Siege of Bexar

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Texas Revolution
Gonzales – Concepcion – Grass Fight – Bexar – San Patricio – Agua Dulce – The Alamo – Refugio – Coleto – San Jacinto

Texas Revolution
Gonzales – Concepcion – Grass Fight – Bexar – San Patricio – Agua Dulce – The Alamo – Refugio – Coleto – San Jacinto

The Siege of Bexar (or Bejar) was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texan army successfully besieged Mexican forces at San Antonio de Bexar and upon the surrender of the Mexican forces, Texans gained the possession of the Alamo Mission in San Antonio.

Contents

1 Background
2 The Siege Begins
3 Houston and the Consultation
4 Ending the Siege
5 Aftermath
6 Sources
7 See also

Background

On October 2, 1835 Mexican troops attempted to remove a canon from the town of Gonzales. After the battle of Gonzales the victorious Texan volunteers moved against Martín Perfecto de Cos in San Antonio de Bexar, where he had recently gathered 650 Mexican troops. On November 11 the ragtag Texan troops democratically elected Stephen F. Austin general and commander-in-chief of the Volunteer Army. The next day the Texans advanced on Bexar.

The Siege Begins

Austin's forces arrived outside of Bexar and encamped along Salado Creek. Once the investment of Bexar began both sides received reinforcements. Cos received about 100 reinforcements and Austin also received about 100 soldiers under the commands of notable figures Juan Seguin and Jim Bowie. Sam Houston urged the Austin to wait for artillery and spend time training the volunteer soldiers. Austin instead proceeded with the investement of San Antonio and sent an advance force under Bowie and James Fannin to find a position closer to the city. On October 27 Bowie and Fannin moved on the Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña Mission with 90 men. The next day Cos sent Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea to drive off the Texan force. In the ensuing engagement, which would be known as the battle of Concepcion, the Texan inflicted nearly 60 casualties, captured a Mexican cannon and lost only 1 soldier see main article Battle of Concepcion. Austin arrived urged an attack on the city but his officers did not support the idea and the siege continued and reinforcements arrived under Thomas J. Rusk and brought the Texan army to 600. Cos also gathered reinforcements bringing the Mexican army to 1,200 discouraging the Texans even further from making any direct assaults on the city.

Houston and the Consultation

Sam Houston arrived in San Felipe expecting to gather for a meeting of the Consultation government, but since many of the members were fighting in the siege of Bexar, Houston instead went to the Texan army outside San Antonio. When Houston arrived in the camp, Austin offered him command of the army, Houston declined and went ahead to gather members of the consultation. The members were released from the army for the meeting (except for Austin and William B. Travis) and returned to San Felipe. There the delegates agreed to fight to uphold the Constitution of 1824 rather than Texan independence. Sam Houston was named general-in-chief of all Texas forces, except those fighting around San Antonio and Stephen Austin was authorized to travel to the U.S. to gain support for their cause. Edward Burleson, who had been serving as Austin's second-in-command, was elected Major General and commander-in-chief of the Volunteer Army to replace Austin.

Ending the Siege

General Burleson assumed command on November 24 and two days later Texan scout Erastus "Deaf" Smith reported Mexican cavalry approaching the city escorting a supply train allegedly carrying the payroll for Mexican troops in Bexar. Burleson orderd the cavalry cut off and in the ensuing fight the Texans inflicted around 50 casualties and the Mexicans withdrew. The fight became known as the "Grass Fight" because the wagon train was carrying nothing more than animal feed. See main article Grass Fight. Texan morale began to drop severely and with winter approaching and supplies running low Burleson considered withdrawing into winter quarters. In a council of war Burleson's officers overrulled his decision to withdraw and the army stayed. One of the officer's who adamantly opposed withdrawal was Colonel Ben Milam. Milam went into the Texan camp and called out "Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?" 300 soldiers cheered their support for Milam. Reports from a captured Mexican soldier and escaped Texan prisoners alerted Burleson to the fact the Mexican morale was just as low. Burleson ordered a two column attack. One attack was to be carried out by Ben Milam's division and the other was carried out by the division of Colonel Francis W. Johnson. On December 5 Milam and Johnson launched a surprise attack that seized to houses in the Military Plaza (one of the houses seized belonged to the in-laws of Jim Bowie). The Texans were unable to advance any further that day but fortified the houses and remained there during the night digging trenches and destroying nearby buildings. On December 7 the attack continued and Milam's division captured another foothold in the city but Milam was killed while leading the attack. Johnson took command of both his and Milam's divisions and continued the street fighting, gradually driving Cos' troops back into the city. Cos withdrew into the Alamo where he was joined by Col. Ugartechea and 600 reinforcements, but it was to late. Cos entrenched his position and Texan artillery pounded the fortified mission. After five days of fighting and being driven back house by house Cos sent a white flag of surrender to General Burleson on December 9. Burleson and Cos held a lenghy meeting discussing the surrender terms and finally on December 11 Burleson accepted most of the Mexican artillery and arms and parroled the 1,100 Mexican soldiers with just enough weaponry to defend themselves as they marched back to Mexico City.

Aftermath

The capture of Bexar was an amazing victory for the Texans. A small undisciplined volunteer army had forced a larger and better trained Mexican army to surrender. The Texans had suffered as many as 35 total casualties during the siege while the Mexicans had lost about 150 total casualties. Many believed the war was over and returned home. Sam Houston however doubted the end was near. A garrison was left at the Alamo, which would become the scene of the rebellion's most famous battle.

Sources

[Handbook of Texas]
[Muster at Gonzales]
Nevin, David; editor, The Texans (1975)
Ben Milam gravesite [link]