Tejano History
Neve, Felipe De
Tejanos |
NEVE, FELIPE DE (1724–1784). Felipe de Neve, second commandant general of the Provincias Internas, was born in Bailén (province of Jaén) in 1724 to one of the most illustrious families of Andalucia. At the age of twenty he answered a military calling by enlisting as a cadet in the infantry regiment of Cantabria. Over the next two decades (1744–64), he fought military engagements in Flanders, Italy, and Portugal. In 1764, along with dozens of Spanish-born officers, he accompanied Juan de Villabla to New Spain. Neve's initial assignment was as sergeant major in the provincial cavalry of Querétaro. At that juncture Spanish efforts centered on attracting recruits into units of local militia, but Neve's enlistment efforts resulted in his being driven from Pátzcuaro (Michoacán) by an angry mob in 1766. In the following year, as a member of a cavalry regiment in Michoacán, he helped suppress civilian protests over the expulsion of the Jesuit order and the closure of its colleges. Continued service and professionalism earned Don Felipe the rank of colonel, a promotion conferred on him in October 1774.
.png)
Full article on the Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas Online
Courtesy of the Texas State Historical Association.
Join
Us
