TITLE: Recognizing the Gonzales "Come and Take It" Cannon as a Texas Treasure.

SUMMARY: Recognizing the Gonzales "Come and Take It" Cannon as a Texas Treasure.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, For more than 175 years, the "Come and Take It" Cannon from the Battle of Gonzales in 1835 has been an enduring symbol of the Texas struggle for independence from Mexico; and WHEREAS, In 1831, Green DeWitt, a Texan colonist and the founder of the town of Gonzales, requested an artillery piece from the Mexican government as defense against hostile Indians; Ramon Musquiz, the Mexican governor in San Antonio de Bexar, provided the town with a cannon known as a six-pounder, because it fired a six-pound shell; and WHEREAS, Four years later, as tensions mounted between the colonists and the government of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the military commander at Bexar, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, sent a corporal and five soldiers to retrieve the six-pounder; the colonists in Gonzales refused to return it and imprisoned the soldiers; in response, Colonel Ugartechea sent Lieutenant Francisco de Castaneda and 100 dragoons to Gonzales to take the cannon by force; and WHEREAS, Arriving on the west bank of the Guadalupe River on September 29, 1835, Lieutenant Castaneda found his way blocked by high water and 18 defiant Texan militiamen; over the next few days, the Texans were reinforced by more than a hundred volunteers from neighboring communities; at sundown on October 1, Castaneda moved his men seven miles upriver, and late that same night, the Texans crossed the river with the cannon; early the next morning, they launched a surprise attack against the Mexican troops; and WHEREAS, During a lull in the fighting, Castaneda met a party of Texans under the command of John Henry Moore for a parley in the middle of the battlefield, and when Castaneda demanded that the cannon be returned, the Texans gestured to the six-pounder, 200 yards away, and said, "There it is, come and take it"; when the battle resumed, the Texans fired the cannon once, killing a Mexican soldier, and Lieutenant Castaneda withdrew his forces to Bexar; that fateful cannon shot marked the beginning of the Texas War for Independence; and WHEREAS, Today the city of Gonzales continues to honor its role as the "Lexington of Texas," and the famous "Come and Take It" Cannon is a featured exhibit in the Gonzales Memorial Museum; this remarkable historical artifact remains a powerful symbol of the Lone Star State's spirit of independence and determination, and it is indeed fitting that it receive special notice; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize the "Come and Take It" Cannon of the Battle of Gonzales as a Texas Treasure and express sincere gratitude to the people of Gonzales for maintaining this symbol of Texas pride; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the citizens of Gonzales as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Kleinschmidt Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 622 was adopted by the House on March 13, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House