
Pedro de Ampudia (1803-1868) was a general of the Mexican Army during the Mexican War of Independence, Mexican-American War, and Franco-Mexican War.
Biography[]
Ampudia was born in Havana to a Spaniard family and he joined the Spanish Army in the Mexican War of Independence. When Mexico gained independence from Spain, Ampudia became a commander of the Mexican Army. In 1836, during the Texan War of Independence, he served as the commander of the artillery in the Siege of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. He proceeded to fight the Republic of Texas in the 1840s in the 26 December 1842 Battle of Ciudad Mier, in which he commanded the 350-man garrison in a bloody fight that left 600 Mexicans dead but forced the Texans to cross back into Texas.
As a staff commander of Mariano Arista, Brigadier-General of the Army of the North, Ampudia fought in the Mexican-American War in the Texan Campaign battles of the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. Ampudia's attacks were beaten off at Resaca de la Palma and Mariano Arista blamed him for the defeat, and he defended Monterrey. When the city fell he commander Santa Anna's artillery in the Battle of Buena Vista.
After the end of the war in 1848 Ampudia converted to Liberalism and he became a supporter of Benito Juarez. During the Franco-Mexican War Ampudia fought for the Liberal rebels but as command as the Army of the East, he was gravely wounded. Ampudia died in 1868, possibly of mortal battle wounds.