Every war has it's first shot. For the American revolution, it was at Lexington, where British forces were ordered to capture supplies at Concord and were met with resistance. For Texas, it was Gonzales, where the Mexican's tried to retrieve a cannon in order to keep it out of Texian hands.
The difference here was that the Brits were successful and the Mexicans were not.
Without going to far in to the history or Texas (that's a whole 'nother story), in 1831, Texas was a Mexican state and the area around Gonzales was under constant Indian attack. To help the townsfolk protect themselves, the Mexican government gave them a cannon.
A few years later, tensions were high in Texas and revolt was on the horizon. In 1835 100 Mexican dragoons under the command of Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea arrived across the Guadalupe river from Gonzales with the intent of retrieving the cannon so as not to have it used against them.
What they found when they got there is so Texas it's almost funny. Not only had the Texians removed the ferry (the only way across the river,) 18 boisterous citizens stood on the Gonzales side waving at the soldiers.
The good folks on the Texian side told the leader of the Mexican troops that their Alcade, or mayor was out of town and they'd just have to wait for him to get back. This, of course, was a ruse. What was really happening was a call had gone out to nearby towns for reinforcements and they were stalling until help could get there. Meanwhile, the town had voted to start a fight. They weren't giving up that cannon.
A couple of days later, the Mexicans were clued in on what was happening, but by then it was too late. The Texians had crossed the river and had also mounted the cannon and loaded it. They fired it at the Mexicans, who decided it wasn't worth the fight and headed back to San Antonio de Bexar.
Now, the battle of Gonzales held little in terms of military significance. After all, the town wasn't important strategically. And there were only three casualties. Two Mexican soldiers were killed and one Texian was bucked off his horse, which was frightened by the cannon shot, and suffered a bloody nose.
But the fact the a large number of Texians were willing to stand together against the Mexican army lit the fuse the led to battle and Texas Independence.
Here's the side note: The Mexicans weren't cowards. Hardly. They were seasoned fighters. They were under orders not to "compromise the honor of Mexican arms." In other words, they were told not to fight. To be fair, the Texians were also told not to fire first by Stephen F. Austin. They just ignored that order.
And what is with the picture up top? When the Texians got the cannon ready to fire, they painted a crude flag with a picture of a cannon and the words "COME AND TAKE IT" daring the Mexicans to do their worst. That flag became representative of Texian grit and still flies today over many homes in the Hill Country and South Texas.
The town of Gonzales is still an active community, and there's lots to see and do, including the Gonzales Memorial Museum, a beautiful Art-deco structure built as part of the Texas Centennial in 1936 and contains the cannon among many other period artifacts. Also in town is the old Gonzales County Jail, which is open for tours, but its kinda creepy. And be sure to check out the courthouse. It's gorgeous.
That's it for this week. I'm hanging around in Huntsville, chillin' at the State Park while also exploring more of Texas history. Next week I'm headed to the home base in Livingston to rest up for a bit before the dash to Florida and the beginning of the 2020 adventure. There's a lot more to come. Until then:
Later, folks.
Comments