Memorial Day of the Battle of Cordoba in Mexico

Every May 21st, the city of Cordoba, Veracruz commemorates the anniversary of the battle between royalist and insurgent forces, in a heroic defense of the town of Cordoba. Therefore in the city of Cordoba every May 21st the battle of Cordoba is celebrated with a parade, the parade represents the bravery of the people of Cordoba.

When the "Plan de Iguala" was officially pronounced on March 6, 1821 in the Villa de Córdoba, a document declaring Mexico's independence, the town was divided into two antagonistic groups, the supporters of libertarian ideas (insurgents) and those who wanted the continuity of the Spanish viceroyalty (royalists).

In this context, even in the hands of the royalists, the town of Córdoba was defenseless under the custody of Colonel Bellido, who, due to the few combat forces at his disposal, was forced to surrender and hand over the town to the insurgent army, commanded by José Joaquín Herrera.

On May 10, 1821 rumors began to spread that the royalist army had arrived to the town of "El Naranjal" with the intention of recovering the city, for which the insurgents, commanded by Antonio Guardaelmuro and Francisco Calatayud, began to organize the defense of the disputed square.

Not only the members of the insurgent army prepared for the combat, also joined the defense about 250 volunteers of the town and 20 Amatlecos led by the indigenous Pascual de los Santos García, who came to offer their lives to prevent the city from falling again in the hands of the royalists.

On May 15, Félix Luna, member of Joaquín Herrera's forces, in command of a battalion went to meet in the Barranca de Metlac with the viceroy's forces, facing each other in a fierce battle that lasted several hours, until General Francisco Hevia, leader of the royalists, ordered the retreat from the place to direct the attack towards the city.

They entered Córdoba at mid-afternoon up to the small square of San Sebastián neighborhood, place that they occupied as barracks. In the dawn of the 16th the insurgent forces surprised the intruders forcing them to retreat in the middle of an intense shootout, in which General Francisco Hevia was killed by a bullet fired by Pascual de los Santos, when he was about to cannonade the house of Bernardo Herrera.

Colonel San Blas del Castillo y Luna took command of the royalist forces and returned to the block where the bloody combat was taking place and set fire to it, being easily repulsed and suffocated the flames, which only managed to burn strongly in an adjacent house, which is currently known as "The burned house", in reference to this historical event.

The heroic population of the Villa de Córdoba, with whatever objects they could, whether hoes, stones or sticks, repelled the constant attack together with the insurgents. On May 18, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna arrived in Cordoba at the head of 300 infantrymen and 250 cavalrymen, which did not discourage the royalists, who maintained their positions.

On the 20th, the battle resumed between the battalions of Colonel Blas del Castillo and Felix Luna, the former requesting a truce shortly after to hold a war meeting. At nightfall, the royalists opened fire again until the dawn of the following day when they began to abandon their positions and retreat. José Joaquín Herrera sent the cavalry to pursue them to "La Garita" of Orizaba.

On May 21 at dawn, the cavalry returned to the town and was received with the ringing of bells and the joy of all the brave Cordobeses who had heroically defended their land.

This event was a transcendent passage in the consummation of Mexico's independence, which was made official on August 24 of that year, with the signing of the "Treaties of Cordoba".