Cortina, Juan N. 1824-1894

Juan Nepomuceno Cortina (May 16, 1824 – October 30, 1894), also known by his nicknames Cheno Cortina, the Red Robber of the Rio Grande and the Rio Grande Robin Hood, was a Mexican rancher, politician, military leader, outlaw and folk hero. Son of Doña Estefana Goseascochea Cavazos and Trinidad Cortina. Cortina’s grandfathers are José Narisco Cavazos and Don José Salvador de la Garza. Recipients of the largest land grants in New Spain history; ranging on both sides of the Rio grande - now Texas and northern Mexico. Cortina was kidnapped as a young boy and raised by an Indigenous indian tribe for a time until his return to South Texas as a teen. Cortina was heir to El Espíritu Santo Land Grant (284,415.8 acres grated by King of Spain, King Carlos III in 1781) and San Juan de Carricitos Grant (600,000 granted by king of Spain, King Carlos IV in 1792). These lands (along with their cattle & horses) were stolen by Anglo “cattle barons” Charles Stillman, Mifflin Kennedy, Richard King using violence, dubious legal manipulation, and “blood titles”. He was an important caudillo, military general and regional leader, who effectively controlled the Mexican state of Tamaulipas as governor. In borderlands history he is known for leading a paramilitary mounted Mexican Militia in the failed Cortina Wars. The "Wars" were raids targeting Anglo-American civilians who owned racial enslave plantations and illegal stolen land settlements. Cortina opposed the stealing of several leagues of land granted to his wealthy Cavazos, De La Garza, and Esparza families on both sides of the Rio Grande. Anglo families began immigrating to the Lower Rio Grande Valley after the Mexican Army was defeated by the Anglo-Mexican rebels of the Mexican State of Tejas, in the Texas Revolution. From 1836 to 1848 when Cortina was 12–24 years old, parts of the El Espíritu Santo Land Grant & San Juan de Carricitos Land Grant North of the Rio Grande River were in the disputed territory between the Rio Grande and the Nueces Rivers, claimed by both Mexico and the Republic of Texas. The situation had a big impact on Cortina and his perspective on government and power. When the United States defeated Mexico in the Mexican–American War in 1848, Mexico was forced to cede the disputed territory to Texas. Cortina opposed this concession. Under The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed February 2, 1848 cortina would remain rightful owner of his families lands. However the inrush of Anglos led to many land disputes and stolen lands by the hands of the Texas Rangers or King Rangers as they were called. Cortina defeats the kings rangers twice claim back his lands and Brownsville. However, Cortina's Mexican militia was defeated and forced to flee into Mexico when the Texas Rangers, the United States Army and the local militia of Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Tamaulipas all organized and fought against his forces. According to Robert Elman, author of Badmen of the West, Cortina was the first "socially motivated border bandit," similar to Catarino Garza and Pancho Villa of later generations. His followers were known as the "Cortinistas." Cortina was a fighting and enduring soul for Mexican rights in a time of toil turmoil, his military and political achievements include: Fought under General Mariano Arista in the Mexican–American War Became Governor of Tamaulipas in the 1860s Served as a General under Benito Juárez during Mexicos war against the French Allied with the US Union Army during the Civil War era Led the Black Tigers which raided stolen ranches throughout Texas freeing enslaved Africans Americans Later imprisoned by Porfirio Díaz under diplomatic pressure Cortina continued fighting land grabbing, cattle barons Stillman, Kennedy, and King for decades. Cortina led a volunteer Tejano militia to protect Mexican family’s, their cattle & horses, their lands “rancheros”, and their equal unalienable rights. He fought to regain his stolen lands and property and led two defeats against the Texas rangers - then called “the kings rangers” due to their loyalty to Richard King of the King Ranch. Stillman, Kennedy, and King petitioned US president James Buchanan to send US Army troops to battle Cortina. Starting The First Cortina War (1859–1860), When Cortina seized Brownsville, the fort was built on his family’s land, part of the El Espíritu Santo Land Grant, that was stolen by Charles Stillman.