Painting, Siege of Bexar. Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.
The Siege of Bexar (October to December 1835) The First Major Campaign for Texas
The Siege of Bexar marked the first major campaign of the Texas Revolution. From October to December 1835, Texian forces surrounded and fought Mexican troops in San Antonio de Bexar, ending in a decisive victory that set the stage for the legendary Battle of the Alamo.
The Road to San Antonio
After victories at Gonzales and Goliad, the Texians grew confident. But the heart of Mexican power in Texas remained in San Antonio de Bexar, where General Martin Perfecto de Cos commanded several hundred well-armed soldiers. If the Texians were to drive out Mexican authority, they had to take Bexar.
In mid-October 1835, a rough army of volunteers began to gather. They came from every corner of Texas — farmers, frontiersmen, and even adventurers from the United States. Leadership was loose, supplies were short, and tempers ran high, but their purpose was clear: push Cos out of Texas.
The Long Siege
By late October, the Texians, led by Stephen F. Austin, surrounded the town. Bexar was heavily fortified with the old Spanish mission known as the Alamo serving as Cos’s headquarters. The Texians had no cannons and little experience in siege warfare, but they knew how to wait.
For nearly six weeks, the two sides traded occasional fire. Cold winds swept across the plains, and the volunteers grew restless. Some argued to attack; others wanted to withdraw. Austin, frustrated by inaction, eventually left to seek reinforcements, and command passed to Edward Burleson.
Then, on December 5, 1835, opportunity came knocking.
The Battle for Bexar
Under the daring leadership of Ben Milam, a veteran of earlier campaigns, about 300 Texians stormed into the city streets before dawn. House-to-house fighting followed — brutal, close, and personal. Volunteers fought from rooftops and behind adobe walls while Mexican soldiers returned fierce musket fire.
For five days, chaos ruled the narrow lanes of Bexar. On December 7, Ben Milam was struck and killed by a sniper’s bullet, but his cry — “Who will go with old Ben Milam into Bexar?” — had already become legend. His men kept fighting, pushing closer to the Alamo itself.
By December 9, General Cos realized his position was hopeless. He surrendered his remaining 1,100 troops and agreed to withdraw beyond the Rio Grande.
The Victory and Its Cost
The Siege of Bexar ended in triumph. The Texians now controlled San Antonio, the Alamo, and nearly all of Texas. Spirits soared. Many believed the revolution was over — that freedom had been won. But that victory would soon be tested.
While the Texians celebrated, General Santa Anna was marching north with thousands of soldiers. He intended to crush the rebellion once and for all.
Legacy of Bexar
Today, the Siege of Bexar is remembered as both a victory and a warning. It showed the determination and grit of the Texian volunteers but also the chaos of an untrained army. The same walls that marked their triumph in 1835 would become their tombs just three months later at the Alamo.
San Antonio honors the men who fought and fell in those streets — including Ben Milam, whose courage remains a symbol of the Texas fighting spirit.