1. EARLY BATTLES
OF
TEXAS
REVOLUTION

2. VOCABULARY
• Faction: a group of people who share a viewpoint
on an issue.
• Siege: lengthy military attack on a fortified place.
• Provisional Government: a group of people who
make laws and provide services on a temporary
basis.

3. MEXICAN TROOPS RETURN TO TEXAS
• Texans soon realized that they disagreed with Santa
Anna.
– Santa Anna took over control of Mexico and
changed all governments to military control.
– Santa Anna sent General Martin Perfecto de Cos to
command troops in Texas in 1835
• De Cos’ mission was to support Santa Anna and
squelch any rebellion.
– De Cos also sent Antonio Tenoria to Anahuac to
start collecting customs duties again.

4. MEXICAN TROOPS
RETURN
• In Anahuac, two Texans were arrested for not
showing respect to Tenorio.
– Some Texans met and figured out that Santa
Anna had overthrown their state government in
Texas.
– Then they decided to force Tenorio out of
Anahuac.
– They named William B. Travis as the leader to
force Tenorio out.
– Many were unhappy with Travis being so
aggressive removing Tenorio.

5. CENTRALIST REACTION
• When Tenorio was “escorted” into San
Antonio, Cos wanted Travis arrested for what
he did.
–Cos also wanted to arrest Lorenzo de
Zavala….he was a Mexican who disagreed
with Santa Anna…he fled to Texas for safety.
–At the time Stephen F. Austin returned to
Texas after being in prison, disputes between
Cos and the Texans continued.

6. WAR AND PEACE PARTIES
• Texans still couldn’t decide what they wanted to
support….Santa Anna/centralism (Central
government controls everything or states’ rights.
• Some Texans were part of the “War party”
– Wanted to fight for Texas’ Independence
• Three-Legged Willie Williamson
• William B. Travis
• Henry Smith

7. WAR AND PEACE PARTIES
• There was also a group of people who weren’t
ready to fight yet…they wanted to wait and
see what happened with Santa Anna
–They were known as the “Peace party”
–Stephen F. Austin originally was part of this
party.
• These factions were not political parties but
just had different opinions about how to deal
with government

8. A TIME FOR CHANGE
• After being in prison, Austin realized that the
only thing Texans could do was to fight the
Mexicans
• Cos wanted to arrest more Texans but then he
was reminded that the Texans had a cannon in
the town of Gonzales
–(Empresario Green De Witt had it to protect
people from Indians)

9. THE BATTLE OF GONZALES
• General Cos ordered a small troop to retrieve the
cannon from Gonzales in late September of 1835.
– When Mexicans reached Gonzales, the alcalde
would not give up the cannon without written
orders; the Mexicans waited across the Guadalupe
River for the written orders to come in.
– In the meantime, the Texans buried the cannon!
– When word got out that the Mexicans were going
to take the cannon, about 160 settlers joined the
fight
• They elected JH Moore as their leader
• They dug up the cannon and flew a banner over
it that said “Come and Take It”!

10. BATTLE OF GONZALES
• October 2, 1835 –Texans refused to return the cannon
and hung a flag on it that said, “Come and Take It”.
– Texans attacked in the early dawn hours.
– Fighting briefly stopped and Castaneda tried to
negotiate, but Texans said “No.”
– Fighting continued until one soldier was shot.
Mexicans surrendered and returned to San
Antonio.
• That was known as the Battle of Gonzales, the first
battle of the Texas Revolution.

11. THE ARMY OF THE PEOPLE
• When other Texans heard about the Battle of
Gonzales, the quickly came to Gonzales ready to
fight.
• In the meantime, Cos sent 30 soldiers to Goliad to
guard the Mexican fort there.
• But, about 50 Texans led by George Collingsworth
attacked the fort.
• The Texans won.

12. THE ARMY OF THE PEOPLE
• October 13, 1935 –Austin was elected commander
of the Army of the People.
• Austin and 300 Texans decided to go to San
Antonio to force General Cos to leave Texas.
• Austin sent Bowie and Fannin to find a closer
campsite to Bexar.
– Instead of them returning as ordered, they sent
a messenger with directions.
– Austin became angry and stated any other
officers refusing to obey orders will be court
martialed.

13. THE ARMY OF THE PEOPLE
• As the Army of the People moved to take San Antonio
from Mexicans, more settlers joined…about 600 in all.
• When the Texans reached San Antonio, a brief fight
broke out near Mission Concepcion.
– Mexican soldiers retreated further into San Antonio.
– Texans began a month long siege of the city.
– Cold weather and illness caused many volunteers to
leave and return home without permission.
– The Greys (volunteers from US) and companies of
Texans became impatient with the siege.
– Austin decided to resign as commander and became
a commissioner to the US for additional help.

14. ATTACK ON SAN ANTONIO
• Edward Burleson took over after Austin left.
• Texans were getting impatient and bored and
Burleson suggested a retreat until Spring.
– Ben Milam asked the Texans “Who will go into
San Antonio with old Ben Milam?”
– About 300 of the remaining 500 men did and
attacked on the Mexican soldiers
– Hendrick Arnold (mixed-race free man) led
Milam’s men into battle
– Ben Milam was shot crossing from one house to
the next.

15. ATTACK ON SAN ANTONIO
• The fighting was fierce; lasted 5 days.
• Fighting stopped when Cos surrendered.
– He agreed to give Texans all of the money, supplies,
arms, and property held by the Mexicans in San
Antonio.
– He agreed to support the Constitution of 1824.
– In exchange, Cos was allowed to take his remaining
soldiers out of San Antonio on December 9, 1935.
• Texans then thought that the problems were
solved…but Santa Anna started gathering an army
south of the Rio Grande River to deal with the Texas
Revolutionaries