In 1838, the president of Mexico, General Antonio López de Santa Anna, had to have his leg amputated after being hit by cannon fire.



In 1838, the president of Mexico, General Antonio López de Santa Anna, had to have his leg amputated after being hit by cannon fire. 
He ordered a full military burial for the leg. 
He replaced the amputated leg with this prosthetic leg which remains on display at the Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield.


Santa Anna's leg was brought to America as a war trophy.
During the Battle of Cerro Gordo in 1847, General Santa Anna, taking a break during lunchtime, had taken off his artificial leg. Unexpectedly, an attack by the Illinois Infantry caught him by surprise. In his haste to flee, he inadvertently left behind his prosthetic leg.  
The Illinois soldiers seized the leg and brought it back to Illinois as a trophy.

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