Bernardo de Gálvez (1746 - 1786)

Born 23 Jul 1746 in Macharaviaya, Málaga, Spain

Ancestors

Husband of Marie Felicite (St. Maxent) de Gálvez — married 1777 in Saint Louis Cathedral, Orleans Parish, Louisiana

Died 30 Nov 1786 at age 40 in Tacubaya District, Mexico City, Mexico

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Biography

Bernardo de Gálvez is Notable.

Bernardo de Gálvez served with Louisiana Militia during the American Revolution.

On December 16, 2014, the United States Congress conferred honorary citizenship on Bernardo de Gálvez, citing him as a "hero of the Revolutionary War who risked his life for the freedom of the United States people and provided supplies, intelligence, and strong military support to the war effort." ^[1]Only 8 such foreigners have been granted honorary US citizenship by Congress. The resolution itself lists Gálvez's crucial contributions to American independence.

His full name was Vicente Apolinar Bernardo de Gálvez Gallardo y Ortega. Born in Macharaviaya in the Province of Málaga, Spain in July 1746, Gálvez was the oldest child of Matías de Gálvez and his first wife, Josefa Gallardo, who were from noble and distinguished families in the royal service of the Spanish monarchy. He learned French while serving in France with the Royal Cantabria regiment, an elite Franco-Spanish unit, for three years. Among the numerous high military offices he held, he served as Spain's fifth colonial governor of the entire Louisiana territory, from 1777-1783. ^[2]During 1783 and 1784, Galvaz's father was Captain General of Guatemala, and New Spain Viceroy^[3]

In the first year of his governorship he married Louisiana French Creole Marie Felicite Maxent d'Estrehan, the widow of Jean Baptiste Honoré Destrehan, (b. 1749, d. 1775). Her father, Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent, made his fortune in the fur trade with his partner Pierre Laclede, funding the outpost which would become St. Louis, Missouri.^[4]

They had three children:

1. Maria Matilde de Galvez, b. 9 Jan 1777, New Orleans, Louisiana, d. 1839 in Málaga, Spain; married Raymundo Capece Minutolo
2. Miguel de Galvez, b. 1782, Cap-Haitien, Hispaniola d. circa 1850, Paris, France (no issue)
3. Guadalupe de Galvez, b. after 1782, Mexico City, Mexico

Bernardo de Gálvez died at age 40 in Mexico City in 1786.^[2]

Legacy

His supreme legacy is arguably the United States of America as an independent country: his opening of the Mississippi River to counter the British blockade of all east coast ports; his furnishing munitions and supplies to the rebels; and finally his brilliant and successful military campaigns in Baton Rouge, Natchez, Mobile and Pensacola were instrumental to the outcome of the U.S Revolutionary War.

... his military success led to the inclusion of provisions in the Peace of Paris (1783) that officially returned Florida, now divided into two provinces, East and West Florida, to Spain. The treaty recognized the political independence of the former British colonies to the north, and its signing ended their war with the British. ^[2]

1772, Gálvez returned to Spain. He enrolled for (3 years) in the Regiment of Cantabria to learn French language and the French culture. In 1775 he was assigned to the Regiment of Seville as captain of the infantry. He was participating in an attack on Algiers, which failed, but gave him another wound. ^[5]

1776 Galvez was transferred to Louisiana with the promotion to Colonel of the Lousiana Regiment. In 1777 Galvez became governor of Louisiana (succeeding Luis de Unzaga). ^[5] Texas cattle were purchased from ranches of citizens from Bexar mission and La Bahia missions. the Texas rancheros drove the cattle herds to Nacogdoches, Natchitoches and Opelousas from the Presidio La Bahia to distribute to the forces of Galvez. ^[5]

1779 and 1782, Texas cattle were purchased from ranches belonging to citizens and missions of Bexar and La Bahía. Galvez Crossing on the Pecos River From the assembly point, Presidio La Bahía the Texas rancheros and their vaqueros drove these herds to Nacogdoches, Natchitoches, and Opelousas for distribution to Gálvez's forces. Providing escorts for these herds were soldiers from Presidio San Antonio de Béxar, Presidio La Bahía, and El Fuerte del Cíbolo. With this Texas beef, Galvez along with 1,400 men defeated the British in encounters at Manchac, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. March 14, 1780, Galvez and the 2000+ men captured the British Fort Charlotte at Mobile.^[5]

While he was viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) in 1785-1786, Gálvez ordered José de Evia's survey of the Gulf Coast; the mapmaker named the biggest bay on the Texas coast Bahía de Galvezton, a name later altered to Galveston.^[5]

• The bay, the city, and the county of Galveston, Texas are named in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez.
• St. Bernard Parish, historic Galveztown, (now Galvez), and Galvez Street in Mid City, New Orleans, Louisiana are named in his honor.
• He enriched the gumbo that is Louisiana by promoting and supporting the colonization of New Iberia, Louisiana by Canary Islanders.
• In 1980, the US Postal Service released a 15-cent stamp in his honor, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Mobile in 1780. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ H.J.Res.105 - Conferring honorary citizenship of the United States on Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez. 113th Congress (2013-2014)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Wikipedia contributors, "Bernardo de Gálvez," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (accessed July 16, 2020).
3. ↑ Bernardo de Gálvez (1746-1786) Biography, SONS OF DEWITT COLONY TEXAS
4. ↑ Article by Eric Beerman about the family of Felicite de St. Maxent, reprinted in the New Orleans Genesis, September 1968, Vol. 15, Number 68; originally printed in the Revue de Louisiana, Summer, 1977.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Robert H Thonhoff, Gálvez y Madrid, Bernardo Vicente Apolinar de (1746–1786), Texas State Historical Association. Published 1952.
6. ↑ Bernardo de Gálvez, Smithsonian National Postal Museum.

• PBS History Detectives: Galvez Papers, aired August 2010.
• Galvez Crossing on the Pecos River, Texas State History Association
• [https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/bernardo-de-galvez
• Yo Solo: The Battle Journal of Bernardo de Gálvez During the American Revolution, by Bernardo de Gálvez, Winston De Ville
• AmericanRevolution.org SPAIN'S ROLE IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN by Dr. Mildred Murry and Chuck Lampman
• A History of Louisiana Soldiers in the American Revolution" Genealogy.com
• GALVEZ, BERNARDO DE....Handbook of Texas Online" By Robert H. Thonhoff; Texas State Historical Association
• "Bernard de Galvez" National Park Service: Fort Matanzas National Monument
• "Siege of Pensacola" at Wikipedia.com
• "Battle of Fort Charlotte" World History Project
• "Battle of Baton Rouge (1779)" at Wikipedia.com
• "Capture of Fort Bute at Wikipedia.com
• "Siege of Pensacola" The Patriot Resource
• The Louisiana Governors: From Iberville to Edwards edited by Joseph G. Dawson III page 67
• Congress keeps 231-year-old promise to honor hero USA Today
• When Gálvez Came to Congress Hidden Hispanic Heritage
• The Order of Granaderos y Damas de Galvez Facebook Page