Chapter 9

Committees of Correspondence

Siege Provisional

Government Municipality Regular Army Veto

Override Petition Executive Legislative Judicial Civil Rights Ad Interim

Section 1

Tension continued and Mexican officials feared opposition.

General Cós arrived with more soldiers – now 650. Settlers were concerned and committees of safety

were formed. o Patrols watched the roads to give warnings of approaching

troops. Rumors spread that Cós was planning on arresting

all Texas leaders. Committees of Correspondence were formed.

o Local groups sharing political and military information kept the colonists informed of everything that was going on.

October 2, 1835 – first conflict between Mexican troops and Texan colonists came at Gonzales.o This was two weeks prior to the start of the Consultation at

Washington-on-the-Brazos. Colonel Ugartechea, the Mexican Commander at San

Antonio, ordered the people of Gonzales to surrender their small brass cannon.o They refused and gathered armed men.o Colonel Ugartechea ordered 100 soldiers to take the cannon

by force. o The settlers mounted the cannon on a wagon and decorated

the front with a white flag the bore the words “Come and Take It.”

o One Mexican soldier was killed and no Texan was killed. The battle was brief, but Cós regarded the actions as the outbreak of war.

October 9, 1835 – 120 Texans took the garrison at Goliad by surprise and captured the presidio. o They now realized that Mexico could be defeated.o There was only one place left in Texas with a major force

– Cós at San Antonio. Stephen F. Austin took command of the 400

Texans – known as the Army of the People – heading to San Antonio. o Texans laid siege – to set up a military blockade around

– to San Antonio.o Austin hoped Cós would run out of supplies and quickly

be forced to surrender.

The Consultation moved the date and place. o They met on November 3, 1835 in San Felipe. o 58 delegates representing 14 towns or districts attended

the Consultation. • War Party – immediate declaration of independence.• Peace Party – oppose Santa Anna, but fight for the Constitution

of 1824. November 6, 1835 – Peace Party wins!

o 14 voted for independence/33 voted against independence. Declaration of the People of Texas in General

Convention Assembled – published in English and Spanish.o Declared loyalty to Mexico.o Supported Constitution of 1824. o Fought only to defend themselves and oppose Santa Anna.

After, the Consultation, they created a provisional – temporary – government. o It consisted of a governor, lieutenant governor, and a general

council with one representative from each of the locally governed areas known as municipalities.

o The powers were defined vaguely – not so clear – and this caused problems later on. • Governor was Henry Smith of the War Party• Lt. Governor was James W. Robinson of the War Party • Council was made up mostly of people from the Peace Party

• This caused many problems.

An army was set up with Sam Houston as the commander.

Stephen F. Austin, William H. Wharton, and Branch T. Archer were appointed to represent Texas in the U.S. to obtain troops, supplies, and money to finance the expected war.

Section 2

Edward Burleson was chosen to command the volunteer army.o On of the army scouts, Erastus “Deaf” Smith reported

that a Mexican cavalry and mule train were heading toward S.A.

o They thought the mules carried silver to pay the Mexican soldiers.

o They attacked the cavalry, only to find the mules only carried grass to feed horses.

o Winter was approaching soon and the soldiers were hungry, restless, and coatless.• They returned home in early December and the siege was

called off.

As Burleson prepared to leave the camp near S.A., he received information that Cós and his army were weak at the moment.o Many volunteers had already arrived in Texas from the U.S. o Ben Milam heard that many Texans decided not to attack he

gave a plea, “Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?”• He gathered 300 volunteers and split the group in two where he

led one and Frank W. Johnson led the other. The attack began on December 5 and lasted four days.

o The third day was known as the Siege of Béxar. o During fighting, the Mexican forces were driven toward the

center of town and took refuge in the abandoned mission known as the Alamo.

o December 9 – Cós asked for surrender terms. He promised to never fight the colonists of the Constitution of 1824.

o The Texas army now held Goliad and the Alamo and believed the war was over so they returned back to their home.

Governor Smith and the General Council quarreled on a constant basis.o In December, the Council voted to hold a convention of

the people in March 1836, but Smith vetoed, or rejected the proposal. The General Council then overrode, or passed the proposal over the veto.

o The General Council then voted to capture the Mexican town of Matamoros, but Smith opposed it.

o Neither side would cooperate with the other, and instead of planning to fight Santa Anna, they did nothing and accomplished very little.

Section 3

Santa Anna crossed over in early February. o February 23, 1836 – his army arrived in San Antonio.

The Texans in San Antonio moved into the Alamo and worked to make it stronger than ever.

Other Texans were traveling to Washington-on-the-Brazos for the Convention of 1836.

The convention began on March 1, 1836 with 59 delegates.o Only two members, José Antonio Navarro and José Francisco

Ruíz, were native Texans. o 45 of the delegates were natives of the Southern states of the

U.S. o 7 had been born in the northern U.S. o 1 from Mexico. o 1 of each of the following countries: England, Scotland,

Ireland, and Canada. Richard Ellis was elected chairman and H.S. Kimble

was elected secretary of the convention. A motion was passed to write a Declaration of

Independence from Mexico. o A declaration was presented the next morning by George C.

Childress.

The declaration stated the following: o The government of Santa Anna had violated the liberties

guaranteed under the Mexican Constitution of 1824.o Texas had been deprived of freedom of religion, the

right to trial by jury, the right to bear arms, and the right to petition, or request something from, the government.

o Mexico failed to provide a system of public education. o Texans’ protests against these policies were met with

force. It was adopted on March 2, 1836 – this is Texas

Independence Day!

Completed and approved on March 16, 1836. It included:

o Three branches of government – executive, legislative, and judicial. • The president was given a great amount of power to carry

out his duties. o A Bill of Rights – guaranteeing freedom of speech, press,

religion, trial by jury, and other basic civil rights, or guaranteed freedoms.

o Slavery was legal. • Free African-Americans were not permitted to live in the

Republic of Texas without congressional permission.

With Mexican troops in Texas, it was impossible to hold general elections to approve the constitution and to vote for a leader of the new republic.o The convention’s

last act was to select officers for an ad interim, or temporary, government.

President – David G. Burnet Vice President – Lorenzo de

Zavala Sec. of State – Samuel P. Carson Sec. of Treasury – Bailey

Hardeman Sec. of War – Thomas J. Rusk Sec. of Navy – Robert Potter Attorney General – David

Thomas Army Commander – Sam

Houston

On March 17, 1836, a messenger reported that Santa Anna’s army had captured the Alamo and were marching toward Washington-on-the-Brazos.

William F. Gray wrote in his diary that, after the convention adjourned, the members scattered “in all directions, with haste and in confusion.” General panic seemed to spread throughout central Texas.

The leaders of the government fled to Harrisburg. o As Santa Anna’s army approached, they fled once more

toward Galveston. The war was underway, and the future looked bleak

for the new Republic of Texas.