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A recent front page story in the Wall Street Journal and a biting, if somewhat tongue-in-cheek, editorial in the Chicago Tribune reminded Americans there was more to remember about the infamous Mexican general than just the Alamo. At issue is an impressive wood, cork and leather prosthetic Illinois volunteers captured on the battlefield at Cerro Gordo in More recently a small delegation of history students from St.

The students hoped to improve relations with Mexico by restoring the legendary limb to its homeland. The Illinois museum folks gave the young Texans a frosty reception, ironically similar to the response from Mexican museum authorities, who have a rather jaundiced view of Santa Anna. His family was of modest means but, more important, of Spanish descent a group referred to as Creoles in Mexico.

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He matured into a handsome, charismatic young man of 5 feet 10 inches. Subscribe to our HistoryNet Now! This Mexican Bonaparte was soon in the thick of Indian fighting in provinces bordering the Gulf of Mexico, where he received an arrow wound, and then in against freebooters in Texas, where he was cited for gallantry. His natural charm, as well as friends in high places, saved his career, but the scandal dogged him after he transferred to the Second Battalion of Grenadiers in Veracruz.

By Santa Anna had proven among the most effective of the royalist officers in combat against the insurgents. The popular Santa Anna took soldiers with him. Iturbide rewarded him with a promotion to general and command of the vital port of Veracruz, with its lucrative customs house.

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In May Iturbide proclaimed himself emperor of Mexico, a victory for conservatives over the longtime revolutionaries. But he soon began to fret over his ambitious commander in Veracruz. The young general instead joined rebel forces.