THE HISTORY OF THE GONZALES "COME AND TAKE IT" CANNON

The cannon fired the first shot for Texas' Independence at Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835. It had been loaned to the Gonzaleans in 1831 by the Mexican Government for protection against the Tonkawa Indians. In late September, 1835, El Presidente Santa Anna ordered Col. Ugartechea, Commandant at Bejar (San Antonio) to return the cannon to the Casas Reales (Mexican Armory at Bejar). Lt. Francisco Castaneda and 150 Dragoons were ordered to pick up the cannon. Their request to deliver the cannon was refused by 18 Gonzales men on the bank of the Guadalupe River at the ferry crossing. The spokesman, regidore Joseph Clements said, "I cannot, nor do I desire to deliver up the cannon and to only a thorough force will we yield." The cannon was already buried in the peach orchard of George W. Davis. The men of the town then dug up the cannon and mounted it on the axle of Eli Mitchell's cotton wagon. Sarah Seely and Eveline DeWitt took a wedding dress and stitched it into a white flag bearing a black star, a cannon, and the words "COME AND TAKE IT." On the evening of October 1, 1835, the Gonzaleans had increased their number to 160. Under the command of Col. John H. Moore of LaGrange, the men secretly crossed the Guadalupe the next morning about 6 miles southwest of Gonzales. They encountered the Mexican forces on the Ezekial Williams' Ranch (where Cost, Texas is now located). Here the cannon fired a charge of pieces of chain and scraps of metal, scattering the Mexicans in retreat to San Antonio. The Texas Revolution had begun.

After the short battle, the cannon was taken back to Gonzales to John Sowell's blacksmith shop in Gonzales. On October 3rd, Noah Smithwick, a capable gunsmith and blacksmith, scoured, brushed, respiked, and bushed the old rusty iron cannon and mounted it on a four-wheel carriage of lumber drawn by two yoke oxen. He christened it the "Flyin' Artillery." Gen. Stephen F. Austin took command of the Voluntary Army of Texas on October 9, 1835, and the cannon from Gonzales was the first piece of artillery the Army had as it marched out of Gonzales on the morning of October 12, 1835. The wheels began to smoke, grind and moan, and the men poured water and tallow on the axles. By that night the carriage had broken while crossing the many small creeks in western Gonzales County en route to San Antonio. On the morning of October 13th, Col. Ben Milam advised Gen. Austin to abandon the small cannon and its heavy carriage since plans were 'to capture larger cannons from Gen. Cos at San Antonio. Thus the cannon and its carriage were burned and buried in a shallow grave on Sandies Creek. The site was disguised to resemble an abandoned Indian campfire site. The cannon rested undisturbed for 101 years.

In late June, 1936, a devastating flood unearthed the cannon along with bodies from graves along Sandies Creek. The identity of the cannon then remained obscured for 44 more years. In April, 1980, the spiking and bushing workmanship of Noah Smithwick was discovered by Cannonoscopy and X-rays. This was compared to the information in the historical literature, particularly EVOLUTION OF A STATE: 'RECOLLECTIONS' OF OLD TEXAS DAYS by Noah Smithwick himself. This comparison confirmed that the rediscovered cannon was indeed the true "COME AND TAKE IT" cannon of 1835.

Today, the original “Come and Take It” cannon resides in the Gonzales Historical Museum located between Saint Louis Street and Saint Lawrence Street a few blocks east of the county courthouse.