The Pastry War 1838

During the early years of the Mexican republic, foreigners often found their property destroyed during civil strife. Unable to secure compensation from Mexico, they looked to their own goverments for help. A French pastry cook, claiming his shop had been ruined by looting Mexican soldiers, appealed to France's King Louis-Philippe (1773-1850); France demanded 600,000 pesos for damages to its natinals and sent a fleet, which bombarded and sized the Mexican fortress of San Juan de Ulua, near the port of Veracruz. Lopez de Santa Anna (1795?-1876) came out of retirement and, without authority, led the Mecican forces against the French at Veracruz, which the French occupied briefly. Soon the Mexican government of President Anastasio Bustamante (1780-1853) promised to pay the 600,000 pesos, and the French forces withdrew. In a skirmish at Veracruz, Santa Anna was wounded in a leg, which had to be amputated.

References

Dictionary of Wars, 355.

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