About the First Battle of the Texas Revolution

The first battle of the Texas Revolution was the Battle of Gonzales. Fought on 2 October 1835, the battle marked the beginning of the conflict that would wrest the area of Texas away from the Mexican government. A minor military conflict fought between unorganized armies, the Battle of Gonzales ended in a Mexican withdrawal, a Texan victory and an additional seven months of fighting.

History

A battle of coincidence, the first battle of the Texas Revolution came about after the Mexican government ordered its small provisional army into the settlement of Gonzales in Mexican Texas. The army detachment was looking for a smoothbore cannon that had been owned by the town since 1831 as a means of defense against nearby Indians. The Texans refused to surrender the cannon, and the Mexican government put troops in motion to secure its removal and requisition.

Size

Little more than a skirmish, the first battle of the Texas Revolution was fought between small contingents of soldiers. Shortly after the refusal of the Texans to surrender the cannon, 100 troops were sent to the city under the command of Francisco de Castaneda. They were faced by a force of 140 Texan settlers, including an advance guard of 18, known as the "Old Eighteen." The weapon in question, also small in size, was a bronze, six-pound caliber Spanish-made cannon.

Features

The Mexican force under Castaneda faced the Texans stationed in Gonzales across a river and a crossable ford. With the Texans blocking the way, the Mexicans marched further upriver to an undefended crossing and attacked from the rear of the Texan force. Their first charge was repelled by cannon fire, and, after an inconclusive meeting between the two commanders and an inconclusive resumption of hostilities, the Mexicans withdrew their position.

Effects

The results of the fighting of the first battle of the Texas Revolution were minimal: one Mexican dead and zero Texan casualties. Castaneda had followed orders to not further inflame hostilities in the conflict, and retreated without compromising Mexican arms. The cannon was soon moved by the Texan troops out of Gonzales, toward San Antonio, where it was lost on the way.

Significance

The first battle of the Texas Revolution established the disillusionment of the Texan people with the Mexican government. It marked the first rumblings of an issue that would not be fully resolved until the conclusion of the Mexican War in 1848. The battle would encourage the Texan army toward another victory, at the Battle of Concepcion four weeks later. These events, begun at Gonzales, would ultimately lead to the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, which were soon followed by a declaration of Texan independence in 1836.