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Battle of Gonzales

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Battle of Gonzales
Part of the Texas Revolution

Digital reproduction of the Come and Take It flag flown by Texians prior to the battle
DateOctober 2, 1835
Location
Gonzales, Texas
Result Mexican withdrawal; beginning of Texian rebellion against the Mexican government
Belligerents
 Mexico Texas
Commanders and leaders
Francisco de Castañeda John Henry Moore
Strength
100 men 140 men
Casualties and losses
one killed one wounded

The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near the Mexican Texas town of Gonzales on October 2, 1835 between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army troops. Four years previously, Mexican authorities had given the settlers of Gonzales a small cannon to help protect them from frequent Comanche raids. As Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna assumed more dictatorial powers, federalists throughout the country began to protest. As the unrest spread, the commander of all Mexican troops in Texas, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea felt it unwise to leave the residents of Gonzales a weapon and requested its return.

When the initial request was refused, Ugartechea sent 100 dragoons to retrieve the cannon; these men were ordered to use force only if necessary. They arrived near Gonzales on September 29. Colonists asked them to wait until the local alcalde returned, and then secretly sent messengers to request assistance from nearby communities. Up to 140 Texians gathered in Gonzales over the next two days, all determined not to give up the cannon. Although the Mexican soldiers had made no threatening moves except attempting to cross the Guadalupe River after they were told not to, on October 2 the Texians attacked. Mexican soldiers soon withdrew to Bexar.

Although it was minor as a military engagement, the skirmish marked a clear break between the American colonists and the Mexican government, and is considered to have been the start of the Texas Revolution.[1] News of the skirmish spread throughout the United States, where it was often referred to as the "Lexington of Texas". Many adventurers travelled to Texas to participate in the fighting.

Background

Further information: Mexican Texas

The Mexican Constitution of 1824 liberalized the country's immigration policies, allowing foreigners to settle in border regions such as Mexican Texas. In 1825, American Green DeWitt was granted an empresarial contract with the understanding that he would settle 400 families in Texas.[2] The DeWitt Colony was centered around its capitol, Gonzales, which DeWitt established at the confluence of the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers.[3]

From its inception, the colony was a favorite raiding target of local Karankawa, Tonkawa, and Comanche tribes. An Indian raid in July 1826 left the town in ruins, and residents sought temporary refuge in a neighboring colony. The following year, DeWitt negotiated peace treaties with the Karankawa and Tonkawa, and residents returned to rebuild their community. The empresario had been unable to reach terms with the Comanche, who staged periodic raids of the settlement over the next few years.[4] Although unable to spare military troops to protect the town, in 1831 the political chief at San Antonio de Bexar sent the settlers of Gonzales a six-pound cannon.[5] Historian Timothy Todish described the cannon as "a small bored gun, good for little more than starting horse races".[6]

Within Mexico, there was much tension between federalists and those who advocated a more centralized government. In 1835, several interior Mexican states, angry at the increasingly dictatorial policies of Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna, took up arms against the Mexican government.[7] In Texas, a small group took advantage of the unrest to revolt against customs duties in June, in an incident known as the Anahuac Disturbances.[8] Wary of the potential backlash, colonists began forming militias, ostensibly to protect themselves from the native tribes.[9]

The settlers of the DeWitt Colony remained loyal to the Mexican government throughout the summer of 1835. Sentiments changed on September 10 when a Mexican soldier bludgeoned a local man. Outraged residents were convinced the soldier had no justification for his actions.[10] Given the recent unrest, Mexican authorities felt it unwise to leave the settlers with a weapon.[11] Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, commander of the largest garrison in Texas, at the Alamo in San Antonio de Bexar, sent a corporal and five enlisted men to retrieve the cannon that had been previously given to the colonists.[10][11] According to historian Stephen Hardin, "the cannon became a point of honor and an unlikely rallying symbol. Gonzales citizens had no intention of handing over the weapon at a time of growing tension."[10] The few soldiers Ugartechea had sent were soon escorted from town, without the cannon.[10]

Prelude

Ugartechea responded by sending a force of 100 dragoons under Francisco de Castañeda to retrieve the cannon.[10] The detachment left San Antonio de Bexar on September 27, 1835, carrying a dispatch for Gonzales alcalde Andrew Ponton instructing him to surrender the cannon.[1] Castañeda was instructed to avoid using force if possible. The Mexican troops reached Gonzales on September 29. With advance knowledge of their approach, the citizens had removed the ferry and all other boats from the Guadalupe River, leaving the company with no way to easily cross the swiftly moving river. Eighteen Texians, under the command of Captain Albert Martin, waited on the east side of the river, and instructed Castañeda to send one soldier across to deliver his message to the alcalde. After reading the note, Martin informed the soldier that Ponton was out of town, and until his return the army must remain on the other side of the river.[10]

With no easy way to cross the river, Castañeda and his men made camp at the highest ground in the area, some 300 yards (270 m) from the river. Martin, meanwhile, sent three men to bury the cannon. Other Texians travelled to nearby communities to ask for assistance. Reinforcements soon arrived from Fayette and Columbus. Texian militias generally elected their own leaders, and the men now gathered in Gonzales invoked their right to choose their own captain rather than report to Martin. John Henry Moore of Fayette was elected as leader, with Joseph Washington Elliot Wallace and Edward Burleson, both of Columbus, were respectively elected second and third in command.[12]

A Gonzales resident, Dr. Launcelot Smither, had been in Bexar on personal business. After discovering that Ugartechea had sent men to retrieve the cannon, Smither hurried to request that Ugartechea take no hostile action. Ugartechea asked Smither to convince the colonists to comply with Castañeda's orders and sent several soldiers to escort Smither back to Gonzales.[12] When Smither arrived on October 1, Castañeda asked him to inform the Texians that the Mexican soldiers did not want conflict. Smither approached Captain Matthew Caldwell, known as "Old Paint", to explain that the soldiers meant no harm if the settlers would peacefully relinquish the cannon. Caldwell instructed Smither to return to the Mexican camp and the following morning bring Castañeda to the town to discuss the matter.[13]

At roughly the same time, Moore called a war council. Despite the fact that the Mexican soldiers had made no move to take the cannon by force, the men voted to initiate a fight. They had ridden all the way to Gonzales and did not want to simply return home. Historians do not know whether the war council was aware that Caldwell had promised Castañeda safe passage to Gonzales the next morning. The men soon dug up the cannon and mounted it on cart wheels. They had no cannon balls, so gathered metal scraps to fill the cannon. A local Methodist minister gave a sermon blessing their activities; the sermon made frequent reference to the American Revolution.[13]

As the Texians made plans for an attack, a Coushatta Indian approached the Mexican soldiers to reveal that about 140 men were gathered in Gonzales, with more expected. Castañeda and his men broke camp and began searching for a safe place to cross the river. At nightfall on October 1 they stopped to make camp, 7 miles (11 km) upriver from their previous spot.[14]

Battle

The Texians put the ferry back in service and began crossing the river at about 7 pm. Less than half of the men were mounted, slowing their progress as they tracked the Mexican soldiers. A thick fog that rolled in around midnight further slowed them down. They finally reached the new Mexican camp at around 3 am. A dog barked at their approach, alerting the Mexican soldiers, who began to fire. The noise caused one of the Texian horses to panic and throw his rider; the man suffered a bloody nose.[14] Moore and his men hid in the thick trees until dawn. As they waited for dawn, some of the Texians raided a nearby field and snacked on watermelon.[15]

The darkness and fog kept the Mexicans from being sure how many men had surrounded them. They withdrew 300 yards (270 m) to a nearby bluff. Angry that the Texians had broken their word, Castañeda ordered Smither held under guard. At about 6 am, Texians emerged from the trees and began firing at the Mexican soldiers. Castañeda sent Lieutenant Gregorio Pérez with 40 mounted men to attack. The Texians fell back to the trees and fired a volley, injuring a Mexican private. Unable to safely maneuver among the trees, the Mexican horsemen returned to the bluff.[15]

As the fog lifted, Castañeda sent Smither to request a meeting between the two commanders. Smither was promptly arrested by the Texians, who were suspicious of his presence with the Mexican soldiers.[15] Moore agreed to a meeting and explained to Castañeda that his group of Texians no longer recognized the centralist government of Santa Anna, and that they remained faithful to the now-repudiated Constitution of 1824. Castañeda revealed that he shared their federalist leanings, but that his job required him to follow orders. The men then returned to their respective camps.[16]

As Moore returned, the Texians raised a homemade white banner, with an image of the cannon painted in black in the center and the words "Come & Take It". They then fired their cannon at the Mexican camp. Realizing that he was outnumbered and outgunned, Castañeda led his troops back to Bexar. The troops were gone before the Texians could reload and fire the cannon a second time. In his report to Ugartechea, Castañeda wrote "since the orders from your Lordship were for me to withdraw without compromising the honor of Mexican arms, I did so".[16]

Aftermath

The battle had minimal military impact, but Hardin asserts that its "political significance was immeasurable".[17] A large number of Texians had taken an armed stand against the Mexican army, and they had no intention of returning to their neutral stance towards Santa Anna's government.[17] Two days after the battle, respected Texian leader Stephen F. Austin wrote to the San Felipe Committee of Public Safety, "War is declare – public opinion has proclaimed it against a Military despotism—The campaign has commenced".[18] News of the skirmish, originally called "the fight at Williams' place",[16] spread throughout the United States, encouraging many adventurers to come to Texas and assist in the fight against Mexico.[17] Newspapers referred to the conflict as the "Lexington of Texas"; as the Battles of Lexington and Concord began the American Revolution, the Gonzales skirmish launched the Texas Revolution.[16]

Before fighting had officially erupted, Santa Anna had realized that stronger measures were needed to ensure that Texas remain calm. He ordered his brother-in-law, General Martín Perfecto de Cos to "repress with strong arm all those who, forgetting their duties to the nation which has adopted them as her children, are pushing forward with a desire to live at their own option without subjection to the laws".[8][19] Cos landed at Copano Bay on September 20 with approximately 500 soldiers.[20] Cos and his men arrived in Goliad on October 2. After learning of the Texian victory at Gonzales, Cos made haste for Béxar. He left with the bulk of his soldiers on October 5.[19]

Gonzales became a rallying point for Texians who were opposed to Santa Anna's policies.[6] On October 11, they unanimously elected Austin, the first empresario in Texas, as their commander, despite his lack of military training. The following day, Austin led the men on a march towards Bexar, intending to lay siege to Cos's troops.[21][22] In Austin's words, "One spirit and one purpose animates the people of this party of the country, and that is to take Bexar, and drive the military out of Texas. ... A combined effort of all Texas would soon free our soil of Military despots—we should then have peace, for the present Government of Mexico have too much to do at home ... to send another army to Texas."[23] By the end of the year, the Texians had defeated all Mexican troops in Texas.

This cannon, displayed at the Gonzales Memorial Museum, may have precipitated the battle.

The fate of the cannon after the battle is in dispute. Many believe that the cannon was remounted and transported to Bexar to assist in Austin's siege. When the wooden axles began to smoke, the men reportedly abandoned the cannon, burying it near a creek not far from Gonzales. In June 1936, a flood exposed a small iron cannon near Gonzales. No one knew where this cannon had come from, and it resided at the Gonzales Post office for the next thirty-two years. It changed hands several times after that, and in 1979 Dr. Patrick Wagner purchased it. He believed the cannon was similar to the one used in the 1836 skirmish, as described in contemporary accounts by Gonzales blacksmith Noah Smithwick. Wagner did extensive research. The Curator of Military History at the Smithsonian Institution verified that Wagner's cannon was the same type of small swivel gun used in America through 1836 and the Conservation Laboratory at the University of Texas confirmed that Wagner's cannon had been buried in moist ground for an extended time period.[24] However, historians such as Thomas Ricks Lindley believe that the Wagner cannon does not match the Smithwick account. The Wagner gun is made of iron and is smaller than six-pound caliber. Historians think it more likely that the Gonzales cannon was taken to the Alamo, where it was used during the Battle of the Alamo and captured by Mexican troops in March 1836. It was likely melted down with many of the other cannon when the Mexican army retreated.[25]

The battle is reenacted during Come and Take It Days in Gonzales every October.[26] In and around Gonzales are nine Texas historical markers which commemorate various locations used in the prelude to the battle.[27]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Stephen L. Hardin: Battle of Gonzales from the Handbook of Texas Online
  2. ^ Roell (1994), p. 27.
  3. ^ Roell (1994), p. 28.
  4. ^ Roell (1994), pp. 29–31.
  5. ^ Hardin (1994), p. 6.
  6. ^ a b Todish et al (1998), p. 8.
  7. ^ Todish et al (1998), p. 6.
  8. ^ a b Roell (1994), p. 36.
  9. ^ Huson (1974), p. 4.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Hardin (1994), p. 7.
  11. ^ a b Groneman (1998), p. 28.
  12. ^ a b Hardin (1994), p. 8.
  13. ^ a b Hardin (1994), p. 9.
  14. ^ a b Hardin (1994), p. 10.
  15. ^ a b c Hardin (1994), p. 11.
  16. ^ a b c d Hardin (1994), p. 12.
  17. ^ a b c Hardin (1994), p. 13.
  18. ^ Winders (2004), p. 54.
  19. ^ a b Roell, Craig H., Goliad Campaign of 1835, Handbook of Texas, retrieved 2008-07-14
  20. ^ Huson (1974), p. 5.
  21. ^ Hardin (1994), p. 26.
  22. ^ Winders (2004), p. 55.
  23. ^ Barr (1990), pp. 6–7.
  24. ^ "Southwestern Collection", Southwestern Historical Quarterly, 84 (4): 450–1, April 1981, retrieved 2008-12-02
  25. ^ Thomas Ricks Lindley: Gonzales "Come and Take It" Cannon from the Handbook of Texas Online
  26. ^ Groneman (1998), p. 30.
  27. ^ Groneman (1998), p. 31.

References

  • Barr, Alwyn (1990), Texans in Revolt: the Battle for San Antonio, 1835, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, ISBN 0292770421, OCLC 20354408
  • Groneman, Bill (1998), Battlefields of Texas, Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press, ISBN 9781556225710
  • Hardin, Stephen L. (1994), Texian Iliad, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-73086-1
  • Huson, Hobart (1974), Captain Phillip Dimmitt's Commandancy of Goliad, 1835–1836: An Episode of the Mexican Federalist War in Texas, Usually Referred to as the Texian Revolution, Austin, TX: Von Boeckmann-Jones Co.
  • Roell, Craig H. (1994), Remember Goliad! A History of La Bahia, Fred Rider Cotten Popular History Series, Austin, TX: Texas State Historical Association, ISBN 087611141X
  • Todish, Timothy J.; Todish, Terry; Spring, Ted (1998), Alamo Sourcebook, 1836: A Comprehensive Guide to the Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution, Austin, TX: Eakin Press, ISBN 9781571681522
  • Winders, Richard Bruce (2004), Sacrificed at the Alamo: Tragedy and Triumph in the Texas Revolution, Military History of Texas Series: Number Three, Abilene, TX: State House Press, ISBN 1880510804

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