Battle of Gonzales
Part of the Texas Revolution
Date October 2, 1835 Location Gonzales, Texas Result Mexican withdrawal
Combatants
Mexico	Texas
Commanders
Francisco de Castañeda	John Henry Moore
Strength
100 dragoons	140 – 150 men
Casualties
one killed	one wounded

The Battles of Gonzales was a skirmish that took place on October 2, 1835, in the Mexican Texas town of Gonzales between the Texan settlers and a detachment of the Mexican army. Although it was minor as a military engagement, it marked a clear break between the American colonists and the Mexican government, and is considered to have been the start of the Texas Revolution. Combatants Texas Mexico Commanders Stephen F. Austin Sam Houston Antonio López de Santa Anna Martin Perfecto de Cos Strength c. ... Image File history File links Come_And_Take_It_Mural. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Gonzales is a city located in Gonzales County, Texas. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Combatants Texas Mexico Commanders Stephen F. Austin Sam Houston Antonio López de Santa Anna Martin Perfecto de Cos Strength c. ... The Battle of Concepción A 19th century skirmish between the Republic of Mexico and the rebellious Mexican state of Texas on 28 October 1835, during the Texas Revolution, Republic of Texass independence from Mexico. ... The Grass Fight was a battle // between the Republic of Mexico and the rebelling Texas colonists in the Mexican GO TEXAS Dudes state of Coahuila y Texas. ... Combatants Mexico Texas Commanders Martín Perfecto de Cos Stephen F. Austin Edward Burleson Strength 1,200 600 Casualties 150 killed, wounded & captured 35 killed, wounded & captured {{{notes}}} The Siege of Bexar (or Bejar) was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texan army successfully besieged... The Battle of San Patricio was a 19th century battle fought on 27 February 1836 between the Republic of Mexico and the rebelling Mexican state of Texas. ... The Battle of Los Cuates de Agua Dulce was a 19th century battle between the Republic of Mexico and the rebelling Mexican state of Texas. ... Combatants Republic of Mexico Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas Commanders Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón William Travis† Jim Bowie† Davy Crockett† Strength 6,000 in attack (1,800 in assault-see below) 183 to 250 Casualties 650 killed 974 injured 180 killed The... Battle of Refugio 12-15 March 1836, Refugio, Texas- Mexican Gen. ... The Battle of Coleto (also known as The Battle of Coleto Creek) was a 19th century battle of the Texas Revolution fought between rebelling Texan colonists and the Republic of Mexico on March 19 and March 20, 1836. ... Combatants Mexico Republic of Texas Commanders Antonio López de Santa Anna{POW} Manuel Fernandez Castrillon† Juan Almonte{POW} Sam Houston{wounded} Strength about 1,400 800 Casualties 630 killed, 208 wounded, 730 captured 9 killed, 26 wounded For other battles of the same name, see San Jacinto. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Next article: Republic of Texas Mexican Texas is the given name by Texas history scholars to the period between 1821 and 1836, when Texas was part of Mexico, as a part of the state of Coahuila y Tejas. ... Gonzales is a city located in Gonzales County, Texas. ... Combatants Texas Mexico Commanders Stephen F. Austin Sam Houston Antonio López de Santa Anna Martin Perfecto de Cos Strength c. ...

Background

The battle was the result of the attempts of the Mexican government to retrieve a small smoothbore cannon that had been given in 1831 to the settlers at Gonzales as a defense against attacks by Tonkawa Indians. After the initial refusal by the Texans to surrender the cannon, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, military commander in Texas, sent a force of 100 dragoons under Francisco de Castañeda to Gonzales to retrieve it. 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. Ugartechea, realizing the growing tension between the Centralista government of Antonio López de Santa Anna and the Texan settlers, instructed Castañeda to avoid using force if at all possible. For other uses, see Cannon (disambiguation). ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Seal of the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma Tonkawa The Tonkawa are a people native to central Texas, speaking the Tonkawa language. ... Domingo Ugartechea was a Spanish military commander who fought at the Battle of Velasco just prior to the Texas Revolution. ... For other uses, see Dragoon (disambiguation). ... The Alamo in San Antonio San Antonio is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Alcalde is the Spanish title of the chief administrator of a town. ... Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (February 21, 1794 – June 21, 1876), also known simply as Santa Anna, was a Mexican political leader who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government, first fighting against independence from Spain...

Battle

Two days later, on September 29, Castañeda and his company reached the west bank of the Guadalupe River across from Gonzales but were unable to cross the ford because of high water and a force of 18 Texan militia, known later as the "Old Eighteen." The cannon in contention was probably a Spanish-made, bronze artillery piece of six-pound caliber, although a history written in 1900 identifies it as made of iron. It was mounted on the axle of a cotton wagon and taken with the militia. A wedding dress was stitched into a flag bearing a black star, a cannon, and the words "Come and take it." is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guadalupe River near Hunt in the Texas Hill Country The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas, to the San Antonio River near the Gulf of Mexico. ... Lebanese Kataeb militia A Militia is an army composed of ordinary [1] citizens to provide defense, emergency or paramilitary service, or those engaged in such activity. ... This article is about the metal alloy. ... For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation). ... A wagon (in British English waggon) or dray is a wheeled vehicle, ordinarily with four wheels, usually pulled by an animal, or animals, such as horses, mules or oxen and used for transport of heavy goods. ... Come and Take It. ...

When Castañeda announced that he carried a dispatch for Ponton, he was informed that Ponton was out of town and that his force would have to wait on the west side of the Guadalupe until Ponton returned. Unable to proceed, Castañeda and the dragoons set up camp 300 yards from the ford.

Over the next few days, as Castañeda waited for Ponton to return, the Texans under Colonel John Henry Moore gathered reinforcements from nearby settlements. A Coushatta Indian entered the Mexican camp and told Castañeda that the Texan force was at least 140 men, with more expected. Castañeda abandoned his camp and set off along the river looking for alternate ford where he could "cross without any embarrassment." For other uses, see Colonel (disambiguation). ... The Coushatta (also Koasati) are a Native American people living primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana. ...

The "come and take it" cannon on a reproduction of the carriage.

On the evening of October 1, he marched his men several miles upriver to an undefended location on the land of Ezekiel Williams. After nightfall, the Texans crossed the Guadalupe and moved upriver to the Mexican camp. On the morning of October 2, the Texans attacked the Mexican camp. The cannon fired a charge of pieces of chain and scrap metal, credited as being the first shot of the Texas Revolution. Castañeda ordered his men to fall back behind a low rise behind the camp. Image File history File links Gonzales_cannon_2005. ... Image File history File links Gonzales_cannon_2005. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

During a lull in the battle, Castañeda arranged a meeting with Moore in which he demanded to know why his men had been attacked. Moore told him that the Texans were fighting to defend the legal possession of the cannon against the government, which had violated the Constitution of 1824. Castañeda told Moore that he was personally a federalista opposed to the policies of Santa Anna. Moore then asked Castañeda to join the fight to re-establish the federalist Constitution of 1824. Castañeda replied that he was sympathetic, but that his personal views did not matter, and that as a soldier, he was duty bound to obey orders. After the meeting, the two men returned to their respective sides. Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (February 21, 1794 – June 21, 1876), also known simply as Santa Anna, was a Mexican political leader who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government, first fighting against independence from Spain...

After the resumption of the fighting, Castañeda realized he was both outnumbered and outgunned. He ordered a withdrawal toward San Antonio de Bexar, perhaps motivated by his orders from Ugartechea to avoid actions that might inflame the conflict. Upon his return, Castañeda stated in his report to Ugartechea that "since the orders from your Lordship were for me to withdraw without compromising the honor of Mexican arms, I did so."

Aftermath

The cannon was taken back to Gonzales, mounted to a four-wheel carriage and christened the "Flyin' Artillery". The plan was to take the cannon to San Antonio, but the carriage broke on the way. The carriage and cannon were burned and buried in a creek bed, where it remained undisturbed for a century. In 1936, a flood unearthed the cannon, and it passed through several owners over the next few decades. In 1980, the cannon was authenticated by scientific tests and comparison with the original blacksmith's records. The cannon now resides in the Gonzales Memorial Museum^[1]. Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Counties Bexar County Government  - Mayor Phil Hardberger Area  - City  412. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

References

External links

• Battle of Gonzales from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Battle of Gonzales – The Sons of DeWitt Colony
• Old Eighteen from the Handbook of Texas Online