H.R. No. 622
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, For more than 175 years, the "Come and Take It"
Cannon from the Battle of Gonzales in 1835 has been an enduring
symbol of the Texas struggle for independence from Mexico; and
WHEREAS, In 1831, Green DeWitt, a Texan colonist and the
founder of the town of Gonzales, requested an artillery piece from
the Mexican government as defense against hostile Indians; Ramon
Musquiz, the Mexican governor in San Antonio de Bexar, provided the
town with a cannon known as a six-pounder, because it fired a
six-pound shell; and
WHEREAS, Four years later, as tensions mounted between the
colonists and the government of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the
military commander at Bexar, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, sent a
corporal and five soldiers to retrieve the six-pounder; the
colonists in Gonzales refused to return it and imprisoned the
soldiers; in response, Colonel Ugartechea sent Lieutenant
Francisco de Castaneda and 100 dragoons to Gonzales to take the
cannon by force; and
WHEREAS, Arriving on the west bank of the Guadalupe River on
September 29, 1835, Lieutenant Castaneda found his way blocked by
high water and 18 defiant Texan militiamen; over the next few days,
the Texans were reinforced by more than a hundred volunteers from
neighboring communities; at sundown on October 1, Castaneda moved
his men seven miles upriver, and late that same night, the Texans
crossed the river with the cannon; early the next morning, they
launched a surprise attack against the Mexican troops; and
WHEREAS, During a lull in the fighting, Castaneda met a party
of Texans under the command of John Henry Moore for a parley in the
middle of the battlefield, and when Castaneda demanded that the
cannon be returned, the Texans gestured to the six-pounder, 200
yards away, and said, "There it is, come and take it"; when the
battle resumed, the Texans fired the cannon once, killing a Mexican
soldier, and Lieutenant Castaneda withdrew his forces to Bexar;
that fateful cannon shot marked the beginning of the Texas War for
Independence; and
WHEREAS, Today the city of Gonzales continues to honor its
role as the "Lexington of Texas," and the famous "Come and Take It"
Cannon is a featured exhibit in the Gonzales Memorial Museum; this
remarkable historical artifact remains a powerful symbol of the
Lone Star State's spirit of independence and determination, and it
is indeed fitting that it receive special notice; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize the "Come and Take It" Cannon of the
Battle of Gonzales as a Texas Treasure and express sincere
gratitude to the people of Gonzales for maintaining this symbol of
Texas pride; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the citizens of Gonzales as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
Kleinschmidt
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 622 was adopted by the House on March
13, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House