Ángel Martínez (general)

He was born in the state of Jalisco in 1837, but his home city remains disputed as his service record states he was born in Arandas while his death certificate states that he was born in Ayo el Chico of the same canton. When he was young, he settled in the city of Tepic and began his military career on September 2, 1856 as a sergeant of the National Guard. He was within the ranks of Colonel Ramón Corona to fight Manuel Lozada he was promoted to second lieutenant on October 26, 1858, lieutenant on November 12, 1859 and to captain on October 20, 1862, on which date he proceeded to organize the "guerrilla" of his name to fight against the Second French intervention in Mexico and the Second Mexican Empire. He was promoted to major on August 20, 1863 and was given command of the "Ramírez" Squadron and that of lieutenant colonel in August 1864, colonel on November 25 and General brigadier on March 1, 1865 and given command of the 3rd Western Brigade.^[1]

At the end of the year, General Corona ordered him to start operating in the north of Sinaloa and the south of the state, he liberated El Fuerte from the imperialist forces and began an offensive into Sonora. On January 7, 1866, he attacked and captured the Plaza of Álamos from a brusque cavalry charge that shattered the resistance of the Empire's defenders. He distinguished himself as a brave, active and inhuman leader who went to the state of Sonora to inject energy into the Republican cause at a time when other Republican leaders were beginning to lose morale and brought a system of ruthless and violent war that was unknown before and didn't show any mercy to his enemies, executing them on the spot or making them victims of strong exactions expressing that if they had caught him they would not forgive him, and therefore he should not give them quarter. The cavalry charges of the chinaco [es]s armed with machetes made them popularly known as "los macheteros" as they scored decisive victories, which made them a feared force. After having recovered Álamos, he acquired elements and resources of the Río Mayo and the Rosario region under the command of Colonels Alcántara and Correa who won the battles of Bayájorit and Movas but fell back on the Rio Fuerte when a Native American revolt broke out and Martínez subdued them, returning to Álamos soon after.^[1]

He returned to Sinaloa most of his brigade under the command of Corona, informing the National Guard that hos forces were organized and in April, he advanced on the interior of the State. On this date he was promoted to General de brigada and made conjunction with Governor Ignacio Pesqueira, capturing Hermosillo on May 4 in the morning but in the afternoon of the same day, he was defeated by the imperialists. Having to evacuate it, he rebuilt his forces, marched on Ures but was defeated again and had to withdraw in the direction of Tecoripa and Cumuripa. His battalions reorganized, and he headed for Hermosillo again, entering the city on August 13.^[2] The advance of two Imperialist columns forced him on the 21st to head for Rayón and other towns in the north. Oon September 4, he led the Battle of Guadalupe against the Imperialist troops gathered in the town of Guadalupe de Ures and completely defeated them, managing to also kill General Edvard Emile Langberg. He immediately proceeded to Ures, which was captured on the 6th, and was instructed to proceed to Guaymas. While en-route, he received news of the evacuation of the port by the French and went ahead with an escort, arriving in the early hours of the 15th. He ordered the persecution of the chiefs and officers who collaborated with the French and had fled to the Baja California Territory seeking asylum. Some were apprehended in front of Santa Rosalía and others in Mulegé and had them executed by firing squad on the 25th.^[1]