Slave, martyr, bushwhacker, husband, and father are all words that were used and still are used to describe the man who was known as Pascual Silvestre. A folk hero across Tamaulipas, especially in the Border Country, Silvestre is a legend for his one-man resistance to the slavers of Rio Roco and slavery in general. Revered by the poor, the downtrodden, and the enslaved to this day, Silvestre earned eternal fame for the defiance he showed when brought back to captivity and the fearlessness with which he faced the firing squad of his former masters.