The most important insurgent rebellion of Jalisco occurred in the area of the Laguna de Chapala on Mezcala Island, an island that is uninhabited today except for a caretaker, but readily seen by everyone who visits or lives around Lake Chapala. The rebellion began in mid-October of 1812 and did not end until November 25, 1816. Untold numbers of men on both sides died during this rebellion.
Hostilities began when a Spanish Royalist official tried to apprehend Sr. Encarnacion Rosas, a rebel chief. Rosas became a hero when he took part in the battles of Zacualco and the Calderon Bridge only a few miles from Lake Chapala. Without weapons of any sort, the towns-people fought back with a hail of stones. Even knowing that there would be reprisals, the villagers entered the fight and went into battle. The rebellion started to spread. A small and improvised army took possession of Tizapan, Tlachichilco, and San Pedro de Ixican, which are all villages around the lake, and still exist today.
On the 1st of November, 1812, this small group of insurgents was attacked by Jose Antonio Serrato, a Spanish Royalist. He burned all the houses and this, of course, certainly increased the fighting. The revolution spread further into all the indigenous communities on the shores of Lake Chapala.
By November 4, there were already three thousand insurgents, stirred up by the orders of Encarnacion Rosas and Jose Santa Ana his right-hand man. They assaulted Poncitlan and acquired arms and ammunition, but were forced to retreat when the forces of military Commander Manuel Alvarez arrived.
By November 25th, and with a great deal of shrewd tactics Rosas, Santa Ana and the villagers had defeated Serrato and Alvarez. The Royalists basically started seeing the writing on the wall when on the following day Lieutenant Colonel Angel de Linares was defeated during the fighting in the hill town of Cerro de San Miguel.
By this time the insurgents were aware that there would be more and more persecution against them, each time by larger numbers of those Royalist troups constantly bringing in reinforcements. On the advice of Marcos Castellanos, a priest of Ocotlan, it was decided to concentrate their strength on the Island of Mezcala which was only 8 kilometers from the shore. Thus by the end of December, 600 men arrived in 20 big canoes.
From this time on and during four more years, there were constant naval encounters between the island insurgents and the land-bound Royalists. Feisty Linares escaped, and on February 26, 1813, he attacked the stronghold of insurgents in the Lake with 7 canoes: 2 were sunk, 1 escaped, and 4 were taken prisoners to be shot later. The casualties in this battle alone were 60 Royalist dead. Linares was captured and executed. So ended a remarkable career even if it was on the wrong side of justice.
