I give a synopsis of his military career to the date when he became president of the republic.[1]
Santa Anna from his earliest days, even in boyhood at school, manifested a quarrelsome disposition. In after life he was passionate. He liked well enough to see his country's prosperity if caused by himself, but he lacked the necessary ability either to accomplish or maintain it. Moreover, he wasted most of his time in pleasures, being addicted to dissipation in almost every form. Despite these proclivities, he loved honors and money. Santa Anna possessed neither prominent civic traits nor deep convictions in political affairs; hence we see him at one time the president of the republic under the federal form of government; at another, under the central system; and lastly, dictator. Nature had implanted in him the germ of action, which he brought into play whenever required to subserve his own purposes. As regarded his conscience, it was both elastic and numb, never being disturbed by actions that would have greatly troubled most men.
Santa Anna manifested at first a disposition to please all parties, each of which looked to his assistance for its triumph. He finally leaned to the side
- ↑ Promoted to sub-lieut of fusileers in 1812, and to lieut of grenadiers with a captain's brevet in 1820; to full captain breveted as a lieut-col in 1821 by Viceroy Venadito. Commissioned a lieut-col by Iturbide; col with the brevet of brigadier by the regency, and a full brigadier by Iturbide. For his victory over the Spanish invaders at Tampico in 1829 Guerrero promoted him to general of division. He was deprived of this rank in 1832 by the government of Bustamante, but it was restored to him immediately after the fall of that administration.
Santa Anna's first campaigns as a cadet were in Nuevo Santander and Texas, taking part in several actions of war, and distinguishing himself for gallantry and general efficiency. In 1811 he served in San Luis Potosí, and in 1812 in the Sierra Gorda, receiving an arrow-wound in his left arm at the action of Amoladeras. On the 18th of August, 1813, he was in an action fought against revolutionists and their Anglo-American allies on the Medina River in Texas, for which he was decorated. Two years later he returned to Vera Cruz, and was actively engaged in campaigning against insurgents, for which services he was a second time rewarded with a decoration. In 1817, while commanding outside of the city of Vera Cruz, he contributed to the pacification of the province, and from that time continued serving the colonial government till April 1821, when he accepted the plan of Iguala and joined the ejército trigarante.
