In this forgotten Spanish captain presumably born in Barcelona is unknown until their date of birth. Hardly not know details of his life except that he was married and had two sisters in their hometown, one of which accompanied him in his future mission. Not much more is known of his life until July 14, 1778, when he was named third deputy governor of Louisiana, then Spanish, to help Governor Don Bernardo de Galvez. This one went to St. Louis (Missouri), a village founded by the French in 1764 that controlled the Mississippi River from its western side before the junction with the Ohio River and after the Missouri. It was a town that did not reach the thousand people who had no defense course. It also was also responsible for a small town 30 miles south called St. Genevieve. Rise of the English colonies in North America will make San Luis copper geostrategic importance. Although Spain was not officially at war with England, from New Orleans had long Bernardo de Galvez sent aid to the rebels up the Mississippi River, so Leyba is intended to protect San Luis and thus free access to the rebellious colonies.

Figure 1 - Location of St. Louis on the Continent

With a population own border was mostly Spanish but not French, and that was just farming practices, Leyba was to create and train a militia for armed conflict was to come. Although no such actual authority in a place so remote from the centers of government and although Galvez could not satisfy his request for 200 soldiers, the people of San Luis reacted favorably to the dangerous pre-war situation. So maintaining a semblance of neutrality began building a strong and late July 1778 he met George Rogers Clark American officer who harassed the British in the western border. Exchanged information and was provided with supplies arrived in New Orleans, but also after rebel attacks on the Mississippi, Don Fernando de Leyba provided out of pocket for Clark new supplies. The Spanish officer had pledged his fortune to the inhabitants of San Luis, "the arrival of Americans in this district has completely ruined me." As misfortunes never come singly his wife "was frustrated all their hopes in the maze of debt in which I was depressed and felt a melancholy such that, after only two days of being sick in bed died."

Figure 2 - Map of San Luis and fortification plans

All this is to confront the forces of British Colonel Henry Hamilton, a rival who took no care to say that "the Spanish are weak and they hate the French, the French are fickle and do not have a man with ability to advise them or lead them." Fortunately, the weather puts everyone in place and the February 24, 1779 the French-Canadian militia Hamilton, left him surrendered without firing a single shot to Clark's forces were half, leaving the British officer prisoner. The sacrifice bore fruit, the area was secured at the moment.
But little by little American attention was shifting to other fronts, leaving the area unprotected when the June 21, 1779 Spain formally declared war on Great Britain. By early 1780 he began to receive reports of plans British attack on St. Louis, thereby disrupting the transport of aid and leaving the western flank of the rebels and the northern Spanish vulnerable. The British once your goal consiguieran continue south to recover the lost positions before the military genius of Galvez. To do this since February of that year had been recruiting in Canada a force composed mostly of "Menominee Indians, Sioux, sacs and that Fox would join the British regiment at the mouth of the Wisconsin River" in addition to a small militia of merchants and servants. In total numbered about 750 men under the command of Emanuel Hesse, advancing southward adding more and more fighters but losing the element of surprise, something that looks like it never existed even before the outbreak of hostilities Leyba know that more than soldiers English is going to face their Indian allies. And is that Spanish explorers and spies were essential to Galvez and Leyba.

Figure 3 - San Luis and its defenses

Although the Spanish military had prevented up with their own money and that of a collection, a small fort named Fort of San Carlos, this was far from finished counting not completely finished its four towers, much less the wall. To make matters worse the health of Ferdinand began to deteriorate alarmingly but given the urgency of the situation did bite the bullet and ordered to dig two trenches that join the four towers. Without help from New Orleans the Americans offered him a counterattack to help, but it was too late, the enemy was coming with 1200 men

• 300 British soldiers
• 200 Sioux
• 250 sacs
• 450 Indians of other tribes

Leyba had to face a total of 210 people:

• 2 boats
• 5 guns (3 of 4 pounds and 2 of 6 pounds)
• 21 regular soldiers
• 39 militants
• 150 militants of St. Genevieve

These calls last troops from neighboring St. Genevieve with "about 150 men, all good shooters" would be very important for subsequent events. With the next enemy and Ferdinand ordered 20 fighters led by Silvio Francisco Cartabona to protect women and children, he distributed his men for the trenches, ordered to put a gun in one tower and another one very ill prepared to address the defense of the people. So dire was his state of health "could not write a letter" but found the strength to defend the people taking command of his troops.

Figure 4 - First surprise attack on San Luis

Finally the attack took place on May 26, 1780 in which initially took the enemy by surprise settlers and slaves in the fields adjacent, who tried to get to safety, while the school teacher Maria Josefa Rigauche armed with a gun and outputs a knife to rescue them. Very confident by the initial success, the Indians and English were thrown into the town but there they found 210 men in two trenches by high heat along with the guns. With that unpleasant surprise the Indians, and very frightened by the artillery, and militia English not being accustomed to the assault of fortifications and ended up giving in a few hours before the decision and firmness of the defenders thanks to good command of Don Fernando de Leyba leaving before all his last strength leading his men.

Figure 5 - One of the towers and trenches

The defeat so frustrated the British Indian allies began to realize that murderous surprise attacks isolated without any military advantage, just pure revenge disemboweling and dismembering the unfortunates who were within reach. Such barbarism carried Leyba to "arm the whole population, including women." Although it was feared a second attack the British decided to leave because they could not have allies who were out of control. The bottom line for the attackers is unknown but not for the defenders whose casualties were almost all civilians:

• 22 dead (7 slaves)
• 7 injured (1 slave)
• 70 prisoners (13 slaves)

Two weeks later Leyba organized an expedition of 100 men with 200 Americans to pursue the attackers, but found no trace of an enemy who had taken to his heels. Dying and Ferdinand could send the June 20, 1780 his last letter to Galvez in which he reported joint pursuit of the illness that ended with him, "maladie". He left Cartabona by St. Louis as his life was extinguished without remedy. A few days later, on June 28, 1780, Don Fernando de Leyba died and was buried "on the same day, before the altar of the parish church of the city he had defended so brilliantly." And as a result the Mississippi River via supply of the colonies would remain safe, as well as Spanish and American sides, which would be fundamental set for the future of the independence of the United States of America. On hearing the news of his death Galvez posthumously awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel, as he was deeply impressed by the strength shown by Leyba until his last moments, in which he served beyond what is required as mandated by it. He lost everything he had lost his wife and finally his own life. Did his duty until death.

Figures:

- Figure 1 - Location map of San Luis on the continent. Google Earth.

- Figure 2 - Plan of San Luis de Auguste Chouteau. < http://riverweb.cet.uiuc.edu/SOCIETY/SOC5.htm >

- Figure 3 - Representation of San Luis and its defenses. < http://www.mssdar.org/fortsancarlos >

- Figure 4 - Battle of San Luis, mural Missouri State Legislature.

- Figure 5 - Diorama of the Battle of St. Louis in Missouri State Legislature.

B ibliografía:

• Chavez, TE (2006). Spain and the independence of the United States. Taurus.

• History's Time Portal to Old St. Louis (1999). Attack on St. Louis. May 26, 1780. < http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/attack.htm >

• Lewis and Clark Journey of Discovery (2007). Fort San Carlos and the Battle of

• Miguélez Martinez, A. (2005). Spanish in combat. Of Iberian mercenaries to the Iraq War.

• Petinal, M. (2002) The campaign of Pensacola, 1781. Almena.

• Victoria, P. (2007). Spain Strikes Back. Altered.

• Wikipedia. (2006). < http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_de_Leyba >