Texana Thursday: Come and Take It, First of 2 Parts

Today, the “Come and Take It” slogan is a popular slogan on many paraphernalia items (public domain image)

Chances are that you’ve seen bumper stickers, coffee mugs, replica flags, or framed wall images with a Texas lone star, a cannon, and the slogan, “Come and Take It.”

The slogan reflects a proud, Don’t-Mess-With-Texas attitude today. It reflected the same attitude when it first came to light on a flag flown at the Battle of Gonzales.

Gonzales, with a population of approximately 7,500, is about 75 miles east of San Antonio. It was the site of the first shot of what would become the Texas Revolution.

In 1831, Texas was part of Mexico. At the request of Green DeWitt, the empresario of Gonzales, the Mexican government had given Gonzales residents a cannon to be used against Indian attacks. (In the Texas of that day, an empresario entered into a contract with the Spanish, or later Mexican government to settle a certain number of families in exchange for a large piece of land. Stephen F. Austin was the most prominent of the empresarios.) According to Dr. Gregg Dimmick, a Texas history and archaeological enthusiast and author, DeWitt’s request said that the cannon would be returned when requested.

Eventually tensions arose between the Mexican government and Anglo settlers. In September 1835, the Mexican government sent approximately 100 soldiers to retrieve the cannon. Their orders were to use force if necessary, but to avoid open conflict if possible. The settlers refused to return the cannon, and the ladies of the settlement created a white flag with a lone star, an image of the cannon, and the now famous slogan, “Come and Take It.”

A brief skirmish ensued, and the Mexican force retreated.

In part 2, the story of what happened to the cannon after the battle. It’s a matter in dispute.