a messenger came riding into san felipe one day; his clothes were dusty, his horse was flecked with foam, his voice was hoarse with excitement. he had ridden hard and fast from gonzales town, and the news he brought thrilled to the heart’s core the men who had gathered about him in the plaza.
colonel ugartechea, acting under the decree disarming citizens, had sent an order to gonzales for a cannon—a four-pounder given by the mexican government to the townspeople in 1831 for service against the indians. the order had been peremptorily refused. there were only eighteen men at gonzales, but they determined to hold the cannon at any cost; and believing that ugartechea would send an armed force to take it, they had dispatched messengers to the colorado, the guadalupe, and the brazos for help.
the messenger to san felipe had not finished his story before the men were in their saddles, or girded for the long tramp. they were already armed for the purpose of intercepting general cos on his march to san antonio.
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when they reached gonzales they found that the mexican captain castenado, had appeared there (september 29) with one hundred cavalrymen and made his demand for the cannon. he had been put off with the pretext that the alcalde was absent, thus giving the volunteers time to arrive.
the mexicans had remained on the west bank of the guadalupe river, the ferryboats having been removed by the texans to the east or town side on the approach of the enemy.
with the recruits from the brazos, the colorado, and the guadalupe, the texans on the 30th numbered one hundred and sixty fighting men. they then informed castenado that he could not have the cannon. moreover, major williamson (three-legged willie) and some others drew the disputed piece of artillery to the river-bank, and placed above it a placard bearing in large letters the challenge, “come and take it.”
r. m. williamson.
in response to this taunt castenado made an effort to cross his troops over the river; but the fords were too well guarded, and he finally moved away and encamped a short distance from the river.
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on the evening of the 1st of october the texans, under the command of colonels john moore and j. w. wallace, crossed the guadalupe, carrying their four-pounder with them. the same night at eleven o’clock they were formed into a hollow square. colonels moore and wallace, with the rev. w. p. smith, rode into the square, where the minister, being seated on his favorite mule, made them a spirited address. “fellow soldiers,” he said, “the cause for which we are contending is just, honorable, and glorious—our liberty.... let us march silently, obey the commands of our superior officers, and, united as one man, present a bold front to the enemy. victory will be ours.”[17]
on the morning of the 2d they advanced under cover of a heavy fog to a high mound in the prairie where the enemy was posted. after the exchange of a few picket shots a parley took place between colonel moore and captain castenado. but they could come to no agreement, so they returned to their respective commands. the texans at once opened fire with their saucy little cannon, and in a short time the enemy was put to rout. the mexicans retreated toward san antonio, having lost several men. the texans, without the loss of a man, returned in triumph to gonzales with their precious cannon.
this was the first trumpet call to the war of independence. the alarm leaped from town to town. texas, like a trooper who stands with his foot in the stirrup awaiting but the blast of a bugle, sprang at once into action. there was everywhere an eager note of preparation.
a few days after the victory at gonzales, captain george collingsworth, with about fifty planters from caney and matagorda, marched from the latter place to capture goliad. just about midnight on the 9th of october, as they approached the town, they were hailed by a man who came out of a mesquit thicket on the roadside. it was benjamin milam. he had escaped from prison in monterey, where he had been placed for opposing the tyranny of santa anna, and, worn out by his long journey, he had thrown himself on the ground to rest.
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milam was a man of high courage and stern patriotism. he had taken part—always on the republican side—in several of the bloody revolutions in mexico, and he had been in almost every prison from the rio grande to the city of mexico.[18]
he offered his services to the little band of patriots. they welcomed him with joy into their ranks.
they marched on, and during the night fell upon the unsuspecting garrison at goliad. the sentinel who fired upon them was killed. the commandant colonel sandoval was taken prisoner in his own room, the door of which was broken open with axes. several officers and twenty-five private soldiers surrendered, the others having escaped in the mêlée. the spoils which fell into the hands of the texans by this exploit were very valuable. they consisted of three hundred stands of arms, several cannon, and about ten thousand dollars worth of military stores.
