A newly unveiled historical marker in Premont is bringing renewed attention to a Civil War battle that took place in South Texas more than 160 years ago — one that most history books have never mentioned.
Community members gathered to unveil the marker honoring the Battle of Los Patricios, the newest addition to the Rio Grande Valley Civil War Trail.
"The civil war did have an impact here in South Texas," regional historian Homera Vera said.
For those in attendance, the moment carried weight beyond the marker itself.
The Battle of Los Patricios was fought on March 13, 1864, about 5 miles west of Premont on what is now Jim Wells County Road 425.
Roseann Bacha-Garza, projects director for the UTRGV CHAPS Program, said the marker preserves a moment largely absent from the historical record.
"The US Civil War is the most researched and scholarly published event in our US history. And hardly any of those scholars mention anything that happened along the Rio Grande or in deep South Texas," Bacha-Garza said.
Vera said the site has gone unrecognized for far too long.
"To let people know — 'hey this happened in our backyard and nobody knows about it. And it's been hidden for over 160 years. People died here, close to 200 men fought here,'" Vera said.
A rancher who lives in the area discovered Civil War-era bullets and other artifacts near the battle site.
For some, the history is personal. Civil War reenactor Marcos Flores said his research into his own family led him to the conflict.
"Everything I've learned about in school has been up north about the Civil War. And after college — I started doing research on my family. And I found out that I had a descendent that was in the civil war," Flores said.
Flores' great-great-great-grandfather fought in the Civil War. Flores now dresses as a Union cavalry soldier to help people visualize what an actual Civil War soldier would have looked like.
"We need to have awareness, especially in schools, in these local areas. They should know their local history. And if we are here highlighting that local history they can easily come and say 'hey, just around the corner. There was a civil war battle,'" Flores said.
He hopes the marker brings awareness to the Tejanos who live in and around Premont.
Leaders say the marker is just one step in preserving local history and making sure stories like the Battle of Los Patricios aren't forgotten.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
