Description Ignacio Zaragoza Segu.n grew up in a military family. His grandfather was a soldier in the Spanish army, as was his father, though he had to change his uniform and swear allegiance to a new flag when Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821. It wasn't a surprise that Ignacio would follow in their footsteps, but no one could have guessed he would go on to become the commander of the Mexican army and navy or that he would lead his troops to victory against the much stronger French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.