Manuel N. Flores

Manuel Flores
Born	1801 San Antonio-Floresville area, Texas
Died	1868 (aged 67)
Monuments	Courthouse, Floresville
Notable works	Participation in Texas Revolution -San Antonio and San Jacinto
Home town	After Texas independence, Seguin, Texas
Parents	Jose Flores De Abrego and Maria Rodriquez
Relatives	Juan Seguin, Salvador Flores

Manuel Flores (Jose Manuel Nepomunceno Paublino Flores) (ca. 1801-1868) served as a volunteer in the Texas army in 1835-1838. Fighting and commanding, he would rise through the ranks to reach Sergeant status during the fight for Texas independence and would be commissioned a Captain during the Republic Years.

Flores De Abrego Historical Marker

Family History- Early Years

Manuel Flores was born in Spanish Texas on June 16, 1799^{[Notes 1]} in La Villa de San Fernando de Bexar. He was a skilled vaquero and ranchero that lived on the San Antonio river below San Antonio. He married Maria Josefa Courbière in 1835. He married Margarita Garza in 1858.^[1]

He was the son of Jose Flores De Abrego and Maria Rodriquez ^[2] They were a prominent family of Bexar, rich in the ranching history of Texas and steeped in the cause of freedom.^[3]

Supporting the 1835-1836 Texas independence movement were four Flores De Abrego sons,^[4] Captain Salvador Flores^[5] Captain Manuel Flores,^[6] Lieutenant Nepomuceno Flores,^[7] and Private Jose Maria Flores,^[8][9] having participated in the Texas Revolution, serving at Bexar^[10] and San Jacinto.^[11] Manuel was the brother-in-law of Col. Juan Nepomuceno Seguín.^[12]

Texas Revolution

Main article: Texas Revolution

Battle of Gonzales:

During the Battle of Gonzales,^[13] a meeting would be held early in October 1835 at the Salvador Flores Ranch (Manuel's brother), that would organize a volunteer force of Tejano ranchers that would favor the impending revolution.^[14] In Gonzales, immigrants, colonists, and Tejano volunteers continued gathering. The Texian Army would become a mixture of all peoples, interested in the cause of democracy. Manuel Flores would be in favor, and volunteer his services to Texas. Manuel Flores would be the courier to inform Stephen F. Austin that Juan N. Seguin's company would join in at Bexar, against General Cos.^[14]

Siege of Bexar:

As the attention of the commander of the Texian volunteer forces, Stephen F. Austin, now focuses on Bexar. Manuel's brother, Salvador Flores, along with Manuel Leal, organized 41 Tejano volunteers from ranches southwest of San Antonio,^[15] where they reinforced the Texan forces on the Salado Creek, in mid October,^[16] a few days after Juan Seguin^[17][18][19] and Plácido Benavides^[20] of Victoria had also gathered 70 men to aid Commander Stephen F. Austin.^[15][21][22] Manuel Flores entered the company with Juan Seguin elected as commander. In December 1835, after a two month siege of Bexar, that finally ended in ferocious house to house fighting, Manuel Flores would participate in the removal of Gen. Martín Perfecto de Cos at the Siege of Bexar.^[23]

Battle of the Alamo:

Seguin said be brought 15 men into the Alamo. Lindley believed the Flores brothers were defending the Alamo some time near the siege. Manuel and the Tejano volunteers entered on March 23,^[24] His brother, Salvador Flores was one of the 100 or so that had served at the Siege of Bexar and remained in the Alamo with Colonel James C. Neill. Somehow, they exited after Seguin's departure, thus making them survivors of the Alamo battle. In 1907, Alamo survivor Enrique Esparza stated that Santa Anna called an armistice for three days and he remembers the Flores leaving then ^[25] It appears they took the chance to return home, then while checking on their families, they recruited a few more men from the area, (including more brothers). They then rendezvoused with Seguin in Gonzales. There, the Tejano defenders were joined by other men from Gonzales and proceeded westward to reinforce the Alamo.^[26] There, on the Cibolo, they waited to team up with Fannin. The Alamo fell before they could reach it.^[27]

Battle of San Jacinto:

A company was reorganized in Gonzales during the first week of March 1836, and Manuel Flores became Captain Seguin's first sergeant.^[28] This force would now split up. Salvador Flores formed the western rear guard and would maintain this position offering protection from Mexican and Indian attack,^[29] while Sergeant Manuel Flores, with his brothers and brother-in-law gathered their company to follow Houston eastward. This company would block the Mexican army from crossing the Brazos river, preventing them from overtaking the Texians.^[30] Sergeant Manuel Flores^[31] together with Captain Juan Seguin, Corporal Nepomuceno Flores,^[32] Private Jose Maria Flores^[33] and their Tejano company would then join in with Houston and Rusk to overtake Santa Anna's army, in the rout at the Battle of San Jacinto.^[34]

Manuel Flores is credited for taking the lead in the final charge against Santa Anna's army at San Jacinto. Although originally a cavalry company, they would fight with Sherman's force as infantry. José Maria Rodriquez states in his book, Memoirs of Early Texas, that during the final charge, the Texan's fired and fell to the ground waiting for a volley from the Mexican camp, but Manuel Flores remained standing and challenged the Texican Army to "get up" and follow his lead, for the Mexican's were running! They got up and pursued the Army, taking many prisoners.^[35]

Republic of Texas

After the Texas Revolution, he was commissioned as First Lieutenant in Company B of the Second Regiment of Cavalry. Next he was commissioned the Captain of a Calvary company in defence of the new republic, participating in much the same way a ranger company would.^{[36][Notes 2]} and in 1838 he established a ranch on the south side of the Guadalupe River directly across from Seguin, Texas. Being one of the larger operating ranches of the time, it was visited by German Geologist Ferdinand Von Roemer in 1846 and described in his works, Die Kreidebildungen von Texas and ihre organischen Einschliisse (1852).

In 1842, San Antonio would be overrun twice, by Santa Anna's forces. During March 1842, the citizens of San Antonio would seek refuge at Manuel Flores Ranch in the city of Seguin, Texas.^[37] Here, a counter attack was planned and Manuel Flores was a member of the party that pursued the army of Ráfael Vásquez.^[38] Even though his brother-in-law, Juan Seguin had also joined in the pursuit that chased the invaders from Texas,^[39] Seguin was doomed to be blamed for the invasion.^[40]

Legacy

In later years, the Flores descendants would be the ones to donate the land for the establishment of the City in Texas that bears their name: Floresville, Texas.^[41]

A Texas State Historical Marker was placed at the Floresville courthouse during the 1986 Texas sesquicentennial. It now stands in honor to Manuel Flores and his family for their service to Texas.

Notes

1. ^ Birth date most commonly used and referenced in the Handbook of Texas, is 1801
2. ^ He is often confused with the Mexican emissary also named Manuel Flores, who was killed at the battle of the San Gabriels in 1838.

See also

Texas portal

• List of Texas Revolution battles
• Timeline of the Texas Revolution
• Juan Seguin
• Salvador Flores

References

• Banks, Herbert C. (2001), Daughters of the Republic of Texas -Patriot A.A. Vol.2, Paducah, Ky.: Turner Publishing Company, ISBN 1563116413 
• Barr, Alwyn (1990), Texans in Revolt: the Battle for San Antonio, 1835, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, ISBN 0292770421, OCLC 20354408 
• Brands, H.W. (2005), Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence, 1835, New York: Random House, Inc., ISBN 1-4000-3070-6 
• del la Teja, Jesus (1991), A Revolution Remembered: The Memoirs and Selected Correspondence of Juan N. Seguin, Austin, TX: State House Press, ISBN 0-938349-68-6 
• Edmondson, J.R. (2000), The Alamo Story-From History to Current Conflicts, Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press, ISBN 1-55622-678-0 
• Groneman, Bill (1990), Alamo Defenders, A Genealogy: The People and Their Words, Austin, TX: Eakin Press, ISBN 0-89015-757-X 
• Graham, Davis (2002), Land!: Irish Pioneers in Mexican and Revolutionary Texas, College Station, TX: TAMU Press, ISBN 1585441899 
• Hardin, Stephen L. (1994), Texian Iliad – A Military History of the Texas Revolution, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, ISBN 0292730861, OCLC 29704011 
• Lindley, Thomas Ricks (2003), Alamo Traces: New Evidence and New Conclusions, Lanham, MD: Republic of Texas Press, ISBN 1556229836 
• Lord, Walter (1961), A Time to Stand, Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, ISBN 0803279027 
• Lozano, Ruben Rendon (1985), Viva Texas: The Story of the Tejanos, th Mexican-born Patroits of th Texas Revolution, San Antonio, TX: The Alamo Press, ISBN 0-943260-02-7 
• Matovina, Timothy M. (1995), The Alamo Remembered: Tejano Accounts and Perspectives, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-75186-9 
• Moore, Stephen L. (2004), Eighteen Minutes: The Battle of San Jacinto and the Texas Independence Campaign, TX: Republic of Texas, ISBN 1589070097 
• SRT, SRT (2001), Sons of the Republic of Texas, Paducah, KY: Turner Pub Co, ISBN 1563116030 
• Rodriquez, José (2010), Rodriquez memoirs of early Texas, Reprint: Nabu Press, ISBN 1149531686 

1. ^ Descendants of Pedro Flores de Abrego by S. Gibson June 24, 2007
2. ^ Flores de Abrego
3. ^ Handbook of Texas
4. ^ de la Teja (1991), p. 18.
5. ^ SRT77 (2001) Pg.77
6. ^ Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," [1] (accessed July 28, 2010).
7. ^ Banks (2001), p. 51.
8. ^ TAMU Dewitt, Pvt. Jose (Manuel) Maria Flores [2] - 2nd Regiment Volunteers 9th Company
9. ^ [3] Bexar Genealogy Flores
10. ^ Matovina (1995), p. 34.
11. ^ Texas Historical Society [Marker 5335 Floresville, Texas (1986)]
12. ^ Groneman (1990), p. 97.
13. ^ Handbook of Texas
14. ^ ^{a b} de la Teja (1991), p. 77.
15. ^ ^{a b} de la Teja (1991), p. 24.
16. ^ Tovares (2004), pbs/wgbh/american experience/alamo/timeline/1835.
17. ^ Brands (2005), p. 274.
18. ^ Edmonson (2000), p. 218.
19. ^ Handbook of Texas
20. ^ Handbook of Texas
21. ^ Barr (1990) p.18
22. ^ Lindley (2003), p. 133.
23. ^ de la Teja (1991), p. 66.
24. ^ Lindley (2003), p. 134.
25. ^ Matovina (1995), p. 82.
26. ^ de la Teja (1991), p. 107.
27. ^ Groneman (1990), p. 98.
28. ^ de la Teja (1991), p. 136.
29. ^ Moore (2004), p. 60.
30. ^ Groneman (1998), p. 98.
31. ^ Handbook of Texas
32. ^ Louis W. Kemp, Nepomuceno Flores bio. 1930-1952
33. ^ TAMU Dewitt (Pvt. Manuel Maria Flores)[4] - 2nd Regiment Volunteers 9th Company
34. ^ Hardin (1994), pg. 209
35. ^ Rodriquez (1913), pg. 3-15
36. ^ Lozano (1985), p. 43.
37. ^ de la Teja (1991), p. 116.
38. ^ de la Teja (1991), p. 94-95.
39. ^ de la Teja (1991), p. 44&117.
40. ^ de la Teja (1991), p. 118.
41. ^ TSH Marker 5335 Floresville, Texas

External links

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," [5] (accessed July 26, 2010).

Persondata
Name	Flores, Manuel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1801
Place of birth	San Antonio-Floresville area, Texas
Date of death	1868
Place of death