| Vol MMXIII, No 35 | February 4, 1874 | Wednesday Evening |
(1874)
In a letter dated this date in 1874, Charles Mason wrote to Col. Frank W Johnson details of the battle of Gonzales fought October 2, 1835. In the letter, Mason wrote in vivid detail about the men, movements, and conditions of the battle considered to be the Lexington-Concord, that is, the first battle of the Texas Revolution. Much of the details in the letter were taken from notes Mason recorded immediately following the battle, making this letter one the most detailed accounts of the opening battle of the Texas Revolution. The battle started when about 160 Mexican soldiers were sent to retrieve a cannon loaned to the Texas settlers as defense against the Indians. Instead of returning the cannon, the answer the Mexicans soldiers received was a cannon shot full of scrap iron. One Mexican Soldier was killed. The Battle flag at Gonzales depicting a cannon with the words "come and take it" beneath. This "Come and Take It" flag came to be the symbol of Texans standing strong against Mexican oppression.
