(Part of a series explaining the history behind my Texian Tees. Other entries: the Burnet Flag; the Johanna Troutman Flag; the De Zavala Flag; and the New Orleans Greys Flag. Click here to see and buy the shirts!)
Allegedly flown in the first battle of Texas’ revolution against Mexico, in October 1835, the flag depicts the legend “Come and Take It” under an old cannon Mexico had given to the DeWitt colonists to defend themselves against Native Americans. Under Santa Anna, Mexico began taking away the colonists’ arms, and requested the cannon back. The colonists, freaked out by the increasing dictatorship, said No, but thank you; we’ll keep the cannon. Mexico sent soldiers, but instructed them to avoid conflict if possible; the Texians fired on them; the Mexicans retreated.
About my design: People have depicted the arrangement of the star, slogan and cannon in a number of ways; I used what I think is a traditional arrangement, as seen in the 1938 mural above, in the Gonzales Memorial Museum, which apparently includes some Davy Crocketts manning the cannon and another Davy Crockett stuck behind the flag holding it out. My cannon is based on a photo of what some say is the actual cannon. Noah Smithwick’s description also places a Lone Star above the cannon. (The Handbook of Texas hypothesizes that the flag of Col. James Long’s 1819 expedition might have been the first to use a lone star for Texas.)
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