Yo Solo

A Fighter

He fought the Apaches. He fought the Algerians. He fought the Hessians. He fought the Portuguese. He fought the British. He Fort Dix...Okay, the Fort Dix part was a Mel Brooks rip-off. But who was he? Bernardo de Gálvez was a Spanish governor, soldier, and diplomat who played a significant role during the time of the Yankee Doodle Spies. I've received feedback from folks interested in the American Revolution when I post about traditional venues. They often express regret about not being closer to Yorktown, Lexington, and other key sites. However, the war's impact reached the entire world, expanding in scope as our allies joined the fight. We hear little about the American War for Independence in the West, and even less about actions in the Southwest and other areas beyond the original thirteen states. I thought it was time to shed some light on those parts.

Bernardo de Galvez

Old Spain

Bernardo de Gálvez was born on July 23, 1746, in Macharaviaya, a mountain village in the province of Málaga, Spain, to Matías and Josepha Madrid y Gallardo de Gálvez. During his lifetime, his family was one of the most prominent in Spain's royal service. Bernardo came from a military family, so following tradition, he pursued a military career. His first experience in battle was in 1762 when he served as a lieutenant fighting Portugal. After the war, the King of Spain promoted the talented young officer to the rank of captain. His appointment was to the infantry regiment La Coruña.

New Spain

In 1769, Gálvez was sent to the northern frontier of New Spain, where he was appointed commander of Spanish forces in Nueva Vizcaya and Sonora. Spain's main enemy there was the Apache, whose raids severely damaged the region's economy. Always aggressive in his tactics, Gálvez led several major expeditions against the fierce warriors. Gálvez was wounded twice during campaigns along the Pecos and Gila rivers in 1770 and 1771. However, the experience hardened him, and he developed a style of command that would serve him well in later years.

Old Spain and Beyond


Gálvez was ordered back to Spain in 1772 for a new assignment. This time, he served in France with the Regiment of Cantabria. Besides developing a more formal study of the military arts, Gálvez became fluent in French, a skill that would prove invaluable later in life on several fronts. He was called back home in 1775 to serve in the Regiment of Seville (soldiers renowned for their haircuts, I am sure). War loomed again, and Gálvez participated in the renowned Captain-General Alejandro O'Reilly's failed attack on Algiers. 

He was wounded again in the campaign but also received a promotion to lieutenant colonel. Gálvez’s career took a significant upward turn when he was transferred to Louisiana in 1776 and promoted to colonel of the Louisiana Regiment. 

Then, on January 1, 1777, the promising young officer was named governor of Louisiana. As governor, he reached out to the local French community. His knowledge of French made him popular with the locals, especially a young Creole woman, Marie Felice de Saint-Maxent Estrehan of New Orleans, whom he married.

Alejandro O'Reilly

Yankee Doodle Spaniard?

The activities along the Atlantic seaboard in the near to mid-1770s did not go unnoticed by Spanish authorities. Factions in Madrid struggled with the idea of supporting a rebellion against a lawful king. Still, some factions favored it as a means of retribution for previous British losses and insults to Spain. Gálvez was among the latter. Before Spain entered the American Revolutionary War, it secretly aided the American cause. Gálvez had secret correspondence with some of the most notable first patriots: Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and Charles Henry Lee. Equally important, he personally met with their emissaries, Oliver Pollock and Capt. George Gibson. 

He responded to their request for support by securing the port of New Orleans and allowing only American, Spanish, and French ships to travel up and down the Mississippi River. He used the river to send arms, ammunition, and military supplies to the American forces under Colonel George Rogers Clark. 

When Spain formally declared war against Great Britain in 1779, Gálvez raised a force of men and launched a campaign against the British along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. He requested cattle and horses from the Spanish governor of Texas, enabling him to feed the troops and move guns and supplies. Gálvez, in command of 1,400 men—including Americans, French, free blacks, and Indians—went on the offensive in the fall of 1779, defeating the British at Manchac, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. 

For its time and place, it was a veritable blitzkrieg against the unprepared British. Once the lower Mississippi was secured, he turned his attention to a larger prize, the British port and garrison at Mobile. He waged a month-long siege with land and sea forces now numbering over 2,000, capturing the British stronghold of Fort Charlotte on March 14, 1780.

Galvez's Campaigns

West Florida

General John Campbell

Anxious to remove the British from the Gulf Coast, Galvez turned his attention to West Florida (the panhandle). He led a combined land and sea attack on Pensacola, the British capital. However, he did so without the help of the Spanish navy, whose commander, Admiral Don Jose Calbo de Irazabel, thought the shallow waters were too dangerous. Tired of delays, Galvez decided to proceed on his own. He had gathered more than 7,000 men for the two-month siege of Fort George. 

Pensacola was a tough target. It had 900 British and German defenders under the command of General John Campbell and was well-fortified. Fierce fighting took place, and Galvez himself was wounded twice as they advanced their trenches. Then luck changed. A stray Spanish cannonball hit and ignited the British powder magazine. The explosion sent stone, wood, and limbs into the air and damaged part of the defenses. 

Short on powder and vulnerable to attack by the Spanish, Campbell surrendered on May 10, 1781. In recognition of his victories, Spanish King Carlos III promoted Galvez to lieutenant general, captain-general of Cuba, and governor of Louisiana. He also elevated Galvez to the peerage as a Conde (Count), and awarded him a coat of arms with the inscription "Yo Solo" (I Alone) to commemorate his attack on Pensacola without naval support.

A year later, Spanish forces under Galvez captured New Providence in the Bahamas, a significant blow to the British. Galvez quickly began planning a move on Jamaica, Britain's prized possession. However, peace negotiations prevented him from taking action. Gálvez contributed to shaping the terms of the peace treaty. The Continental Congress praised Galvez for his support during the conflict. The pressure from France and Spain—especially the losses in the Gulf and threats to the West Indies—helped push Britain toward peace. Bernardo de Galvez played a significant role in applying that pressure.

Spanish troops storm Pensacola

Viceroy of New Spain

After a short rest back in Spain, Gálvez was sent once more to America in October 1784, this time to serve as captain-general and governor of Cuba. In 1785, he was appointed Viceroy of New Spain (which included central and northern America as well as the islands) to succeed his father, who had held the post but died in November 1784. 

The adaptable and ambitious Gálvez and his family then moved to Mexico City. He proved to be as effective a governor during peaceful times as he was a general in war. The new Viceroy quickly earned the affection of the people by opening up not only government resources but also his personal fortune to aid those suffering from famine. Among Gálvez’s achievements as Viceroy were the commencement of the reconstruction of the Castle of Chapultepec and the completion of the Cathedral of Mexico, the largest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere. As often happens in history, when the smoke of battle clears, true warriors become builders.

A Sudden End, or Not...

Unfortunately for the people of New Spain, Bernardo de Gálvez died suddenly of a fever on November 30, 1786. They buried him beside his father in the wall of the Church of San Fernando. Eight days after his funeral, his widow gave birth to another child. But his legacy lives on beyond his descendants. Many streets and towns are named after this great Spanish hero of the American Revolution. 

While he was Viceroy of New Spain, Gálvez ordered José de Eviaqv's survey of the Gulf Coast. The mapmaker named the largest bay on the Texas coast Bahía de Galvezton, a name later changed to Galveston. One can only wonder what might have happened if Galvez hadn’t died so young. Clearly, one of the most remarkable and talented soldiers and statesmen Spain ever produced, Galvez might have achieved much more in developing Spanish America. 

Who knows, if he had lived, the face of the Americas might have looked very different. How different, I will leave to speculation.