Ramón Músquiz

Biography

Don Ramón González Músquiz was born in 1797 in San Antonio, Texas. He was the son of Catarina Gonzales and Miguel Francisco Músquiz, who was a military officer. He was raised in a place inhabited by presidio soldiers and settlers of Spanish, Mexican, and Anglos heritage, mostly of northern Texas. Coming from a Basque family, his life was spent in the company of missionary friars and people of Canarian and Basque origins like himself. He developed friendships with prominent families of San Antonio, such as the Leal, Arocha, or Veramendi.

In 1800, in a military campaign against the filibusters, Músquiz used the Stone House as military headquarters for development his operations against them. In the early 1820s, Músquiz undertook a series of business trips through the province. After living a time in Monclova, in the Mexican state of Coahuila, working as postmaster, he returned to San Antonio in the end of 1823, where he opened a store and participated in local political affairs. In July 1825, he was named secretary to political chief, keeping the charge until August 1827. In following year, in January 1828, and thanks to his influences (his friendship with prominent families), he was appointed acting governor of Coahuila and Texas as political chief of the Department of Texas, although he did not rule until 1830.

During this mandate, Músquiz lobbied to favour of the Anglo settlers of Texas, particularly on the issues of slavery, trade in contraband and Amerindian attacks. He also tried to mediate disputes taking place between the settlers and the national authorities, although he rejected the extralegal convention in San Felipe in October 1832 and he began to distrust the intentions of the Anglo-Americans. During the years of his mandate, in several of his letters to the viceroy of New Spain, he complained about the establishment of a foreign colony in Austin, because its inhabitants were speaking English, not Spanish, the official language of Texas.

Músquiz resigned from office on 1831/July 7, 1834, citing health reasons. Even after leaving the office of political chief, Músquiz continued to participate in public affairs and he had a strong allegiance to Mexico.

In 1835, he was appointment lieutenant governor of Agustín Viesca. Moreover, it was after the jailed of Viesca, when, during the Texas Revolution, Ramon Músquiz was appointed governor of Texas in early 1835, in the presence of President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana. However, he never took office and in May that year, he submitted his resignation the office citing "family reasons".

Martín Perfecto de Cos reelected him as a political chief and, in December 1835, Cos appointed him to assist in the negotiations between the Mexican army and the Texans at the Siege of Bexar. Músquiz assisted in the identification of the bodies of the killed defenders of The Alamo.

Músquiz knew the effects and consequences of New Spain government and its impact on Texas. So, in 1836, he moved with his family to the city of Monclova, in Coahuila, Mexico. where in addition to experience security of his nation, lived some of his relatives, including his sister Josefa Músquiz, who was the mother of the first medicine man of Monclova, Don Simón Blanco.

Músquiz was known by people of Monclova for his experience in Texas government, so he was appointed political prefect - although as ad interim - in 1853 and 1858. In addition, he was one of the largest shareholders in terms of water rights, in the bags of water from San Francisco and San Miguel (now part of the Pueblo), to whose inhabitants he championed, with others people of Texas, for protect the guarantees of the state governments of Nuevo Leon and Coahuila to them, headed by former resident of Monclova Santiago Vidaurri Valdés.

While he defended him, the government he represented required the delivery to ecclesiastical authorities of all the funds in support of the army to the north, where they fought many of the inhabitants of Monclova. Following this, in 1857, Father José María Villarreal Montemayor, claimed the water from the Confraternity of the Immaculate, property of the inhabitants of the village of San Francisco in Tlaxcala and, although they gave a large sum of money, he get the title of ownership. He refused to deliver the flow of the confraternity of the Virgin of Zapopan, that he previously divided among his family, so Múzquiz was forced to banish him, sending him into exile (he returned years later). Músquiz briefly returned to Texas in late 1850 to reclaim abandoned lands at its output. After evacuating French troops of Jeaningros in Monclova, he died on 27 November 1867.

Family

Don Ramon Músquiz married with Tejano Francisca Castañeda in San Antonio on December 16, 1823, and they had two sons in 1830: Francisca and Ramón Músquiz Castañeda (the last of which followed the example of his father, occupying for long periods the Monclova political leadership and the mayoralty). A second son, Octaviano Múzquiz, served for a time as mayor of Monclova, and died on November 1871 in a shooting incident.