Battle of Gonzales
Opening of the Texas Revolution
The Texans and Mexicans clashed near Gonzales on October 2, 1835.
On October 2, 1835, the Battle of Gonzales started. It started with the Mexicans and Texans. Some of the Texans were Colonel John Henry Moore and 150 men. For Mexico the had Lieutenant Francisco Castaneda and 100 men.
Location
The Battle of Gonzales happened near present day Dewitt County.
Some of the pictures from the Battle:
One of the Best Revolutions
What Happened?
Through the summer of 1835, DeWitt Colonists, the majority who were loyal Federalist Mexican citizens, followed closely with increasing alarm the assumption of dictatorial powers by Santa Anna, the annulment of the liberal Constitution of 1824, dissolution of the legislature of Coahuila y Texas and, particularly, reports of his brutal tyranny, rape and pillaging of any one who opposed. The news of how the dictator rewarded troops with two days of rape and looting of the citizenry of Zacatecas for their resistance was particularly frightening to those with developed homesteads and families. On a visit to Gonzales after returning from Mexico City, Edward Gritten, reputedly a friend of Santa Anna himself, found the DeWitt Colonists still loyal to the Mexican government, desirous of peace, but ready to resist any centralista troops that entered the area other than those in support of the Constitution of 1824. Gritten managed to convince Colonel Ugartechea, commander of Mexican forces in San Antonio, to send letters of assurance that troops were not coming to the colony. At this time, the majority of DeWitt Colonists still opposed overt and armed resistance to the Mexican authorities and disapproved of the more aggressive talks about war and independence going on in San Felipe throughout 1835.