[CPProt.net] Santa Anna's leg a real war trophy?

[Museum Security Network / Cultural Property Protection Net (Ton Cremers)]

 Santa Anna's leg a real war trophy? 
By Karina Gonzalez, kgonzalez at qconline.com 
 
Port Byron State  
12 Month CD At 3.35%  
  
SPRINGFIELD -- Is it a historical artifact that should be returned to Mexico
or legitimate war booty that should stay in Illinois? 

That's the question being kicked around by some about an artificial leg
stolen from Mexican General Antonio Santa Anna 158 years ago by a group of
Illinois soldiers. 


During the Mexican American War, an Illinois regiment attacked Mexican
forces as Santa Anna dined on a roasted chicken meal. 

Upon encountering the man who led the massacre at the Alamo, the
Illinoisians, "Took his gold, ate his chicken and brought his leg back to
Illinois as a war trophy," said Mark Whitlock, the museum director at the
Illinois National Guard and Militia Historical Society in Springfield. 

Santa Anna is not particularly well liked on either side of the border.
Texans view him as the villain who attacked the Alamo, but Mexicans think of
him as the man who lost Texas. 

Hobbled with this historical legacy, one might think the captured leg would
have been relegated to being an historical footnote. 

One would be wrong. 

Periodically, over the past century there have been calls to return to
Mexico the chunk of cork with a boot attached. 

Back in 1942, Democrats in the legislature proposed returning the leg to
Mexico, but the measure got the boot after Republicans said, "Democrats
don't have a leg to stand on." 

Even a television cartoon has stepped up to the plate and expressed an
opinion. Last year on "King of the Hill" the leg was traveling through Texas
on its way to a new home in Mexico. 

But that's just television fantasy. The reality is that Illinois has dug in
its heel, and the leg isn't going anywhere. 

It's not clear whether most Mexicans want the fake leg coming back across
the border. They've had enough trouble with his real leg, after all. 

In 1838, when Mexico was at war with France, a French cannonball shot Santa
Anna's left leg and a horse out from under him. 

The war wound bolstered Santa Anna's image, giving him the political clout
necessary to take over Mexico. He even orchestrated an elaborate funeral
service for his lost leg, which was buried in a cathedral in Mexico City. 

"It was seen as a blood sacrifice," said Bruce Winders, historian and
curator at the Alamo Museum in San Antonio. 

Although, he gained the popularity of his home country through the loss of
his leg, in later years, he earned hatred from the same people for his
defeat in battle. 

Santa Anna is mostly remembered as opportunistic, shrewd leader who
consistently gained and lost control of the Mexican government. He also is
the fellow many Mexicans blame for the loss of Texas and other states that
now make up the American Southwest. 

Throughout his tenure in Mexican politics, Santa Anna managed to overthrow
the Mexican government, be exiled from his country and lead Mexico into a
fiscal crisis a total of 11 times. 

But despite of such a bad track record, Santa Anna was a good dealmaker,
said Dr. Henry Brands, professor of history at the University of Texas in
Austin. 

"He was exceedingly charismatic," Dr. Brands said. He commanded loyalty from
his men and they would follow him anywhere, he added. 

It has been reported that occasionally the Mexican government has requested
return of Santa Anna's artificial leg. 

"Santa Anna's leg is property of the State of Illinois," Mr. Whitlock said.
"It is highly unlikely that the leg will be returned." 

But some Texans, who covet the flag Santa Anna took from the Alamo, are
interested in acquiring the leg, Mr. Whitlock said. 

"Texas wants the leg to exchange it for the Alamo Flag," he added. 

But not all Mexicans think this would be a fair swap. 

"He was a theatrical, opportunist who only looked out for himself ...
returning the leg wouldn't mean much," said Amparo Gomez, a historian at the
National Museum of History in Chapultepec, Mexico. "Despite him being a
character in our history, we do not want the leg to be returned." 


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