HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, Gonzales has long been known as the "Lexington of
 1-2     Texas" by virtue of the prominent place the town holds in the
 1-3     history of the Texas War for Independence, and it is appropriate
 1-4     that the State of Texas recognize this unique facet of our shared
 1-5     heritage as Texans and Americans; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Similarities between the two battles are striking;
 1-7     in 1775, American colonists were chafing under the rule of the
 1-8     distant British monarchy; fearing rebellion, the British army
 1-9     marched into the village of Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19,
1-10     1775, with the intention of confiscating the settlers' arms and
1-11     ammunition; the settlers resisted, and within minutes, the first
1-12     shots of the American Revolution had been fired; and
1-13           WHEREAS, Some 60 years later, Texans were growing resentful
1-14     of a Mexican colonial government that seemed unsympathetic to their
1-15     needs and concerns, and again the spirit of revolution was in the
1-16     air; when Mexican authorities demanded the return of a small cannon
1-17     that had been deployed to Gonzales for the protection of its
1-18     citizens, the townspeople refused, and 100 Mexican soldiers were
1-19     dispatched to Gonzales to retrieve the cannon and quash the
1-20     apparent insurrection; and
1-21           WHEREAS, An initial force of only 18 men set out to delay the
1-22     cavalrymen by removing the only river ferry that provided access to
1-23     the settlement; the Mexican soldiers were forced to look for
1-24     another crossing, and within a few days, on October 2, 1835, they
 2-1     were met by a force of some 50 armed Texans under the command of
 2-2     Colonel J. H. Moore and Lieutenant Colonel J. W. E. Wallace; at the
 2-3     forefront of the group was the cannon, and over the cannon flew a
 2-4     stark black and white flag featuring the immortal words, "Come and
 2-5     Take It!"; and
 2-6           WHEREAS, After one shot was fired from the small but powerful
 2-7     cannon, the Mexican Army retreated, and the people of Texas
 2-8     officially embarked on the path that would lead to independence and
 2-9     later statehood; and
2-10           WHEREAS, The significance of these two battles lies in the
2-11     determination of the people who were willing to risk their lives
2-12     for the noble cause of freedom, and it is indeed fitting that we
2-13     today pay homage to both of these watershed moments in history;
2-14     now, therefore, be it
2-15           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-16     hereby declare Gonzales to be the "Lexington of Texas" in
2-17     recognition of the town's vital role in the Texas Revolution.
                                                                       Green
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 179 was adopted by the House on
         April 14, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 179 was adopted by the Senate on
         May 10, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor