Castañeda, Francisco de (unknown–unknown)

Francisco de Castañeda (Castonado), lieutenant in the Mexican army and commander of the Mexican contingent at the battle of Gonzales, was attached to the Presidial Company of Alamo de Parras (see SECOND FLYING COMPANY OF SAN CARLOS DE PARRAS), billeted in the old San Antonio de Valero Mission in the fall of 1835. He saw action against hostile Indians. On September 27, 1835, Castañeda was sent by Domingo de Ugartechea with a force of 100 cavalrymen to retrieve a cannon lent to the citizens of Gonzales in 1831 for Indian defense. The citizens of refused to relinquish the Gonzales "come and take it" cannon, and the battle of Gonzales resulted.