A point of honor: how a single cannon sparked a revolution

Wars & Conflicts · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1835, a small bronze cannon became the catalyst for a revolution. What began as a simple loan from the Mexican government to protect against raids transformed into a symbol of defiance, leading to the first shots fired in the Texas Revolution and a lasting geopolitical shift.

The friction began with a practical request. In 1831, Green DeWitt asked Mexican authorities for a cannon to defend the Gonzales colony from frequent Comanche raids. The government agreed, providing a Spanish six-pounder bronze gun on the condition it be returned upon request. However, as Mexico shifted toward centralism in 1835 and several states revolted, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea felt it unwise to leave the weapon with the colonists. When the settlers refused to return it, he dispatched a detachment of 100 dragoons to retrieve it by force.

The standoff escalated into a tactical game of cat and mouse. The Texians used various excuses to delay the soldiers, eventually gathering up to 140 men in Gonzales. While some residents voted to hand over the gun to avoid conflict, others—including alcalde Andrew Ponton—refused, turning the weapon into an "unlikely rallying symbol." On September 29, the Mexican troops were blocked from crossing the Guadalupe River by a group of 18 Texians known as "Old Eighteen," who held the line until reinforcements arrived.

The skirmish occurred in the early hours of October 2, 1835. Under the cover of thick fog and darkness, the Texian militia surrounded the Mexican camp. After several hours of desultory firing and a brief counterattack by 40 mounted soldiers, the Mexicans withdrew. Though militarily minor, the event was framed as the "Lexington of Texas." It marked the definitive break between the colonists and the Mexican government, fueled by tensions over slavery, immigration bans, and Santa Anna's move toward dictatorship.

The fate of the original bronze six-pounder remains a mystery. One theory suggests it was buried in 1936; another claims it was seized after the Battle of the Alamo. A different iron gun—a smaller one-pounder—was eventually recovered from a creek by a flood in 1936 and is currently on display in Gonzales.

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