[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE SIEGE OF BEXAR

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 12, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, between October and early December 
1835, an army of Texian volunteers laid siege to a Mexican army in San 
Antonio de Bexar. The Mexican General Santa Anna knew of the growing 
resistance against him in Texas, and so he set his brother-in-law 
General Martin Perfecto de Cos to San Antonio de Bexar and 600 men to 
quell the rebellion.
  In October 1835, a group of Texians volunteered to serve under 
Stephen F. Austin and Edward Burleson and lay siege to San Antonio de 
Bexar. Before dawn on December 5th of that same year, James Neill 
distracted the Mexican forces with artillery fire on the Alamo. At this 
same time, Ben Milam and Francis W. Johnson led two divisions in a 
surprise attack on the city.
  After four days of fighting, Cos sought to consolidate his troops at 
the Alamo, but a large part of his cavalry decided not to continue 
fighting and deserted. Mexican General Cos surrendered that same day, 
December 9, 1835. Cos promised to return to Mexico.
  When the fighting ended, Texas has between 30 and 35 casualties, 
while Mexican losses totaled about 150; the difference reflected the 
greater accuracy of the Texans' rifles. Most of the Texas volunteers 
went home after the battle, but Texas troops remained in town, which 
left San Antonio and all of Texas under the Texans' control.
  This battle was one of the first significant campaigns of the Texas 
Revolution. Within a few weeks, Texas would declare independence from 
Mexico. However, after the Mexican Army was defeated, in 1835 Santa 
Anna was intent on recapturing the mission. In February 1836, he 
returned to San Antonio de Bexar with several thousand soldiers. This 
led to the famous Battle of the Alamo where the Texians held out for 13 
days before the Alamo fell on March 6, 1836. The Mexican Army killed 
and/or executed all the 189 defenders.
  On April 21, General Sam Houston faced off with the numerically 
superior army of Santa Anna and defeated it, leading to Texas 
independence from Mexico. Texas remained a country for nine years 
before joining the United States.
  And that's just the way it is.

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