) | ||
| Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.)--Siege, 1836--Personal narratives, Mexican. | ||
| Goliad (Tex.)--Massacre, 1836. | ||
Related Material
|
Published English translation: Peña, José Enrique de la. With Santa Anna in Texas: A Personal Narrative of the Revolution. Translated and edited by Carmen Perry. College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1997. On-line exhibit of related materials: "To Whom Was This Sacrifice Useful?": The Texas Revolution and the Narrative of José Enrique de la Peña |
||
Administrative Information
Cite as
José Enrique de la Peña Collection, 1835-1840, 1857, Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin
Detailed Description of the Collection
Color Photocopy | |||||||||||||
| box | |||||||||||||
| 2J56 | José Enrique de la Peña narrative, 1836 | ||||||||||||