Editing Texas Revolution (section)

===Gonzales===
{{main|Battle of Gonzales}}
[[File:Gonzales Flag.JPG|thumb|right|200px|alt=A white flag, with a five-pointed-star over the outline of a small cannon, with the words Come and Take It below. The left corner of the flag has been torn off and sewn back on.|A reproduction of the original [[Come and take it]] flag, which flew during the [[battle of Gonzales]]]]
<!--[[File:Texas Flag Come and Take It.svg|thumb|right|200px|Modern representation of the [[Come and take it]] flag Texians flew during the [[battle of Gonzales]]]] -->

In the early 1830s, the army loaned the citizens of [[Gonzales, Texas|Gonzales]] a small cannon for protection against Indian raids.<ref name=edmondson74>Edmondson (2000), p. 74.</ref>  After a Mexican soldier bludgeoned a Gonzales resident on September 10, 1835, tensions rose even further, and Mexican authorities felt it unwise to leave the settlers with a weapon.<ref name="winders57">Winders (2004), p. 54.</ref> Colonel [[Domingo de Ugartechea]], commander of all Mexican military forces in Texas, sent a small detachment of troops to retrieve the cannon.<ref name=hardin7/> After settlers escorted the group from town without the cannon, Ugartechea sent 100 [[dragoon]]s with Lieutenant [[Francisco de Castañeda]] to demand compliance, with orders to avoid force if possible.<ref name=hardin7/><ref name=davis138>Davis (2006), p. 138.</ref>

Many of the settlers believed Mexican authorities were manufacturing an excuse to attack the town and eliminate the militia.<ref name=davis137>Davis (2006), p. 137.</ref> Texians stalled Castañeda's attempts to negotiate the cannon's return for several days as they waited for reinforcements from other colonies.<ref name=davis139>Davis (2006), pp. 139–140.</ref>  In the early hours of October 2, approximately 140 Texian volunteers attacked Castañeda's force. After a brief skirmish, Castañeda requested a meeting with Texian leader [[John Henry Moore (Texas settler)|John Henry Moore]]. Castañeda revealed that he shared their federalist leanings, but that he was honor-bound to follow orders. As Moore returned to camp, the Texians raised a homemade white banner with an image of the cannon painted in black in the center, over the words "[[Come and take it|Come and Take It]]". Realizing that he was outnumbered and outgunned, Castañeda led his troops back to Béxar.<ref name=hardin12>Hardin (1994), p. 12.</ref>  In this first battle of the revolution, two Mexican soldiers were killed, and one Texian was injured when he fell off his horse.<ref name=davis142>Davis (2006), p. 142.</ref> Although the event was, as characterized by historian [[William C. Davis (historian)|William C. Davis]], "an inconsequential skirmish in which one side did not try to fight", Texians soon declared it a victory over Mexican troops.<ref name=davis142/>  News of the skirmish spread throughout the United States, encouraging many adventurers to come to Texas to join the fight.<ref name=hardin13>Hardin (1994), p. 13.</ref>

Volunteers continued to arrive in Gonzales. On October 11, the troops unanimously elected Austin, who had no official military experience, the leader of the group he had dubbed the [[Texian Army|Army of the People]].<ref name=winders55>Winders (2004), p. 55.</ref><ref name=hardin26>Hardin (1994), p. 26.</ref>  From the beginning, the volunteer army proved to have little discipline. Austin's first official order was to remind his men that they were expected to obey their commanding officers.<ref name=winders55/>  Buoyed by their victory, the Texians were determined to drive the Mexican army out of Texas, and they began preparing to march to Béxar.<ref name="winders57"/>