Siege of Bexar

Siege of Bexar
Conflict	Siege of Bexar
Partof	Texas Revolution
Date	October–December 1835
Place	San Antonio de Béxar, Texas
Result	Texian victory; Mexican withdrawal from San Antonio
Combatant1	Texian Army
Combatant2	Centralist Republic of Mexico
Commander1	Stephen F. Austin; Edward Burleson; Ben Milam; James Bowie; William B. Travis
Commander2	Martín Perfecto de Cos
Strength1	~1,200 (militia, volunteers)
Strength2	~800 (regulars, militia)
Casualties1	~20 killed, ~35 wounded
Casualties2	~200 captured, ~70 killed or wounded

Siege of Bexar The siege of San Antonio de Béxar was an armed campaign fought from October to December 1835 during the Texas Revolution. Texian insurgents besieged the Mexican garrison commanded by General Martín Perfecto de Cos in the town of San Antonio de Béxar, culminating in an urban assault that forced Mexican surrender and withdrawal. The engagement involved leading figures such as Stephen F. Austin, Ben Milam, James Bowie, and William B. Travis and set the stage for later conflicts including the Battle of the Alamo and the Runaway Scrape.

Background

In the wake of political turmoil in Mexico and the rise of Antonio López de Santa Anna's centralist regime, tensions in Coahuila y Tejas escalated into the Texas Revolution. Texian settlers and recent immigrants organized militias inspired by actions at Gonzales and the Battle of Gonzales, while Mexican forces under Martín Perfecto de Cos occupied San Antonio de Béxar as a strategic garrison. Prominent Texian leaders including Stephen F. Austin, George Collingsworth, and Edward Burleson coordinated volunteers from settlements such as San Felipe, Brazoria, Nacogdoches, and Matagorda to confront Mexican authority. International context included American expansionist figures like Sam Houston and political currents from the United States and Monterrey that influenced recruitment and supply.

Opposing Forces

Texian forces comprised a heterogeneous mix of militia, volunteers, empresarios' colonists, and adventurers, organized under officers such as Stephen F. Austin, Edward Burleson, Ben Milam, James Bowie, James Fannin, and William B. Travis. Recruits arrived from places like New Orleans, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky and included veterans of frontier conflicts and veterans acquainted with engagements like those in the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War. The Texian command structure was informal, relying on councils and volunteer captains from Bexar County and neighboring districts.

Mexican forces in Béxar were regulars of the First Mexican Republic's army, commanded by Martín Perfecto de Cos and subordinate officers trained in garrison warfare, supported by cavalry from Coahuila and artillery units with ordnance in the Alamo complex and nearby presidio structures. The Mexican contingent was drawn from units stationed after previous postings in Monterrey, Saltillo, and deployments associated with the Centralist Republic of Mexico's efforts to assert control over the provinces.

Siege and Battle

After the Capture of Goliad and the victory at Gonzales, Texian forces marched on Béxar, establishing encampments at Concepción, Cibolo Creek, and positions around the San Pedro Creek. Under Stephen F. Austin's direction, skirmishes and reconnaissance probed Mexican defenses. A vote of Texian volunteers led to the organization of an assault, famously preceded by Ben Milam's rallying cry to "Who will go with old Ben Milam?" The assault on San Antonio began in early December with urban fighting around the Alamo, Presidio, and town plazas, where leaders including James Bowie and William B. Travis coordinated attacks on Mexican defensive works.

Street-to-street combat, artillery duels, and siegeworks characterized the engagement. Texian sharpshooters and infantry pressed attacks on strongpoints including the San Antonio River crossings and mission compound positions, while Mexican forces contested barricades and used cannon from the presidio. After several days of intense fighting and mounting Mexican casualties, General Martín Perfecto de Cos negotiated surrender terms on December 9, 1835, leading to the evacuation of Mexican troops to Laredo and ultimately Mexico City, and the capture of arms and supplies by Texian forces.

Aftermath and Casualties

Texian victory at Béxar resulted in the capture of significant Mexican materiel: artillery pieces, muskets, ammunition, and horses taken from the Alamo and other storehouses. Casualty figures remain debated but estimates place Texian losses at around 20 killed and dozens wounded, while Mexican fatalities and prisoners numbered in the dozens killed and roughly 200 captured. Prisoners were escorted out of Texas under parole or exchanged; some officers like Martín Perfecto de Cos returned to Mexico City to report on the collapse of Mexican control in Texas.

The victory temporarily secured San Antonio de Béxar and provided Texian forces with a fortified base, influencing recruiting and morale across settlements including Nacogdoches and Bastrop. However, centralist response from Santa Anna and his planned counteroffensive foreshadowed renewed campaigns culminating in confrontations at the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto.

Significance and Legacy

The capture of Béxar stands as a pivotal early triumph for Texian forces during the Texas Revolution, elevating figures such as Ben Milam, James Bowie, and William B. Travis into Texas lore. It reshaped political dynamics between Texian provisional authorities and military leaders including Henry Smith and Sam Houston, affecting subsequent governance in the Republic of Texas period. The siege influenced recruitment waves from the United States, contributed to military experiences utilized at the Battle of the Alamo, and entered cultural memory through accounts by participants and later historians such as Franciscan chroniclers and 19th-century chroniclers.

Commemorations include markers and preservation efforts within modern San Antonio, the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, and studies by historians focusing on Mexican-American relations, frontier conflict, and the narratives of Texian independence. The engagement remains subject to historiographical debate regarding command decisions, casualty reporting, and its role in the broader sequence of revolutionary events that produced the Republic of Texas.

Category:Battles of the Texas Revolution Category:1835 in Texas