Seguin's Mansion Now Only Rubble
by Fane Burt, Staff Writer.
© 1969, The San Antonio EXPRESS/NEWS, Sunday, March 16,1969.FLORESVILLE - Weary travelers were always welcome at the big white house on a hill overlooking the San Antonio River. Impatient teamsters slowly moving their heavily laden ox wagons from the coast toward San Antonio knew the worst part of their trip was over when the big house loomed in the distance. Hardy German immigrants, making their was to their new homes in Castroville, New Braunfels and Frederricksburg saw the stone house as a symbol of civilization in the wilderness and compared it favorably to a castle on the Rhine. For more than a century Casa Blanca, the ranch home of the Legendary Don Erasmo Seguin was a landmark on the coast. Over the years literally thousands, ranging from grimy teamsters to Stephen F. Austin, enjoyed the hospitality of Don Erasmo at the sturdy stone structure located about 33 miles south of San Antonio. Today all that is left of Casa Blanca is a pile of stones hidden in the brush atop a hill along the old ruts where the road once ran. Somewhere nearby in a long-lost grave are the bones of Don Erasmo, the first alcalde of Bexar and one of Texas' first patriots. Don Erasmo was born in San Ferdando - now San Antonio, on May 26, 1782, into one of the city's oldest and noblest families. His Grandfather had settled in San Antonio in 1722, only four years after the founding of the presidio of San Antonio de Valero. Christened Juan Jose Erasmo Maria de Jesus Seguin, young Erasmo grew to manhood in the fading days of Spanish America. Seguin first showed his friendship to the United States in 1813 when he intervened with the Spanish authories to save the lives of the fleeing Americans following the Battle of the Medina River. His efforts on behalf of the Americans led to his arrest and trial on a charge of treason, of which he was acquitted. Becoming one of the leading citizens of San Antonio and the first alcalde when the Department of Bejar was organized, Don Erasmo was instrumental in securing from the Spanish government the empresario grant for Moses F. Austin. Named as commissioner to the colonist in 1821, Seguin materially aided Stephen F. Austin and others in settling the American immigrants in East Texas. It was Seguin who saved many of the colonists from economic ruin by finding a loophole in the Mexican antislaverly laws that allowed the colonists to keep their slaves. The busy Don Erasmo also served as the Texas Deputy in the national Mexican Congress, dividing his time between the colonies in East Texas, his home and business interests in San Antonio, his ranch near present day Floresville and his trips to Mexico City for sessions of congress. A longtime political foe of Gen Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna........ Later Don Erasmo used his influence in Mexico to secure the release of Austin, who returned to Texas convinced that the conlonists must declare their independence from Mexico. When Santa Anna sent his brother-in-law- Gen. Martin P. de Cos, to take control of Texas, one of Cos' first acts after reaching San Antonio was to remove Don Erasmo as post-master. Cos also confiscated Seguin's property in San Antonio including his saddle horse. Knowing that war was near Don Erasmo walked the 33 miles to his ranch and quietly moved his family to East Texas. Returning to the ranch, Don Erasmo freely gave the cattle and crops from his ranch to supply the gathering Texas army, and encouraged the other ranchers along the river also to help the Texans. He was busily engaged in this task in February, 1836, when his grandson, Blas Herrera, rode all night to San Antonio to report that Santa Anna at the head of a huge army had crossed into Texas. As the Texans retreated eastward in front of Santa Anna's legions, Don Erasmo was along with a herd of sheep so that the Texas Army would not go hungry. But Don Erasmo's service in the war was overshadowed by that of his son, the famed Col. Juan Nepomuceno Seguin for whom the Guadalupe County seat was name. Juan Seguin was one of Texas greatest patriots and heroes. but later became known - perhaps - unjustly as its Benedict Arnold. It was Juan Seguin who gave a military funeral and Christian burial to the charred remains of the defenders of the Alamo. After the war Don Erasmo returned to Casa Blanca and spent the next few years trying to recoup the fortune. He happily lived the life of a country gentleman, running his ranch and being host to the traverls along the road........There at Casa Blanca he died on November 7,1857, and was buried in the family plot on the ranch. A Texas centennial marker that stands along the business route of U.S. Hwy. 181 about three miles north of Floresville briefly tells the story of Casa Blanca. A short distance away on a farm belongs to Robert A. Wiseman Jr., a Floresville banker, are the ruins of Casa blanca and the long lost graves of Don Erasmo Seguin and several members of his family. R. A. Wiseman Sr., also of Floresville, who owned the farm....years before selling ...his son, said that the grave's already were lost when he bought the land in 1913. He recalled that members of the Seguin family and others came looking for the graves many years ago, but were unable to find them. Some believe that the burial plot was obliterated when the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad tracks were laid across the property in 1885, the senior Wiseman said. Casa Blanca stood until 1942, when a windstorm finally toppeled the crumbling landmark. note: according to one of many verbal history lessons passed down the generations, Don Erasmo's wife Dona Josefa Augustina Bercerra was also buried there on Casa Blanca. Not only were there other family members buried in that family cemetery, there were also numerious servants and their families buried there as well.