The Battle of Nacogdoches culminated on August 2, 1832, after a group of
Texians
Texians were Anglo-American residents of Mexican Texas and, later, the Republic of Texas.
Today, the term is used to identify early settlers of Texas, especially those who supported the Texas Revolution. Mexican settlers of that era are refer ...
resisted an order issued in July by the commander of the Mexican Army at
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchito ...
to surrender their arms. The situation soon escalated into a major battle.
Background
Numerous communities advocated support for the Mexican federalists, who were revolting against the central government. The Texians thought they had found their champion when
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (; 21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. usually known as Santa Ann ...
declared against the Centralist regime in 1832.
The Mexican army commander in Nacogdoches, José de las Piedras, after reviewing all that occurred during the
Anahuac Disturbances, had issued an order that all residents in his area surrender their arms.
James Bowie
James Bowie ( ) ( – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American pioneer, slave smuggler and trader, and soldier who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of h ...
heard of the situation and cut short a visit to Natchez in July 1832 to return to Texas.
[Archie P. McDonald, "NACOGDOCHES, BATTLE OF," ]Handbook of Texas Online
The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia
An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular ...
br>
accessed June 22, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. The city officials of Nacogdoches resisted the order and soon organized a militia.
Call to arms
On July 28, they issued a call for help from the local settlements. Messengers were sent out requesting military assistance. Samuel S. Lewis and Bailey Anderson, Jr. brought men to Nacogdoches from the
Rusk County, Texas, area surrounding the
Ayish Bayou
Ayish Bayou is a river in Texas. Ayish Bayou begins about north of San Augustine in northern San Augustine County. The course of the stream runs southeast for through the center of the county, before discharging into the Angelina River in north ...
, and John M. Bradley brought men from the San Augustine area, and James Bradshaw brought a company from the
Neches settlement. Parties from the
Sabine
The Sabines (; lat, Sabini; it, Sabini, all exonyms) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome.
The Sabines divide ...
and
Shelby settlements also sent assistance.
On August 1, a force of about 300 met up at Pine Hill and elected James W. Bullock of Attoyac Bayou as their captain.
[TAMU, The Confrontation at Nacogdoches, August 1832, from John Henry Brown, History of Texas, 189]
/ref>
Conflict
On the morning of August 2, 1832, Bowie joined the Texian Militia
The Texian Militia was the militia forces of Texian colonists in the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas from 1823 to 1835 and the inaugurate force of the Texas Military. It was established by Stephen F. Austin on August 5, 1823 for defense of the ...
and they marched into Nacogdoches to voice their demands to Piedras and to declare favor for Santa Anna.[Hopewell (1994), p.92] Piedras declined to rescind his order and to support Santa Anna.
The group returned in the evening and before they had reached the building housing the city officials, they were attacked by a force of 100 Mexican cavalry. The Texians returned fire, but some eventually fell back. Fighting continued and the cavalry retreated. 100 Texians initiated a siege of the garrison.[ As house-to-house fighting progressed, the Texians took possession of several buildings and the Old Stone Fort. With Mexican casualties escalating, the Mexican Army took refuge in the main fort. A second battle line began to form from the north, that drove the cavalry from the Mexican headquarters known as Old Red House, while Redlanders arriving from San Augustine approached from the rear. During the night, the Mexican army evacuated from the city.
On August 3, James Carter, Bowie and 15 companions ambushed the fleeing army on the ]Angelina River
The Angelina River is formed by the junction of Barnhardt and Shawnee creeks northwest of Laneville in southwest central Rusk County, Texas.
The river flows southeast for and forms the boundaries between Cherokee and Nacogdoches, Angelina and ...
and Piedras fled to a nearby home. His men turned against him and Captain Francisco Medina took charge. Medina declared to be federalist and surrendered Piedras and 300 troops to the Texians. Piedras had lost some forty-seven men killed, with forty plus wounded. The Texians marched the rest of the soldiers back to Nacogdoches and on to San Antonio, where they were released. Asa Edwards escorted Piedras to Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...
at San Felipe. Piedras was paroled and sent to the Mexican interior. The Texians suffered three killed and four wounded, one mortally.
Citations
See also
* Texian Militia
The Texian Militia was the militia forces of Texian colonists in the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas from 1823 to 1835 and the inaugurate force of the Texas Military. It was established by Stephen F. Austin on August 5, 1823 for defense of the ...
* List of conflicts involving the Texas Military The history of conflicts involving the Texas Military spans over two centuries, from 1823 to present, under the command authority (the ultimate source of lawful military orders) of four governments including the Texas governments (3), American gov ...
References
*
{{Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas
History of Texas
1832 in Texas
August 1832 events