“Who’ll go to San Antonio with Old Ben Milam?” Mom posed that question and my brother Walter and I broke into cheers. Late May, school was out and we were ready! San Antonio meant excitement, the Breckenridge Zoo, big city lights, the peacock dancing atop the Majestic Theater.
For Ben Milam it was a dead serious question. Late in the year 1835 San Antonio was besieged by a rag-tag Texas army. Mexican troops under General Cos occupied the little city. Their numbers about equaled the Texans. The Mexicans were trained soldiers, well disciplined, but were short of supplies. The Texans were volunteers sadly lacking in discipline but re-supplied as needed.
Stephen F. Austin, the father of Texas, was a respected leader but lacked military experience. He wasn’t an effective commander. The Texans became disgruntled after a few months of siege. Some packed up and went home. Austin himself decamped for the newly-formed governing body in San Felipe, leaving a fragmented command.
As was the custom at that time, the citizen soldiers took a vote. Attack San Antonio or go home? Leadership was uncertain. Just when it seemed that the army would disperse, up stepped an old Indian trader and impresario.
“Who will go with Old Ben Milam into Bexar?”
(It wasn’t called San Antonio until Texas gained her independence. Right, Mom?).
During several days of bitter fighting, house to house and knife to knife, General Cos yielded. He was given his parole and vowed never to return. Soldiers were allowed to keep their weapons and ten rounds of ammo, for protection against Indians during their return to Mexico.
A few months later a large Mexican army led by El Presidente Santa Anna returned to San Antonio. The Texans fortified the Alamo. You know the rest of the story, right?
I will go to San Antonio again, this summer, for sure. And visit the old places. I can show you the river cypress from which a Mexican sniper killed Old Ben Milam.
Wish I could take Mom along, one more time.
Dac Crossley
May 29, 2012
“Some defeats are only installments to victory.” – Jacob Rils