Gutiérrez–Magee Expedition

In 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla began a revolt against the Royalist Spanish in Mexico, which would initiate the Mexican War of Independence.

Likewise, in 1811, Juan Bautista de las Casas led a revolt against Spain at San Antonio, capturing the Spanish governor.

Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara, a blacksmith from Nuevo Santander, traveled to Washington, D.C., but he received little more than an assurance that the U.S. would not interfere with his plans.

After trying the U.S. government's patience, he entertained the idea of a filibuster, consulting as many as would listen, including his cousin Guerro Caja de las Casas.

[3] In Texas their numbers increased to 300, and they proceeded to take the town of Santísima Trinidad de Salcedo (located on the east bank of the Trinity River at Spanish Bluff, ten miles downriver from the present Highway 31 crossing), on September 13.

The Spanish governor Manuel María de Salcedo, with about 800 men, was patrolling the Guadalupe River area, in search of the revolutionaries.

Captain John McFarland was sent to find new recruits: volunteers from Nacogdoches, Spanish army defectors, and a few Coushatta Indians joined in.

Joining the Republican Army in the pursuit to San Antonio were volunteers, consisting of Americans, Tejanos, former Spanish soldiers, and Lipan and Tonkawa Indians.

But, as the prisoners were marched out of town by Captain Antonio Delgado, they were halted, tied to trees and killed.

On April 17, the Republican Army drafted a declaration of independence of the state of Texas as part of the Mexican Republic and adopted a solid "Green Flag" for a banner.

Colonel Ignacio Elizondo and General José Joaquín de Arredondo took charge of the Spanish effort to secure Texas.

On June 20, Perry routed Elizondo's troops in a dawn attack, at the Battle of Alazan Creek, once again freeing the Spanish hold on San Antonio.

Now interested in the conflict was José Álvarez de Toledo y Dubois, who had been consulted at the beginning of the filibuster.

Shaler and José Álvarez de Toledo teamed up and initiated a propaganda campaign against organizer Gutiérrez.