As Americans we often wonder what was it that caused our ancestors to make the long and dangerous voyage to this continent. We know from our seventh-grade history that many were escaping religious persecution, famine, debt, slavery or to be enslaved or were sent by a government as punishment. Still, many arrived here seeking adventure and wealth. There is no doubt however why Hugh O’Conor arrived on these shores in 1763. King Charles III of Spain sent Hugh O’Conor and hundreds of others to the New World to fight, protect and administer his Spanish colonies.

Born in Dublin in 1732, Hugh O’Conor might have found himself growing into a life of privilege had it not been for anti-Catholic laws imposed by England. He was, after all, a decedent of Turlough Mor O’Conor, High King of Ireland in the 12^th century. Hugh’s father took his family from Roscommon and moved them to Dublin after his support for anti-British political activities. The Penal Laws in Ireland severely restricted education of Catholic children and so, at age 16, Hugh was sent to Spain to join cousins Alexander and Dominic O’Reilly. Alexander was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Spanish army and he was able to obtain a cadet commission for Hugh.

In 1765, Hugh O’Conor was appointed to the rank of Major and assigned to New Spain (Mexico) as an administrator of Spain’s North American colonies. Two years later he was sent to what is now Texas to root out corruption and became its acting Governor. He was next tasked with building a line of defenses along the Northern part of Spain’s colonies through a series of outposts called presidios. These were initially designed to protect the population from raids by Comanches and Apaches, and later for a perceived attack by Russia. One of these presidios was named San Agustin de Taixon, later Tucson. Historians tend to give Hugh O’Conor credit for founding the city of Tucson as the community grew in and around the presidio he had built.

It has been suggested that Hugh spent over 10,000 miles on horseback in performing his duties on behalf of the Spanish government. This certainly took its toll on Hugh’s body and in 1777 he asked to be relieved of command. It is easy to understand how he could expect retirement at this point in his career, but the King took a different view, promoting him to Brigadier General and assigning him to Yucatan Provence as Governor. His health continued to fail until his death at age 45, on March 9, 1779. Remembered as El Capitan Colorado for his red hair and ruddy complexion, Don Hugo O’Conor was buried in Yucatan Provence.