Manuel Antonio Cordero y Bustamante was born in 1753 in the Andalusian province of Cadiz, Spain. At age 19 he joined the Spanish army, beginning his career as a cadet on December 1, 1767. He only spent four years in this army and by 1771 he was living in Mexico, where he joined the army. Over seven years he served in various Spanish armies, such as the Corps of Zamora, the Dragoons of Spain and New Spain, and companies of the presidio of Janos and San Buenaventura. Eventually, he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. Between 1777 and 1790, he fought in many wars in the Provincias Internas, a province consisting ofAlta and Baja California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nueva Vizcaya and Coahuila, and other regions of northern Mexico. There he had his first contact with Texas and Coahuila, two places where later he would occupy the governor's office. He participated in a total of twenty-five military campaigns in the region. However, in four of them, he operated only as a subordinate, but in the others he served as commander. In 1787, Cordero y Bustamante signed a peace treaty with the Mimbreños Apaches and Gilena. Between 1790 and 1791, while he occupied the post of commander of the Nueva Vizcaya, he began to persecute the marauders and punish Native Americans who had rebelled against the Spanish and were threatening the ranches of the settlers. In 1794, he returned to subjugate the Mimbres and Gilena peoples, who responded by attacking the Presidio of Janos. In 1795, he led the first expedition to the Presidio del Norte, where he faced the Mescaleros. Between 1795 and 1800, Bustamante founded many settlements and towns in Coahuila. On December 27, 1796, he began leading the troops from the border of Coahuila. In January 1797, the King of Spain appointed him governor of Texas to replace Manuel Muñoz in his later years. However, during this time he fought the Apaches, and so was unable to fill the position. Later, on March 27 of that year, the king of Spain named him acting governor of Coahuila. Cordero sent a letter to Manuel Muñoz indicating he had been appointed acting governor of that city. However, in 1805, while Cordero governed Coahuila, he was also appointed acting governor of Texas and he had to leave the government of Coahuila.
In September 1805, during his administration in Texas, he came to San Antonio because he had received orders to strengthen several military posts in Orcoquisas, Nacogdoches, and Los Adaes. Cordero y Bustamante led troops in Nacogdoches to help in the defense of the eastern frontier. However, Bustamante didn't have to use them because the disputed territory between the Sabine and Arroyo Hondo was declared neutral in the fall of 1806. In addition, he promoted the emigration to Texas, mainly of craftsmen, to build a fort against American invasion. He convinced people of the interior provinces of modern Mexico to emigrate to San Antonio, but he also tried to get North American immigrants to leave San Antonio and he established a law that freed those slaves who emigrated from Louisiana to Texas. Moreover, he promoted friendly relations between the soldiers and settlers with the Native Americans for defending the frontier. In 1806, Cordero y Bustamante established the first hospital in Texas, which was intended chiefly for soldiers. Cordero y Bustamante governed Texas until November 7, 1808. In this year, he finished his term, being replaced by Manuel María de Salcedo. In 1809, Cordero y Bustamante was appointed governor of Coahuila. However, under a royal order, he had to continue living temporarily in Texas to help Salcedo in his new duties as governor and help in the defense of the borders of the province. He remained there until 1810. Also, during this time, he planned to establish settlements in Colorado, San Marcos de Reve, Brazos, Trinity, and the Guadalupe River. However, he only managed to establish settlements in San Marcos and Trinidad, in addition to another settlement: Palafox Villa. He moved to Coahuila in 1810, beginning his term as governor of that province. In 1813, Cordero was governor of the province of Sonora and Sinaloa; specifically he was a Governor-Intendant of Sonora. In 1817, he stepped down as governor of Coahuila and in 1819 he again became governor of Sonora and Sinaloa.
Last years
Later, in 1822, Cordero became commanding general of the Western Interior Provinces. In December of that year, he was named field marshal - general, during the same time as he was lying ill in the city ofDurango, Mexico. He refused to endorse the Plan of Casa Mata, which did away with the first imperium, and resigned from office on March 6, 1823. He died a few days later. He was buried on March 25, 1823. Cordero y Bustamante wrote a very important monograph about the Comanches.
Personal life
The America explorer Zebulon Pike made an interesting physical and personal description of Cordero. According to him, the Spanish political and soldier was blond, his eyes were blue, his complexion was clear, and he was about five feet and ten inches tall. As for his behavior, he believed that the military man had great confidence in himself and he was one of the most capable commanders on the Spanish Texas border.
