83R5798 JGH-D
By: Kleinschmidt H.C.R. No. 62
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, In the autumn of 1835, the citizens of Gonzales
bravely defied the authority of the Mexican government and, by
their action, set Texas on an irrevocable course toward
independence; and
WHEREAS, Established in 1825 near the confluence of the San
Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers, Gonzales was the westernmost Anglo
settlement in Texas at the time; in 1831, the Mexican government
loaned the town a six-pounder cannon for protection against
Indians, but four years later, as tensions grew between Texans and
the Mexican government, the military commander at San Antonio de
Bexar, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, sent a corporal and five
soldiers to retrieve the cannon; the residents of Gonzales refused
to return it and took the soldiers prisoner; and
WHEREAS, On September 27, 1835, Colonel Ugartechea sent
Lieutenant Francisco de Castaneda and 100 dragoons to take back the
cannon; when Lieutenant Castaneda arrived on the west bank of the
Guadalupe, his forces were denied passage across the river by 18
Texan militiamen; more Texans arrived over the next several days,
and at sundown on October 1, Lieutenant Castaneda moved his men to
another camp upriver; that same night, the Texans crossed to the
west side of the river with their cannon and followed him; and
WHEREAS, Early on the morning of October 2, the Texans
launched a surprise attack on the Mexican forces; during a lull in
the fighting, Lieutenant Castaneda and a party of Texans led by John
Henry Moore met for a parley in the middle of the battlefield; when
Lieutenant Castaneda asked for the return of the cannon, the Texans
gestured to the weapon 200 yards behind them and said, "There it is,
come and take it"; when fighting resumed, the cannon was fired,
killing one of Lieutenant Castaneda's men, and the Mexicans
withdrew; and
WHEREAS, With this fateful encounter, the Texas Revolution
began; Gonzales became known as the "Lexington of Texas," and a
banner fashioned from a silk wedding dress by the women of the town,
which featured the defiant slogan "Come and Take It!" and an image
of the cannon, became the first Texas battle flag used in the
conflict; and
WHEREAS, Today, the citizens of Gonzales continue to honor
their community's important role in the struggle for independence
with their three-day "Come and Take It" festival every October, and
this important date in the history of the Lone Star State is truly
deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate October 2 as "Come and Take It" Day; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That in accordance with the provisions of Section
391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remains in effect
until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is passed.