Carlos Esparza (1828 – September 28, 1885) lived in Mexico at the Texas border, and during his life he served as a soldier and the leader of the spy ring of Juan Cortina.
[3] After a life of activity as a member of Juan Cortina's guerrilla forces, and later as a local political leader, he died on September 28, 1885.
[2] However, the siege was broken by American troops and the resulting battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de las Palmas,[2] which Carlos Esparza fought in.
[1] Cortina's armed efforts to gain political sway in southern Texas did not stop during the American Civil War (1861–1865).
[3] His political power was originally given by Cortina to give Esparza access to the city's resources.
[1] Esparza recommended swamps be drained to prevent mosquito breeding in an effort to circumvent malaria.
However, that was not possible, since “Cortina depended on prostitution for tax revenues and for his capable spying system”.
[1] Cortina fell from power when he was captured by the troops of the new Mexican dictator José Diaz in 1876.
[1] Near the end of his life, dissolusioned with the world and in danger of being punished for his political and military activities under Cortina, Esparza became reclusive.
[3] He designed his farm so that it could be largely self-sufficient, able to supply the essentials of life by growing both food crops and cotton for clothing.
[5] They include: “If we were as industrious as the devil, we would be far ahead”,[5] “What is good literature today may be rubbish tomorrow”,[5] and “Men and hurricanes are hard to predict,”.