Marcos Marcelo Escobedo (1784–1833) was a

military commander The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...

in the

Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence (, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from the Spanish Empire. It was not a single, coherent event, but local and regional ...

. He later became Mayor of Colotlán,

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

Early life

Marcos Escobedo was born in 1784, son of José Joaquín Escobedo, presumably, a descendant of the original

Tlaxcaltec The Tlaxcallans, or Tlaxcaltec, are an indigenous Nahua people who originate from Tlaxcala, Mexico. The Confederacy of Tlaxcala was instrumental in overthrowing the Aztec Empire in 1521, alongside conquistadors from the Kingdom of Spain. The ...

colonizers of the region.

Military career

In 1808, he held the title Second Lieutenant in the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

army and was governor of the Tlaxcala neighborhood. On November 1, 1808, he declared himself in favor of Mexico's independence from Spain, and along with a priest named

Pablo José Calvillo Pablo José Calvillo (1763 – April 6, 1816) served as a parish priest in northern Nueva Galicia in the early nineteenth century, and led a number of the indigenous inhabitants of the Colotlán region in open rebellion against the Spanish during t ...

and the indigenous garrisons of the region, put himself at the service of independence leader

Miguel Hidalgo Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor (8 May 1753 – 30 July 1811), commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or simply Miguel Hidalgo (), was a Catholic priest, leader of the Mexican Wa ...

. In January 1811, he and his troops participated in the

Battle of the Bridge of Calderón A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

. His troops suffered great losses in the battle and returned to Colotlán to face the troops of Francisco del Real, Juan Lozano, and Sebastián Gallegos, who had occupied the town's square in their absence. In the same month, they faced a battle in Las Canoas with the troops of royalist priest Álvarez known as "El Chicharronero". In April 1811, his troops faced the army of Colonel

Pedro Celestino Negrete Pedro Celestino Joseph Negrete y Falla (14 May 1777 – 11 April 1846) was a Spanish politician and military man who served as a member of the interim government of Mexico after the abolition of the First Mexican Empire. He fought alongside of ...

and were defeated in the Battle of Tierra Blanca. Marcos Escobedo went into hiding for several years after this defeat. In 1817, he came out of hiding and once again joined the war for independence, fighting battles in the towns of San Andrés, Chalchihuites and Huejuquilla, gaining control of the region for the independence movement. He then joined forces with the armies of Tlaltenango and

Jerez Jerez de la Frontera () or simply Jerez, also cited in old English-language sources as , is a city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Located in southwestern Iberia, it lies on the Campi� ...

and launched a military campaign to take Bolaños and then

Tepic Tepic () is the capital and largest city of the western Mexico, Mexican Political divisions of Mexico, state of Nayarit, as well as the seat of the Tepic Municipality. Located in the central part of the state, it stands at an altitude of above ...

Late life

On September 27, 1820, Marcos Escobedo organized great festivities in Colotlán to celebrate Mexican independence and the entrance of the independence movement's troops into

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

. In 1825, Marcos Escobedo was named Mayor of Colotlán. As mayor, he was charged with subjugating the indigenous groups in the region who opposed the distribution of communal lands. Marcos Escobedo died on August 7, 1833.

References

* Bernardo Carlos Casas. ''Historia de Colotlán''. * José María Muria. ''Sumario histórico de Jalisco''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Escobedo, Marcos 1784 births 1833 deaths Military history of Mexico People of the Mexican War of Independence Mexican rebels People from Jalisco Indigenous Mexicans