On a crisp October morning in 1835, as mist rolled off the San Antonio River, ninety Texian volunteers would make their stand in what would become the first major engagement of the Texas Revolution. The Battle of Concepción, though often overshadowed by the Alamo, set the tone for the entire independence movement and proved that Texian forces could stand toe-to-toe with Mexican regulars.
The Eve of Battle
James Bowie and James Fannin, leading their small but determined force, had been dispatched by Stephen F. Austin to scout locations near San Antonio de Béxar. They made camp near Mission Concepción, about two miles south of San Antonio, in what Bowie would later describe as “an angular bend of the river, with a steep bluff bank.”
Noah Smithwick, a volunteer present at the battle, described the evening before:
“We lay down in the dry grass within the bend of the river… The night was bitter cold, and but few of us had blankets. We lay shivering, waiting for daylight to dawn.”
The Morning Surprise
As dawn broke on October 28, the Mexican forces under Colonel Domingo Ugartechea attempted to surprise the Texian camp. Private William Barret Travis, who would later command the Alamo, recorded:
“About 8 o’clock in the morning the enemy came in sight. They approached within 200 yards of us and opened a heavy fire of musketry and artillery upon our camp.”
The Mexican force, numbering around 275 men and supported by two small cannons, expected to make quick work of the Texian volunteers. They would soon learn otherwise.
The Battle Unfolds
The natural defensive position chosen by Bowie proved crucial. The river bend protected their flanks, while the bluff provided excellent cover. Bowie himself would later write:
“Our situation was a good one. The rise we occupied gently descended to a small valley, beyond which at the distance of about 100 yards, rose abruptly another elevation… The enemy took possession of the latter.”
The Mexican cavalry attempted to outflank the Texian position, but the steep river banks made this impossible. Meanwhile, the Mexican artillery proved ineffective in the morning fog. John Henry Brown, another participant, recalled:
“Their artillery was discharged repeatedly, but aimed too high, the balls passing over us and through the tops of the trees in our rear.”
Victory for Texas
The battle lasted only thirty minutes. The Texians’ accurate rifle fire proved devastating to the Mexican forces, who were accustomed to shorter-range muskets. The Mexican troops retreated in disorder, leaving behind their cannon and several dead and wounded.
Richard Ellis, one of the volunteers, wrote home the next day:
“Our men behaved like veterans, none flinching… The enemy left their cannon in their haste to retreat, having suffered sixteen killed and many more wounded. We lost but one man slightly wounded.”
Legacy
The Battle of Concepción demonstrated that Texian volunteers could defeat professional Mexican troops in open combat. This victory boosted morale throughout Texas and helped convince many fence-sitters to support the revolution. Stephen F. Austin would later write:
“This morning’s battle has been a very fortunate one for Texas… It will help our cause more than any event that has occurred yet.”
Less than six months later, many of these same men would give their lives at the Alamo. But on this October morning, they had proven that Texas independence was not just a dream – it was a possibility worth fighting for.
The battlefield site still exists today, though much changed, near San Antonio’s Mission Concepción. While tourists flock to the Alamo, this quieter spot marks where the Texas Revolution truly began to take shape – where a small force of volunteers proved they could stand against a professional army, and where the long road to Texas independence began.
Visit Mission Concepción today!