September 11, 1842
Before the horrific attack in 2001, September 11 was known to historians as the day the Mexican Army succeeded is surprising the city of San Antonio and forcing a surrender. The occupation was short lived. The Texans rallied and forced a retreat a week later. Let us remember 9/11 as a day that created heroes out of ordinary citizens and remember the courage of those who responded to the call both in 1842 and 2001.
The following information is revised from the Texas State Historical Association Online Handbook.
The Mexican Attack on San Antonio, 1842
On September 11, 1842, a Mexican army of about 1,400 soldiers, led by General Adrián Woll, captured San Antonio. The attack was a surprise because Woll used an old secret trail through the hills to sneak into town. The people of San Antonio fought back for a short time, but they had to surrender. At the time, court was meeting in the town, so the Mexican army captured the judge, two members of the Texas Congress, and several lawyers and workers. A Tejano leader, Juan Seguín, fought with the Mexican army, which made many Anglo Texans believe that some Tejanos were helping Mexico.
Woll’s army stayed in San Antonio for a week. Meanwhile, Texan fighters gathered quickly under the leadership of Maj. John C. Hays and Mathew Caldwell. On September 17, the Texans fought the Mexican army at Salado Creek. The Texans were able to push back several attacks by the Mexican soldiers.
During the battle, 53 men from Fayette County, led by Capt. Nicholas Dawson, tried to join the Texans. Before they could get there, Mexican cavalry stopped them. Only two of Dawson’s men escaped. The rest were either killed or taken prisoner. This became known as the Dawson Fight.
Two days later, Woll and his army left San Antonio. They took with them several dozen Anglo prisoners and as many as 200 Tejanos, who were afraid of being punished if they stayed in Texas. Texan forces chased the Mexican army as far as the Hondo River and attacked them once more, but then gave up the pursuit.
