Okla-homey
12/9/2006, 09:11 AM
Dec 9, 1835: The Texican Army captures San Antonio
171 years go on this day, inspired by the spirited leadership of Benjamin Rush Milam, the newly created Texican Army takes possession of the city of San Antonio de Bexar, an important victory for the Republic of Texas in its war for independence from Mexico.:texan:
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5923/uuuuuuuuuuuuumilamtexasnw9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Ben Milam
Milam was born in 1788 in Frankfort, Kentucky. He became a citizen and soldier of Mexico in 1824, when newly independent Mexico was still under a republican constitution. Like many Americans who immigrated to the Mexican state of Texas, Milam found that the government both welcomed and feared the growing numbers of Americans, and treated them with uneven fairness.
While Mexico needed the Anglos in Texas because they provided the basis for a viable economy in the far northern Mexican state, at the same time, they feared the immigrants from the north would dilute the culture too much. They also feared their increased presence might someday spell ruin for Mexican control of the region. They were right. BTW, does any of this sound familiar from today's immigration debates?;)
When Milam heard in 1835 that Santa Anna had overthrown the Mexican republic and established himself as dictator, Milam renounced his Mexican citizenship and joined the rag-tag army of the newly proclaimed independent Republic of Texas.
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/8436/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunx1.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Santa Anna. Born on February 21, 1794 in Jalapa, Vera Cruz and christened Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón, became one of the most famous and infamous Mexicans of the 19th century. He was eventually captured by Texican forces after the final battle of their war for independence at San Jacinto. Sam Houston paroled Santa Anna, and many believe the parole (vice imprisonment or execution) was due in large measure to the fact both Houston and Santa Anna were Freemasons and Santa Anna had invoked an obligation of the order to be merciful to brother Masons. Santa Anna was indeed freed, but your correspondent is unable to confirm the veracity of this legend.
After helping the Texican Army capture the city of Goliad, Milam went on a reconnaissance mission to the southwest but returned to join the army for its planned attack on San Antonio-only to learn that the generals were postponing the attack on San Antonio for the winter.
Aware that Santa Anna's forces were racing toward Texas to suppress the rebellion, Milam worried that any hesitation would spell the end of the revolution. The 57 year-old Milam made an impassioned call for volunteers, asking: "Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?"
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/4155/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuumiloj8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Statue of "old Ben Milam" in a public park in San Antonio. Milam is depicted raising his rifle and making his impassioned plea to his fellow Texicans to follow him to San Antone to kick some messican butt.
Inspired by Milam's bold challenge, three hundred men did volunteer, and the Texican Army began its attack on San Antonio at dawn on December 5. By December 9, the defending forces of the Mexican army were badly beaten, and the commanding general surrendered the city.
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5607/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuubexarmazy8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Milam, however, was not there to witness the results of his leadership--he was killed instantly by a sharpshooter's bullet on December 7. If Milam had survived, he might well have been among the doomed defenders of the Alamo that were wiped out by Santa Anna's troops the following March.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1239/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuualqs7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Those gallant Alamo defenders, who originally hailed from most of the states, and a few foreign countries, fought under a tricolor flag emblazoned with the year "1824." The flag was designed to remind everyone the Texicans were fighting for a Mexican republican form of government. Santa Anna had shredded the Mexican Constitution, ratified in 1824, when he took control as dictator.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4623/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzt3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Milam County in southeast texas is named in honor of the Kentuckian. The county flag is kinda "busy," As seen here, it is blue with a large white Lone Star in the center of two concentric white rings near the hoist. Surrounding the Lone Star are 37 smaller gold stars, representing the original counties of Texas created during the era of independence. The inner ring displays 115 red stars for the counties created from 1846 to 1860. The outer ring has 91 blue stars for the counties created between 1861 and 1900 and 11 green stars for those created during the twentieth century. The name of the county and its date of creation appear on the fly with a white-bordered gold star.
171 years go on this day, inspired by the spirited leadership of Benjamin Rush Milam, the newly created Texican Army takes possession of the city of San Antonio de Bexar, an important victory for the Republic of Texas in its war for independence from Mexico.:texan:
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5923/uuuuuuuuuuuuumilamtexasnw9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Ben Milam
Milam was born in 1788 in Frankfort, Kentucky. He became a citizen and soldier of Mexico in 1824, when newly independent Mexico was still under a republican constitution. Like many Americans who immigrated to the Mexican state of Texas, Milam found that the government both welcomed and feared the growing numbers of Americans, and treated them with uneven fairness.
While Mexico needed the Anglos in Texas because they provided the basis for a viable economy in the far northern Mexican state, at the same time, they feared the immigrants from the north would dilute the culture too much. They also feared their increased presence might someday spell ruin for Mexican control of the region. They were right. BTW, does any of this sound familiar from today's immigration debates?;)
When Milam heard in 1835 that Santa Anna had overthrown the Mexican republic and established himself as dictator, Milam renounced his Mexican citizenship and joined the rag-tag army of the newly proclaimed independent Republic of Texas.
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/8436/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunx1.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Santa Anna. Born on February 21, 1794 in Jalapa, Vera Cruz and christened Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón, became one of the most famous and infamous Mexicans of the 19th century. He was eventually captured by Texican forces after the final battle of their war for independence at San Jacinto. Sam Houston paroled Santa Anna, and many believe the parole (vice imprisonment or execution) was due in large measure to the fact both Houston and Santa Anna were Freemasons and Santa Anna had invoked an obligation of the order to be merciful to brother Masons. Santa Anna was indeed freed, but your correspondent is unable to confirm the veracity of this legend.
After helping the Texican Army capture the city of Goliad, Milam went on a reconnaissance mission to the southwest but returned to join the army for its planned attack on San Antonio-only to learn that the generals were postponing the attack on San Antonio for the winter.
Aware that Santa Anna's forces were racing toward Texas to suppress the rebellion, Milam worried that any hesitation would spell the end of the revolution. The 57 year-old Milam made an impassioned call for volunteers, asking: "Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?"
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/4155/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuumiloj8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Statue of "old Ben Milam" in a public park in San Antonio. Milam is depicted raising his rifle and making his impassioned plea to his fellow Texicans to follow him to San Antone to kick some messican butt.
Inspired by Milam's bold challenge, three hundred men did volunteer, and the Texican Army began its attack on San Antonio at dawn on December 5. By December 9, the defending forces of the Mexican army were badly beaten, and the commanding general surrendered the city.
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5607/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuubexarmazy8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Milam, however, was not there to witness the results of his leadership--he was killed instantly by a sharpshooter's bullet on December 7. If Milam had survived, he might well have been among the doomed defenders of the Alamo that were wiped out by Santa Anna's troops the following March.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1239/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuualqs7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Those gallant Alamo defenders, who originally hailed from most of the states, and a few foreign countries, fought under a tricolor flag emblazoned with the year "1824." The flag was designed to remind everyone the Texicans were fighting for a Mexican republican form of government. Santa Anna had shredded the Mexican Constitution, ratified in 1824, when he took control as dictator.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4623/uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzt3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Milam County in southeast texas is named in honor of the Kentuckian. The county flag is kinda "busy," As seen here, it is blue with a large white Lone Star in the center of two concentric white rings near the hoist. Surrounding the Lone Star are 37 smaller gold stars, representing the original counties of Texas created during the era of independence. The inner ring displays 115 red stars for the counties created from 1846 to 1860. The outer ring has 91 blue stars for the counties created between 1861 and 1900 and 11 green stars for those created during the twentieth century. The name of the county and its date of creation appear on the fly with a white-bordered gold star.