88R12787 CJM-D
By: Raymond H.R. No. 506
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Spanish military and political leader Bernardo de
Gálvez fought bravely in behalf of American independence during the
American Revolutionary War; and
WHEREAS, Part of a prominent military family in Spain,
Bernardo Vicente Apolinar de Gálvez y Madrid was born in
Macharaviaya in 1746 and joined the Spanish military as a teenager,
beginning his career as a lieutenant in a war with Portugal; he made
his first trip to the Americas as part of an inspection tour of the
Viceroyalty of New Spain, and in 1769 he was commissioned to go to
the northern frontier of New Spain, where he received a promotion to
commandant of arms for Nueva Vizcaya and Sonora; after completing
various assignments in Europe, he returned to New Spain as a member
of the Louisiana Regiment in 1776; and
WHEREAS, Named the governor of Louisiana the following year,
Mr. Gálvez made vital contributions to the Revolutionary War
effort; he initially worked to ship gunpowder, muskets, uniforms,
medicine, and other supplies to American colonial rebels, and
following Spain's declaration of war on Great Britain, he conducted
a fierce campaign against the British along the Mississippi River
and Gulf Coast; he also negotiated with the Texas governor to supply
beef for the troops in the first cattle drives out of Texas; over
the next few years, he defeated the British in battles at Bayou
Manchac, Baton Rouge, Natchez, Mobile, and the Bahamas, and he
commanded a two-month siege on Fort George in Pensacola, which
ended with the British surrendering their West Florida capital;
after the war, he went on to serve as governor of Cuba and as viceroy
of New Spain; he died in 1786; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of his achievements, Mr. Gálvez
received commendation from the Continental Congress and letters of
appreciation from Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson; the Bay of
Galveston was also named in his honor, and the U.S. Congress
conferred honorary citizenship on him in 2014; moreover, his
hometown of Macharaviaya recognizes him with its annual Fourth of
July celebration, which features a parade and a reenactment of his
capture of Fort George in Pensacola; and
WHEREAS, Bernardo de Gálvez played a pivotal role in the
American Revolutionary War, and his contributions earned the
lasting admiration and appreciation of all citizens; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life and legacy of Bernardo de
Gálvez.