José Cevallos Cepeda
José Cevallos Cepeda (1831 in Victoria de Durango, Durango – April 19, 1893 in Mexico City) was a Mexican politician and military leader.
Early Life
He enrolled in Heroico Military Collegein Mexico City, reaching the rank of captain in May 1855. After the Revolution of Ayutla, he joined the liberal ranks, and when the War of Reform broke out in 1857, he participated in fighting near Mexico City between March and April of 1859, taking part in the Battle of Silao and in the Battle of Calpulalpan.
Second French Intervention
During the Second French Intervention in Mexico he participated in the Battle of Puebla, however, he was taken prisoner months later when the French siege eventually suceeded. While being transported to Veracruz, he managed to escape and rejoin the ranks of the liberals. After campaigning in Mazatlán, he was again captured and this time sent to Baja California. However, he escaped and participated in the taking of Mexico City in 1867.
Restored Republic
After the war, he was appointed governor and military commander of Yucatán from February 1 to April 2, 1869. The capital Mérida was under a state of siege due to insurgencies. In 1870 he was military commander of Veracruz. He fought in Oaxaca against the insurgents during the Plan de la Noria aimed at overthrowing President Benito Juarez. In October of that year he was appointed governor and military commander of Sinaloa and, together with Ramón Corona, participated in hunting down Manuel Lozada, which earned him the rank of division general in September 1873.
In 1876 he participated in the Plan of Tuxtepec to overthrow President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada. It was during that time that he was military commander and governor of Jalisco. Lerdo was overthrown, but in the subsequent power struggle Porfirio Diaz triumphed over José María Iglesias and as a supporter of Iglesias, Cevallos was exiled to San Francisco, California and later to Guatemala.
Later Life
He returned to the country at the end of the first presidential period of Porfirio Díaz, being elected federal deputy in 1880. He was seriously wounded in the throat in a sword duel in Mexico City, on May 18, 1880, by the distinguished Yucatecan gentleman Don Eduardo González Gutiérrez. He was appointed governor of the Federal District on December 3 of 1884, a position he held until his death on April 19 of 1893.
By order of President Porfirio Díaz, his remains were buried in the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons on April 22 of 1893.