BENJAMIN RUSH MILAM TEXAS ARMY

TEXAS 1835

TEXAN ARMY CAPTURES SAN ANTONIO

December 9, 1835 the newly created Texan Army, under the leadership of Benjamin Rush

Milam, takes possession of the city of San Antonio in the war for independence from

Mexico.

Benjamin Rush Milam was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, 1788, and became a citizen soldier

of newly independent Mexico and was one of many American's who immigrated to the

Mexican State of Mexico. These immigrants found that the Mexican Government both welcomed and feared a growing number of Americans and they were treated with

uneven fairness.

In 1835 Santa Ana had overthrown the Mexican Republic and established himself the

Mexican dictator, Milam, renounced his Mexican citizenship and joined the rag-tag

army of the new formed Republic of Texas.

After the Texas Army had captured Goliad, Milam was sent into the southwest on a mission

of reconnaissance and was part of the planned attack of San Antonio only to learn that the generals had postponed the attack for the winter. Knowing that Santa Ana's troops were

already on their way to Texas to suppress the rebellion, Milam knew such a hesitation

would end the revolution, he made a impassioned 'call' for volunteers to follow “Ole Ben

Milam into San Antonio”.

Three hundred men did volunteer and made attack on San Antioio at dawn, December 5^th

and by the 7^th the Mexican 's defending force were badly beaten and surrendered the city.

Benjamin Rush Milam was not there to witness the results of his leadership. He was killed

instantly by a snipers bullet on December 7^th. If Milam had survived he might have well

been among the doomed defenders of the Alamo, wiped out by Santa Ana's troops in March.

Source: A&E Networks, History This Day 9 December 2017.

Abstract December 9, 2017 Harrison H.