Juan Nepomuceno Seguin (1806-1890) was a Tejano hero of the Texas Revolution. He led a band of twenty-five Tejanos who favored a revolt and fought on the Texan side at the Battle of the Alamo. Because Juan Seguin spoke only Spanish, he was chosen to carry the message through enemy lines that the Texans "shall never surrender or retreat." Seguin got the message to the other soldiers on the Texan side. When he returned to the Alamo, it was in flames. The Battle of the Alamo had occurred while he was gone. After the war, Seguin arranged for the dead Alamo defenders to be buried with military honors. Newcomers to Texas who disliked all Tejanos falsely accused Seguin of plotting rebellion. Seguin was elected mayor of San Antonio in 1841, but fled to Mexico in 1842 to "seek refuge amongst my enemies."

He periodically returned to Texas after that, being elected to two terms as Justice of the Peace of Bexar County in 1852 and 1854 and as County Judge in Wilson County in 1869. He eventually settled in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, with his son, where he died on August 27, 1890. His remains were returned to Texas in 1974 and reinterred in his namesake town, Seguin, during ceremonies on July 4, 1976.

External Links

• Juan Seguin - Handbook of Texas Online
• Seguin Descendants Historical Preservation