He was the second son of Maguel Zaragoza and Maria de Jesus Seguin y Zaragoza. He was named after his maternal grandfather, Ignacio Seguin. His paternal grandparents were Jose Maria de Zaragoza and Maria de los Santos G. Valdez.
His father was 19 years old and his Mother 17 years old when they were married in the Old San Antonio Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas on July 5, 1826.
A native of Vera Cruz, Ignacio's father was an officer at the Presidio La Bahia when Ignacio was born. The Family lived in a dwelling that was provided for the officers. This site has been reconstructed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is now a State Historical site.
Ignacio studied for the priesthood in Monterrey, Mexico but left his studies to become involved in the Civil War that ravaged Mexico. He was responsible for the Victory over General Adrian Woll, one of Santa Anna's Generals in 1855.
On May 5, 1862, General Zaragoza and his command of 4,000 men defeated 8,000 men of Napolean's III's army at Puebla Mexico. This defeat was a great morale booster for the liberal Mexican army in the civil war that engulfed Mexico.
Zaragoza died from typhus contracted from visiting his ill soldiers September 8, 1862. He was 33 years old at the time of his death. He was buried in the Liberal Mexican Army Cemetary in Mexico City. His body was transferred from Mexico City to the City of Puebla on May 5, 1962.
Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of May) is celebrated in honor of the victory at Puebla May 5, 1862. It is a national holiday in Mexico, and
is celebrated in many south Texas towns and cities, including Goliad, his birthplace.
(The picture above is a photograph of the Zaragoza statue located in Laredo, Texas)
A bronze bust of the famous Mexican General was presented to the city of Goliad in 1962 by the City of Puebla, Mexico in commemoration of the 100 years after the victory at Puebla.
A Statue of General Zaragoza was commissioned by the Mexican Government and placed on a Plazz built by The State of Texas located on the hill just beyond the birthplace. An amphitheather was also erected at that time where memorial masses are held on Cinco de Mayo in honor of General Ignacio Seguin Zaragoza. Ignacio's Father was a soldier and shortly after the Texas Revolution he moved his family to Mexico. Ignacio was around 10 years of age and his parents felt he was ready for more of a formal military education.