por Augustine Melgar He was one of the six cadets of the Mexican Military College who defended their position in Chapultepec Castle to the death during the attack carried out by United States troops in 1847. In Mexico, the performance of the so-called Niños Héroes is remembered every 13 of September.
Melgar, orphan of father and mother, entered the Military College at a very young age. However, he was later expelled for not attending a review for some unknown reason. The young man, however, requested to be readmitted to continue his training.
In 1846, the United States invaded Mexico after several years of tension caused by US expansionist claims. The advance of the invading troops was unstoppable and in September 1847, they were at the gates of the capital.
The US army proceeded to storm Chapultepec Castle, one of the few remaining obstacles before entering Mexico City. Among the defenders were the cadets of the Military College, including Agustín Melgar. Like the rest of the Hero Children, Melgar died trying to prevent the invaders from taking the castle.
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early years
Agustín María José Francisco de Jesús de los Ángeles Melgar Sevilla, full name of Agustín Melgar, came into the world on August 8, 1829 in the city of Chihuahua.
His father, a soldier, died when Agustín was only two years old, which left his family in a delicate financial situation. A few years later, after the young man finished his primary education, his mother also passed away.
When he was orphaned, Melgar moved to the house of his sister Merced, in Mexico City. There he spent the rest of his childhood.
Military school
Following in his father’s footsteps, Agustín Melgar decided to join the army. His first step was to apply for admission to the Military College on November 4, 1846. Along with his application, the young man presented his certificate of first letters, which showed that he knew how to read and write, as well as a medical report certifying his good health. health.
With these documents, plus the endorsement of his sister, Agustín Melgar entered the Military College as a cadet on November 7, 1846.
However, for unknown reasons, Melgar did not attend one of the mandatory check-ups. By not presenting any type of justification, on May 4 he was expelled from the academy.
There are no data on Melgar’s activities during the months he was expelled from the Military College. According to some sources, he went to the center every day begging to be readmitted, but this story is not confirmed.
On September 9, after the Battle of Churubusco and with the US army at the gates of the capital, his request was accepted and Melgar was able to return to the College, although only as an attached cadet.
Battle of Chapultepec
The American invasion of Mexico had begun in May 1846. Their troops advanced through Mexican territory without being able to be stopped by the Mexican army. By September 1847, they were ready to take the country’s capital.
The only obstacle in his way was the Chapultepec Castle, headquarters of the Military College. The building had been reinforced to try to withstand the impending attack.
The attack began on September 12. Throughout that day, the castle was shelled by the Americans. The bombardment lasted until 8 in the morning of the following day, when the invading troops decided that it was time to definitively take the fortress.
For their part, the defenders had a very limited number of troops. Nicolás Bravo, in command of the troops, had asked for reinforcements, but only received one battalion. In addition, Antonio López de Santa Anna made the mistake of concentrating his forces on the eastern part of the hill, when the Americans intended to attack from the opposite side.
The San Blas Battalion, the only reinforcement received by Bravo, tried to stand up to the enemy troops, but without achieving its objective. The Americans then had a free way to storm the castle.
Start of the assault
Inside the castle, the Mexicans only had 832 soldiers, between 60 and 80 cadets, and four cannons. The cadets were between 12 and 18 years old and were assigned to defend the western zone.
The final assault began on the 13th, from the south and west of the hill. The Americans, who had enormous arms and force superiority, met with fierce resistance that lasted for hours.
The Children Heroes
Although the story has undergone various modifications due to use as a hero myth by various governments, there are some facts that appear to have been fully established.
At first, Nicolás Bravo tried to get the young cadets to safety and ordered them to leave the castle. Many of them obeyed the colonel, but 46 decided to remain in the fort to defend it.
American superiority, however, meant that all the defenders’ attempts were in vain, especially when some officers were taken prisoner.
Death of Agustin Melgar
Agustín Melgar’s participation in combat is one of the few that has been documented. According to sources, the young cadet showed great courage to defend the area that had been assigned to him, the central room of the castle.
Although he managed to push several enemies back, Melgar was hit by several shots in different parts of his body. Furthermore, he was wounded on his right side with a bayonet.
According to the myth, when he was shot down, an American general, William Worth, approached his body and kissed his forehead in recognition of his courage.
His death, caused by gunshot wounds, occurred at dawn on September 14, at the age of 18.
American testimony
Melgar was the only one of the Hero Children whose name appeared in American testimony, specifically in a letter written by Major Winslow Elliot.
This soldier recounted in the letter that the actions of the soldiers of his country were bloodthirsty, since they intended to take revenge for the casualties suffered in a previous battle, that of Molino del Rey. Elliot left a detailed description of what happened once inside the castle:
“A veritable wave of infantry in blue uniforms and light marksmen clad in gray scaled the parapet, breaking into the castle. Remembering the barbaric butchery of the wounded on the 8th, the assailants took ruthless revenge on Chapultepec. From the highest roof, the last of the bizarre students, the heroic Agustín Melgar, was still manipulating his rifle until the blue wave reached that high nest and engulfed him”.
Some historians believe that it could have been Elliot who picked up Melgar to take him to the hospital. In this way, he was able to learn the name of the young man who had impressed him so much.
Honors
In 1924, Agustín Melgar was rehabilitated as an effective cadet, a consideration he had lost after being expelled from the Military College. A review of his actions during the defense of the Castle was added to his file.
His mortal remains were transferred in 1952 to the monument that honors the Niños Héroes in Mexico City.
On the other hand, during the presidency of Benito Juárez, September 13 was declared a day of national mourning in memory of all the Child Heroes.
References
Center for the Study of the History of Mexico. Augustine Melgar. Retrieved from wikimexico.com
Gonzalez, Daniella Biography of Agustin Melgar. Retrieved from mexicolindoyquerido.com.mx
Krismar Education. Augustine Melgar. Retrieved from krismar-educa.com.mx
Military Wiki. Children heroes. Retrieved from military.wikia.org
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Children heroes. Retrieved from encyclopedia.com
Bluhm, Raymond K. Battle of Chapultepec. Retrieved from britannica.com
Tuck, Jim. Mexico’s Niños Heroes (“heroic children”): reality or myth… Retrieved from mexconnect.com
Minster, Christopher. The Battle of Chapultepec in the Mexican-American War. Retrieved from thoughtco.com