Editing Texas Revolution (section)

===Siege of Béxar===
{{main|Siege of Béxar}}

While Dimmitt supervised the Texian forces along the Gulf Coast, Austin led his men towards Béxar to engage Cos and his troops.<ref name=barr6>Barr (1990), p. 6.</ref> Confident that they would quickly rout the Mexican troops, many Consultation delegates chose to join the military. Unable to reach a quorum, the Consultation was postponed until November 1.<ref name=lack41>Lack (1992), p. 41.</ref>  On October 16, the Texians paused {{convert|25|mi|km}} from Béxar. Austin sent a messenger to Cos giving the requirements the Texians would need to lay down their arms and "avoid the sad consequences of the Civil War which unfortunately threatens Texas".<ref name=davis150and1>Davis (2006), pp. 150–151.</ref>  Cos replied that Mexico would not "yield to the dictates of foreigners".<ref name=davis151>Davis (2006), p. 151.</ref>

[[Image:Martin perfecto de cos.jpg|left|thumb|upright|alt=Black-and-white drawing of a man, shown from mid-chest up. He is wearing a military jacket with a high collar.|General [[Martín Perfecto de Cos]]]]
The approximately 650 Mexican troops quickly built barricades throughout the town.<ref name="winders57"/><ref name=davis152>Davis (2006), p. 152.</ref>  Within days the Texian army, about 450 strong, initiated a [[siege of Béxar]],<ref name=davis152/> and gradually moved their camp nearer Béxar.<ref name=barr19>Barr (1990), p. 19.</ref>  On October 27, an advance party led by [[James Bowie]] and [[James Fannin]] chose [[Mission Concepción]] as the next campsite and sent for the rest of the Texian army.<ref name=barr22>Barr (1990), p. 22.</ref>  On learning that the Texians were temporarily divided, Ugartechea led troops to engage Bowie and Fannin's men.<ref name=barr23>Barr (1990), p. 23.</ref> The Mexican cavalry was unable to fight effectively in the wooded, riverbottom terrain, and the weapons of the Mexican infantry had a much shorter range than those of the Texians.<ref name=barr26>Barr (1990), p. 26.</ref>  After three Mexican infantry attacks were repulsed, Ugartechea called for a retreat.<ref name=hardin33>Hardin (1994), p. 33.</ref>  One Texian soldier had died, and between 14 and 76 Mexican soldiers were killed.<ref group=Note>Barr (1990), p. 26. claims 14 Mexican soldiers died. Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 23. estimated 60 Mexican casualties. Hardin (1994), p. 34. claims 76 Mexican soldiers died.</ref> Although [[Texas Tech University]] [[professor emeritus]] [[Alwyn Barr]] noted that the [[battle of Concepción]] "should have taught&nbsp;... lessons on Mexican courage and the value of a good defensive position",<ref name=barr60>Barr (1990), p. 60.</ref> Texas history expert [[Stephen Hardin]] believes that "the relative ease of the victory at Concepción instilled in the Texians a reliance on their long rifles and a contempt for their enemies".<ref name=hardin35>Hardin (1994), p. 35.</ref>

As the weather turned colder and rations grew smaller, groups of Texians began to leave, most without permission.<ref name=barr29>Barr (1990), p. 29.</ref> Morale was boosted on November 18, when the first group of volunteers from the United States, the [[New Orleans Greys]], joined the Texian army.<ref name=barr35>Barr (1990), p. 35.</ref><ref name=hardin60>Hardin (1994), p. 60.</ref> Unlike the majority of the Texian volunteers, the Greys looked like soldiers, with uniforms, well-maintained rifles, adequate ammunition, and some semblance of discipline.<ref name=hardin60/>

After Austin resigned his command to become a commissioner to the United States, soldiers elected [[Edward Burleson]] as their new commander.<ref name=hardin62>Hardin (1994), p. 62.</ref>  On November 26, Burleson received word that a Mexican [[packhorse|pack train]] of mules and horses, accompanied by 50–100&nbsp;Mexican soldiers, was within {{convert|5|mi|km}} of Béxar.<ref name=barr39>Barr (1990), p. 39.</ref><ref name=hardin64>Hardin (1994), p. 64.</ref> After a near mutiny, Burleson sent Bowie and William H. Jack with cavalry and infantry to intercept the supplies.<ref name=hardin64/><ref name=edmondson237>Edmondson (2000), p. 237.</ref> In the subsequent skirmish, the Mexican forces were forced to retreat to Béxar, leaving their cargo behind. To the disappointment of the Texians, the saddlebags contained only fodder for the horses; for this reason the battle was later known as the [[Grass Fight]].<ref name=edmondson238>Edmondson (2000), p. 238.</ref>  Although the victory briefly uplifted the Texian troops, morale continued to fall as the weather turned colder and the men grew bored.<ref name=edmondson224>Edmondson (2000), p. 224.</ref>  After several proposals to take Béxar by force were voted down by the Texian troops,<ref name=davis179and181>Davis (2006), pp. 179, 181.</ref> on December 4 Burleson proposed that the army lift the siege and retreat to Goliad until spring. In a last effort to avoid a retreat, Colonel [[Ben Milam]] personally recruited units to participate in an attack. The following morning, Milam and Colonel [[Frank W. Johnson]] led several hundred Texians into the city. Over the next four days, Texians fought their way from house to house towards the fortified plazas near the center of town.<ref group=Note>Milam was killed by a sharpshooter on December 7. Edmondson (2000), p. 243.</ref><ref name=edmondson243>Edmondson (2000), p. 243.</ref>

Cos received 650 reinforcements on December 8,<ref name=winders64>Winders (2004), p. 64.</ref> but to his dismay most of them were raw recruits, including many convicts still in chains.<ref name=todish26/>  Instead of being helpful, the reinforcements were mainly a drain on the dwindling food supplies.<ref name=winders64/>  Seeing few other options, on December 9, Cos and the bulk of his men withdrew into the [[Alamo Mission]] on the outskirts of Béxar. Cos presented a plan for a counterattack; cavalry officers believed that they would be surrounded by Texians and refused their orders.<ref name=barr55>Barr (1990), p. 55.</ref> Possibly 175 soldiers from four of the cavalry companies left the mission and rode south; Mexican officers later claimed the men misunderstood their orders and were not deserting.<ref name=todish26>Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 26.</ref> The following morning, Cos surrendered.<ref name=barr56>Barr (1990), p. 56.</ref>  Under the terms of the surrender, Cos and his men would leave Texas and no longer fight against supporters of the Constitution of 1824.<ref name=barr58>Barr (1990), p. 58.</ref> With his departure, there was no longer an organized garrison of Mexican troops in Texas,<ref name=barr64>Barr (1990), p. 64.</ref> and many of the Texians believed that the war was over.<ref name=hardin91>Hardin (1994), p. 91.</ref> Burleson resigned his leadership of the army on December 15 and returned to his home. Many of the men did likewise, and Johnson assumed command of the 400 soldiers who remained.<ref name=barr58/><ref name=todish29/>

According to Barr the large number of American volunteers in Béxar "contributed to the Mexican view that Texian opposition stemmed from outside influences".<ref name=barr63>Barr (1990), p. 63.</ref> In reality, of the 1,300 men who volunteered to fight for the Texian army in October and November 1835, only 150–200 arrived from the United States after October 2. The rest were residents of Texas with an average immigration date of 1830.<ref group=Note>If those who arrived after the battle of Gonzales are included, the average immigration date is 1832. Lack (1992), pp. 114–115.</ref> Volunteers came from every municipality, including those that were partially occupied by Mexican forces.<ref name=lack114and5>Lack (1992), pp. 114–115.</ref> However, as residents returned to their homes following Cos's surrender, the Texian army composition changed dramatically. Of the volunteers serving from January through March 1836, 78 percent had arrived from the United States after October 2, 1835.<ref group="Note">These numbers are gathered from a combination of surviving muster rolls and veteran applications for land grants. It is likely that the statistics on the Texian army size in both 1835 and 1836 underestimate the number of ''Tejanos'' who served in the army. American volunteers who returned to the U.S. without claiming land are also undercounted. Lack (1992), p. 113.</ref><ref name=lack122and3>Lack (1992), pp. 122–123.</ref>