October 2, 2019 - The first recognized battle of the Texas Revolution was fought at Gonzales on October 2, 1835. The Texas force of one hundred and sixty men challenged the Mexican military by refusing to surrender a brass cannon previously given to the town as a means of protection against the Indians. The Battle of Gonzales or "Come and take it" only lasted a few minutes but most citizens in Texas realized that there was no turning back. A war had begun.
Because of this skirmish, it became known as the “Lexington of Texas.” Gonzales is one of the earliest Anglo-American settlements in Texas, the first west of the Colorado River. It was established in 1825 and was the nearest such settlement to Bexar and the Battle of the Alamo. The settlement was abandoned in 1826 because of two American Indian attacks. It was rebuilt in a nearby location and the Mexican government gave the settlers a small cannon for protection against future Indian attacks. As conflict increased between the Anglo settlers and the Mexican government, a contingent of Mexican soldiers was sent from San Antonio to retrieve the cannon. The settlers posted the “Come and Take It” flag near the cannon and on October 2, 1835, Texans under the command of John H. Moore confronted the troops. Thus the Texians successfully resisted the federal troops in what became known as the Battle of Gonzales. They realized the battle was small but there was no turning back.
The William Carroll Crawford Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas brings you this brief glimpse into early Texas history.
