Oct. 12, 2003                             Ft. Worth          

TRUE TEXICANS
Stories lead man to explore family's rich history
By Anna Macias Aguayo
Special to the Star-Telegram

WEATHERFORD - When Charlie Martinez's relatives gather for a reunion every few years in San Marcos, some 500 kinfolk from across the country come together.

For some, it is a time for watermelon-eating contests and mariachi music.

But for the 52-year-old tailor from Weatherford, it is a precious opportunity to interview aging relatives who can give him details about the identities and lives of his ancestors.

Their answers led him on an exhaustive search of public and church records across Texas. He came away from his genealogical journey with stories about his forefathers, who helped shape the history of Mexico and Texas as far back as 1767.

"I found out that I have a great family history," Martinez said. "We're truly Texicans. We were in Texas way before Texas was Texas. And my ancestors were participants in the history of Texas."

Martinez placed his family -- whose last name was Gil -- in what is now Texas at a time when Texas was still being conquered by Spain.

His research began with a check of baptism and marriage records kept by the Catholic Church. But the richest details came from the Laredo Archives at St. Mary's University in San Antonio and through an interview with the Rev. Robert Wood, a scholar who has written extensively about the city's archives.

The archives contain minutes from city and county meetings. The Gil family showed up frequently in the town agenda and history. Martinez traced his roots five generations back to Cpl. Miguel Gil, an "honorable soldier" who was often lauded for his bravery.

"One of the documents from 1833 says that the government is wanting Miguel Gil to go fight with Santa Anna," Martinez said. "They said if he didn't go, he might be killed. They never say if he went, but I assume that he did since he remained alive for some time after that."

Martinez discovered from Confederate pension records that his great-great-grandfather, Luis Gil, the grandson of Miguel Gil, enlisted as a Confederate soldier on Jan. 16, 1862, serving with the Texas 33rd Cavalry, in a Mexican regiment based in Laredo led by then-Capt. Santos Benavides.

A great-great-great-uncle, Cesario Gil, was killed on April 11, 1836, by what a Laredo city record described as "hostile Indians" of the Lipan tribe. It happened as he rode on horseback through the countryside with a posse, searching for a boy who had been kidnapped.

In 1845, Martinez's great-great-great-grandfather, Pedro Onofre Gil, worked hard to negotiate a peace treaty with Indians who had been in skirmishes with Spanish settlers. He later was elected as an alderman in Laredo in 1857 with a margin of only 14 votes in one precinct.

"I find it very interesting that from a very early time, my family felt called to do civil service," said Martinez, who has served on the Weatherford school board for three years. "I didn't know my ancestors were leaders. I just knew that my father and mother passed on to me a strong work ethic and an example of performing service for others."

The knowledge that his ancestors were leaders "makes me feel that I came to my position as a school board member honestly," he said.

"It just seems like a natural progression of events."

The revelations about his forefathers' role in the history of Mexico and Texas make him proud of his heritage. Martinez has even joined a local chapter of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans in honor of the Hispanic Texans who served as soldiers during the Civil War.

Howard McClurkin, a history buff and past commander of the Weatherford Confederate re-enactors, said the group has embraced Martinez as a member.

"Charlie Martinez is a quintessential Texan," McClurkin said.

Hispanics played an important role in defending Texas during the Civil War, McClurkin said.

"There were probably thousands of Hispanic soldiers that served under Col. Santos Benavides," he said.

McClurkin said the fact that Hispanics fought in large numbers isn't always noted by historians "because it depends on who's writing history as to which part of history gets put on the front page or the back page."

Martinez said he is eagerly awaiting his next family reunion, scheduled for next summer in San Marcos.

"I want to gather all of the family and tell them the stories I have learned about our ancestors so that they will live on for many, many years," he said. "They might be surprised to learn that one of our forefathers was very likely fighting for Mexico at the Battle of the Alamo."

Martinez said the family history he gathered might also explain why his family works hard to stay in touch, although he has not had a chance to tell his relatives about the colorful historical accounts he's found. That will happen at the next reunion.

"Reunions are important for all families so that they can communicate their history with each other," he said.