Siege of Bexar

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Siege of Bexar
partof=the Texas Revolution


caption=
date=October 12- December 11, 1835
place=San Antonio, Texas
result=Texan victory
combatant1=Mexico
combatant2=Texas
commander1=Martín Perfecto de Cos
commander2=Stephen F. Austin
Edward Burleson
strength1=1,200
strength2=600
casualties1=150 killed, wounded & captured
casualties2=35 killed, wounded & captured

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

Background

When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, the new country assumed control over much of the Spain's former North American territory. [Manchaca (2001), p. 161.] The country's northernmost province was Texas, which at the time included the land north of the Medina and the Nueces Rivers, convert|100|mi|km|0 northeast of the Rio GrandeEdmondson (2000), p. 6.] , west of San Antonio de Bexar, and east of the Sabine River.Edmondson (2000), p. 10.] Manchaca (2001), p. 162.] Edmondson (2000), p. 6.] For the first time, the government of Texas encouraged immigrants from the United States to settle its lands.Manchaca (2001), p. 164.] By 1834, an estimated 30,000 English speakers lived in Texas,Manchaca (2001), p. 201.] compared to only 7,800 of Spanish heritage.Manchaca (2001), p. 172.] When General Antonio López de Santa Anna assumed the presidency that year, many believed him to be a staunch federalist. His early actions gave local governments more authority; Texas was awarded more representation in the state government of Coahuila y Tejas, and six English-speaking Texan communities were elevated to municipalities. By the end of the year, however, Santa Anna began to exhibit centralist tendencies,Barr (1990), p. 2.] and in 1835 he revoked the Constitution of 1824 and began consolidating his power. In various parts of the country federalists revolted, and in May 1835 Santa Anna brutally crushed a revolt in Zacatecas; over 2000 noncombatants were killed.Hardin (1994), p. 6.]

As protests spread across Texas, Mexican officials increasingly blamed the settlers from the United States for the discontent. As historian Alwyn Barr noted, many of the new settlers had "lived entirely within growing Anglo colonies ... and had made few adjustments to the Spanish traditions of Mexico.Barr (1990), p. 4.] In September 1835 Colonel Domingo Ugartechea, the military commander at San Antonio de Bexar sent a force of 100 soldiers under Lieutenant Francisco Castaneda to reclaim a small cannon that had been given to the citizens of Gonzales.Hardin (1994), p. 7.] The request angered the Texians, who immediately sent couriers to other Anglo communities to ask for assistance. For several days the Texians stalled and reinforcements began to arrive.Hardin (1994), p. 8.] On October 2, the Texians attacked the Mexican force; under orders to avoid bloodshed, Castaneda and his men withdrew. This Battle of Gonzales is considered the official opening of the Texas Revolution.Hardin (1994), p. 12.] Encouraged, a small group of Texians then went to Goliad, where they succeeded in driving off the small Mexican force garrisoned at Presidio La Bahia.Hardin (1994), pp. 14, 17.]

Colonists continued to assemble in Gonzales, and on October 11 they elected Stephen F. Austin, the first empresario granted permission to settle Anglos in the state, as their commander-in-chief.Barr (1990), p. 6.] In Austin's words, "One spirit and one purpose animates the people of this party of the country, and that is to take Bexar, and drive the military out of Texas. ... A combined effort of all Texas would soon free our soil of Military despots–we should then have peace, for the present Government of Mexico have too much to do at home ... to send another army to Texas."Barr (1990), pp.6–7.]

The Mexican government had been worried about the Texian discontent, and Santa Anna sent his brother-in-law, General Martin Perfecto de Cos to take command of the Mexican forces in Texas. When Cos arrived in San Antonio on October 9Barr (1990), p. 12.] there were 647 soldiers ready for duty. When Goliad fell to the Texians, Cos lost his line of communication to the coast. Convinced that the Texians would soon attack San Antonio, he chose to take a defensive position rather than launch an attack against the Texian army.Barr (1990), p. 13.]

On October 13, Austin led the Texian Army toward San Antonio de Bexar, location of the last remaining group of Mexican troops in Texas.Barr (1990), p. 15.] Men continued to flock to the Texian Army, which by October 19 numbered 453 men with two 6-lb cannon.Barr (1990), p. 16.] Meanwhile, Cos worked to fortify the town squares in San Antonio and the walls of the Alamo, a mission-turned-fort near the town. Additional Mexican soldiers arrived in Bexar, and on October 24 the Mexican garrison stood at its highest number, 751 men.Barr (1990), p. 20.] Although the Mexican soldiers attempted to restrict access to and from the city, James Bowie was able to leave his home and join the Texians.Barr (1990), p. 17.] Bowie was well-known throughout Texas for his fighting prowess; stories of his exploits in the Sandbar Fight and his search for the lost San Saba mine were widely reported.Hardin (1994), p. 29.] Juan Seguin, a government official in San Antonio, arrived with 37 Tejanos on the morning of October 22, and later that day an additional 76 men joined the Texian Army from Victoria, Goliad, and the ranches south of Bexar.Barr (1990), p. 18.]

iege

Sam Houston urged Austin to wait for artillery and spend time training the volunteer soldiers. Austin instead proceeded with the investment of San Antonio and sent an advance force under Bowie and James Fannin to find a position closer to the city.

Battle of Concepción

On the afternoon of October 22, Austin named Bowie a colonel and gave him joint command of the 1st Battalion. The co-commander, Captain James W. Fannin, was one of the very few Texian soldiers with formal military training; he had briefly studied at the U.S. Military Academy. Within hours of accepting the appointments, Bowie and Fannin led their men on a reconnaissance mission. They were to evaluate the former missions around San Antonio and choose one as a campsite. The missions were close to Bexar and were situated near the road to Goliad. By the end of the day the Texians had seized the Espada mission from Mexican pickets. The following day, October 23, the Texian group examined the San Juan and San José missions, neither of which contained much food or water. The Texians returned to Espada for the night and sent a courier to ask Austin.Barr (1990), p. 19.] The rest of the Texian Army joined them on October 27 and Austin immediately sent Bowie and Fannin to find a good defensive spot for the army to rest that night.Barr (1990), p. 22.]

Rather than return immediately to Austin, as their orders specified, Bowie and Fannin instead sent a courier to bring Austin directions to their chosen campsite, Mission Concepción. The scouting party camped along the San Antonio River near the mission, which was approximately convert|2|mi|km from San Antonio de Bexar and convert|6|mi|km from the Texian camp at Espada.Barr (1990), p. 23.] The next day, an angry Austin issued a statement threatening officers who chose not to follow orders with court-martial.

Hoping to neutralize the Texian force at Concepción before the remainder of the Texian Army arrived, Cos ordered Colonel Domingo Ugartechea to lead an early-morning assault on the forces at Concepcion on October 28. The Texians had a good defensive position, surrounded by trees, which left the Mexican cavalry no room to maneuver.Edmondson (2000), p. 222.] The Mexican infantry soon found themselves outgunned, as their Brown Bess muskets had a maximum range of only convert|70|yd|m, compared to the convert|200|yd|m|adj=on effective range of the Texian long rifles.Hardin (1994), p. 32.] The Texians were short of ammunition,Hardin (1994), p. 30.] however, and although Mexican ammunition was plentiful it was poor quality. In several cases, Mexican musket balls bounced off Texian soldiers, causing little damage other than a bruise. The Battle of Concepción lasted only 30 minutes; at that point the Mexican soldiers retreated towards Bexar.Barr (1990), p. 25.]

Less than 30 minutes after the battle ended, the rest of the Texian Army arrived. Austin felt that the Mexican morale must be low after their defeat and wanted to proceed immediately to Bexar. Bowie and other officers refused, as they believed Bexar was too heavily fortified. The Texians searched the area for any Mexican equipment which had been abandoned during the retreat. They found several boxes of cartridges. Complaining that the Mexican powder was "little better than pounded charcoal", the Texians emptied the cartridges but kept the bullets.Hardin (1994), p. 34.] One Texian, Richard Andrews, died and one was wounded, while estimates of the Mexican dead range from 14 to 76.Barr (1990), p. 26.]

Consultation

The siege continued, and soon additional reinforcements arrived under Thomas J. Rusk, bringing the Texan army to 600. Cos also gathered reinforcements, bringing the Mexican army to 1,200 and discouraging the Texans even further from making any direct assaults on the city.

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, but Houston declined and went ahead gathering the 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.

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.

Grass Fight

The Texian volunteers had little or no experience as professional soldiers, and by early November many had begun to miss their homes. As the weather turned colder and rations grew smaller, many soldiers became sick, and groups of men began to leave, most without permission.Barr (1990), p. 29.] On November 18, however, a group of volunteers from the United States, known as the New Orleans Greys, joined the Texian Army.Barr (1990),p. 35.] Hardin (1994), p. 60.] Unlike the majority of the Texian volunteers, the Greys looked like soldiers, with uniforms, well-maintained rifles, adequate ammunition, and some semblance of discipline. The Greys, as well several companies of Texians who had arrived recently, were eager to face the Mexican Army directly.Barr (1990), p. 38.] Encouraged by their enthusiasm, on November 21, Austin ordered an assault on Bexar the following morning. Several of his officers polled the soldiers that evening and discovered that fewer than 100 men were willing to launch an attack on Bexar; Austin then cancelled his orders.Hardin (1994), p. 61.] Within days Austin resigned his command to become a commissioner to the United States; Texians elected Edward Burleson as their new commander.Hardin (1994), p. 62.]

On the morning of November 26, Texian scout Erastus "Deaf" Smith rode into camp to report that a pack train of mules and horses, accompanied by 50–100 Mexican soldiers, was within convert|5|mi|km of Bexar.Barr (1990), p. 39.] Hardin (1994), p. 64.] For several days, the Texians had heard rumors that the Mexican Army was expecting a shipment of silver and gold to pay the troops and purchase additional supplies.Todish "et al" (1998), p. 24.] The Texians had been fighting without pay, and most wanted to charge from camp and loot the expected riches. Burleson ordered Bowie to investigate, but warned him not to attack unless necessary. After Bowie recruited the army's 12 best marksmen for the expedition, there was little doubt that he intended to find a reason to attack. Burleson managed to stop the entire army from following by sending Colonel William Jack with 100 infantry to support Bowie's men.Edmondson (2000), p. 237.]

About convert|1|mi|km from Bexar, Bowie and his men spotted the Mexican soldiers crossing a dry ravine. This was likely near the confluence of the Alazán, Apache, and San Pedro Creeks.Groneman (1998), p. 39.] After a short battle, the Mexican soldiers withdrew towards Bexar, leaving their pack animals behind.Edmondson (2000), p. 237.] To the surprise of the Texians, the saddlebags contained not bullion, but freshly cut grass to feed the Mexican horses trapped in Bexar. Four Texians were wounded in the fighting, and one soldier deserted during the battle.Edmondson (2000), p. 238.] Estimates of the number of Mexican casualties ranged from 3–60 killed and 7–14 wounded.Barr (1990), p. 40.] Their victory allowed the Texians to believe that, although outnumbered, they could prevail over the Mexican garrison. The Texians believed that Cos must have been desperate to send troops outside of the safety of Bexar.Hardin (1994), p. 66.]

Battle

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 overruled his decision to withdraw, and the army stayed. One of the officers who adamantly opposed the withdrawal was Colonel Ben Milam. Undaunted, Milam stalked 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 that Mexican morale was just as low. Burleson ordered a two-column attack. One attack was to be carried out by Milam's troops, and the other was to be carried out by those of Colonel Francis W. Johnson. On December 5, Milam and Johnson launched a surprise attack and seized two 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 they fortified the houses and remained there during the night, digging trenches and destroying nearby buildings.

On December 7, the attack continued, and Milam's force captured another foothold in the city. However, Milam was killed while leading the attack. Colonel Johnson subsequently took command of both his and Milam's men and continued the street fighting, gradually driving the Mexicans back into the city. Cos withdrew into the Alamo, where he was joined by Colonel Ugartechea and 600 reinforcements, but it was too late. Cos entrenched his position, and Texan artillery pounded the fortified mission.

urrender

As the Texians advanced closer to the plazas, Cos realized that his best defensive position would be within the Alamo Mission just outside Bexar. In his official report to Santa Anna, Cos wrote that ""In such critical circumstances there was no other measure than to advance and occupy the Alamo which, due to its small size and military position, was easier to hold. In doing so, I took with me the artillery, packs and the rest of the utensils I was able to transport.”Todish "et al" (1998), p. 26.] At 1 a.m. on December 9, the cavalry began to pull back towards the Alamo. Colonel Nicolas Condell, his small force of 50 men from the Morelos and Tamaulipas units, and two cannon remained as the rear guard at the plaza.Barr (1990), p. 55.] Hardin (1994), p. 89.] Years later, however, Sanchez Navarro maintained that Cos was not planning to abandon the town but wished to move the wounded to the relative safety of the Alamo.

Inside the Alamo, Cos presented a plan for a counterattack; cavalry officers belived that they would be surrounded by Texians and refused their orders. Possibly 175–soldiers from four of the cavalry companies left the mission and rode south. According to Barr, Cos ran after the horseman to tell them to stop and was almost run down. For a brief period, those in the mission that Cos might have been killed. Sanchez Navarro said the troops were not deserting but misunderstood their orders and were withdrawing all the way to the Rio Grande.

By daylight, only 120 experienced infantry remained in the Mexican garrison. Cos called Sanchez Navarro to the Alamo and gave him orders to "go save those brave men. ... Approach the enemy and obtain the best terms possible".Barr (1990), p. 56.] Sanchez Navarro first returned to his post at the plaza to inform the soldiers of the imminent surrendor. Several officers argued with him, explaining that "the Morelos Battalion has never surrendered", but Sanchez Navarro held firm to his orders. Bugle calls for a parley received no response from the Texians, and at 7 am Sanchez Navarro raised a flag of truce.

Father de la Garza and William Cooke came forward to escort Sanchez Navarro and two other officers to Johnson, who summoned Burleson. When Burleson arrive two hours later, he found that the Mexican soldiers did not have written authorization from Cos. One of the Mexican officers was sent to bring back formal permission for the surrender. Burleson agreed to an immediate cease-fire,Hardin (1994), p. 90.] and negotiations began with Johnson, Morris, and James Swisher represented the Texians, with Miguel Arciniega and John Cameron interpreting. The men haggled for much of the day before reaching terms at 2 a.m. on December 10.

According to the terms of the agreement, Mexican troops could remain in the Alamo for six days to prepare for the trip to the Mexican interior. During that time frame, Mexican and Texian troops were not to carry arms if they interacted. Regular soldiers who had established ties to the area could remain in Bexar; all recently arrived troops were expected to return to Mexico. Each Mexican soldier would receive a musket and ten rounds of ammunition, and the Texians would allow one four-pound cannon and ten rounds of powder and shot to accompany the troops. All other weapons and all supplies would remain with the Texians, who agreed to sell some of the provisions to the Mexicans for their journey.Barr (1990), p. 57.] As the final term of their parole, all of Cos's men were required to pledge that they would not fight against the Constitution of 1824.

At 10 a.m. on December 11, the Texian army paraded. Johnson presented the terms of surrender and asked for the army's approval, stressing that the Texians had little ammunition left to continue the fight. Most of the Texians voted in favor of the surrender, although some termed it a "child's bargain", too weak to be useful.

Aftermath

According to Barr, of the 780 Texians who had participated in some way in the battle, between 30 and 35 were wounded, with 5 or 6 killed. Historian Stephen Hardin places the Texian casualties slightly lower, with 4 killed and 14 wounded. The losses were spread evenly amongst Texas residents and newcomers from the United States. Although some Texians estimated that as many as 300 Mexican soldiers were killed, historians agree that it likely that a total of 150 Mexican soldiers were killed or wounded during the five-day battle.Hardin (1994), p. 91.] About two-thirds of the Mexican casualties came from the infantry units defending the plazas.Barr (1990), p. 58.] To celebrate their victory, Texian troops threw a fandango on the evening of December 10. Governor Henry Smith and the governing council sent a letter to the army, calling the soldiers "invincible" and "the brave sons of Washington and freedom". After the war, those who could prove they had participated in this campaign were granted convert|320|acre|ha of land. Eventually, 504 claims were certified. At least 79 of the Texians who participated later died at the Battle of the Alamo or the Goliad Massacre,Barr (1990), p. 60.] and 90 participated in the final battle of the Texas Revolution, at San Jacinto. The Texians confiscated 400 small arms, 20 cannon, and supplies, uniforms, and equipment. During the siege, Cos's men had strengthened the Alamo mission, and the Texians chose to concentrate their forces within the Alamo rather than continue to fortify the plazas.Barr (1990), p. 65.]

Cos left Bexar on December 14 with 800 men. The soldiers who were too weak to travel were left in the care of the Texian doctors. With his departure, there was no longer an organized garrison of Mexican troops in Texas,Barr (1990), p. 64.] and many of the Texians believed that the war was over. Johnson described the battle as "the period put to our present war". Burleson resigned his leadership of the army on December 15 and returned to his home. Many of the men did likewise, and Johnson assumed command of the soldiers who remained. Soon after, a new contingent of Texians and volunteers from the United States arrived with more heavy artillery. According to Barr, the large number of American volunteers "contributed to the Mexican view that Texan opposition stemmed from outside influences. That belief may have contributed in turn to Santa Anna's order of 'no quarter' in his 1836 campaign."Barr (1990), p. 63.] Santa Anna was outraged that Cos had surrendered.Hardin (1994), p. 98.] Already in preparations to move a larger army to Texas, Santa Anna moved quickly on hearing of his brother-in-law's defeat, and by late December 1835 had begun to move his Army of Operations northward. Although many of his officers disagreed with the decision to march towards the Texan interior rather than take a coastal approach, Santa Anna was determined to first take Bexar and avenge his family's honor.Hardin (1994), p. 102.]

ee also

* List of Texas Revolution battles
* Timeline of the Texas Revolution

Notes

References

*citation|last=Barr|first=Alwyn|title=Texans in Revolt: the Battle for San Antonio, 1835|publisher=University of Texas Press|location=Austin, TX|date=1990|isbn=0292770421
*citation|last=Edmondson|first=J.R.|title=The Alamo Story-From History to Current Conflicts|publisher=Republic of Texas Press|place=Plano, TX|isbn=1-55622-678-0|date=2000
*citation|last=Groneman|first=Bill|title=Battlefields of Texas|publisher=Republic of Texas Press|location=Plano, TX|date=1998|isbn=9781556225710
*citation|last=Hardin|first=Stephen L.|date=1994|publisher=University of Texas Press|location=Austin, TX|title=Texian Iliad – A Military History of the Texas Revolution|ISBN=0292730861
*citation|last=Manchaca|first=Martha|title=Recovering History, Constructing Race: The Indian, Black, and White Roots of Mexican Americans|series=The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and Latino Art and Culture|publisher=University of Texas Press|location=Austin, TX|date=2001|isbn=0292752539
*citation|last=Todish|first=Timothy J.|last2=Todish|first2=Terry|last3=Spring|first3=Ted|title=Alamo Sourcebook, 1836: A Comprehensive Guide to the Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution|publisher=Eakin Press|date=1998|location=Austin, TX|isbn=9781571681522

External links

* [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/BB/qeb1.html Handbook of Texas]