Very little written information exists on Vicente Filísola's early life other than he was born Vincenzo Filizzola in Rivello, Kingdom of Naples in around 1785 and later moved to Spain when he was a child.

[3] As a governor of Mexico, he occupied Guatemala City after the formation of the Federal Republic of Central America and was successful in annexing El Salvador in 1823, causing an uprising there.

Filísola never had to command any decisive battles in the Texas Revolution, but was left trailing Santa Anna as the Mexican leader sped forward.

At the Guadalupe River, Filísola was left in charge of the troops moving the heavy military equipment, supply wagons, and livestock across Texas.

While Santa Anna quickly proceeded toward Sesma and the Colorado River, Filísola with the rear guard, was mired down in mud, low on food, short on supplies, and exhausted.

While Santa Anna was preoccupied with the attempt to the capture the new republic's officials, Filísola was instructed to wait for Colonel Amat's, General Gaona's, and Sesma forces to converge.

The next day, Captain Miguel Aguirre, a wounded officer from Santa Anna's guard, of the Tampico Regiment, made his way to Filísola's camp on the Brazos, with word of the total destruction of the Mexican army at San Jacinto.

The news of Santa Anna's defeat had badly demoralized Filísola's troops, and any action he would take against Houston might possibly risk the demise of all Mexican prisoners.

On 24 May, he ordered Juan José Andrade to destroy the fortifications of the Alamo and to evacuate his 1,200 troops from San Antonio and "ratified", according to the Republic of Texas, the Treaties of Velasco.