SALAS, Mariano (sah'-las), Mexican soldier, born in the city of Mexico in 1797; died in Guadalupe, 24 December, 1867. He entered the army in 1813 as cadet of the Puebla regiment, serving under the Spaniards till 14 May, 1821, when he pronounced for the plan de Iguala, and was promoted captain byMi-ramon. Afterward he fought under Santa-Anna against the Spanish invasion of Barradas in 1829, inthe campaign of Texas in 1836, being promotedcolonel, and infor his services against the Federal chief, Mejia In 1844 he was appointed commander of the district of Mexico, and remained faithful to Santa-Anna in the revolution of 6 December, 1811, losing his place in consequence. After the fall of Herrera in January, 1846, Salas was reappointed commander and deputy to the congress, but on 4 August he headed a revolt in favor of Santa-Anna, and took charge of the executive as provisional president. When Monterey capitulated to General Zachary Taylor, 24 September, lg46, Salas was active in preparing troops and supplies for the army that was to march to the north under Santa-Anna, and, when the latter was elected president, Salas delivered the executive on 24 December to the vice-president, Gomez Parias. In May, 1847, he was appointed second in command of the Army of the North in San Luis. With it he participated under Valencia in the actions of Contreras and Churubusco, where he was taken prisoner, and, refusing to be paroled, he was released only after the peace of Guadalupe Hidalgo. He was appointed commander of Queretaro and president of the supreme military court, and in 1853 was one of the principal supporters of the dictatorship of Santa-Anna, who made him commander-in-chief of the Department of Mexico. After the fall of the dictator, Salas lived in retirement, till he took part in the deposition of Zuloaga in December, 1858, and for a few hours was in charge of the executive before the arrival of Miramon, 21 January, 1859. He served under the latter till his fall in December, 1860, when he was banished; but he returned in March, 1862, during the French intervention, and, when the capital was abandoned by the republican government in 1863, was invested by the populace with the provisional command. The junta de notables appointed Salas, on 25 June, 1863, a member of the regency, in which capacity he acted till the arrival of Maximilian. But he received little acknowledgment by the imperial government, and retired from public life.