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El Pipila
Juan José de los Reyes Martínez,
a simple miner, native of San
Miguel de Allende but working at
the time in the nearby mine at
Mellado, is better known to
history by his nickname "Pipila".
Once the conspiracy was
discovered, Hidalgo gathered
together a group of townspeople,
among them some prisoners from
the gaol, and with those they
recruited along the way, arrived
in Guanajuato. Their main
objective was to take the
Granaditas Corn Exchange, where
Riaño, the governor, had taken
position, with the soldiers of
the garrison. The treasure in
his care (some three million
pesos), silver ingots, money in
cash and even the mercury used
by the Royal Tax Office, as well
as military equipment and food
supplies, were necessary to
withstand the siege.
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In the bloody,
indescribable battle,
this man of the people,
a humble Mellado miner,
put a flagstone on his
back and carrying a
torch, crawled to the
door of the Corn
Exchange, which he set
on fire after having
smeared it with pitch.
When the wood gave, the
crowd broke in,
undaunted by the many
who fell, victims of the
Spaniards' concentrated
rifle fire. Some fell
and others charged over
them, into a hand-to-hand
struggle on the inner
patio, where the
strength of the two
bands was equalised
since the firearms were
no longer usable...
until blood flowed in a
torrent out the door and
down Mendizábal Street...
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Were it not for the courage of "El Pipila", Hidalgo would not have
taken Granaditas and the
result of the
insurrection would have
been quite different. In
other words, Mexico's
independence would have
been won, but who knows
how much later, under
what conditions and at
what cost? |
The success of this historical
clash between rebels and
royalists was chiefly due to the
courage of "El Pipila". This
momentous event marks the
beginning of an epic in which
Guanajuato covered itself with
glory and which constitutes one
of the most magnificent episodes
in the history of Mexico.
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