2012-4 Remembrances Special EditionCity of Schertz – Remembrances Publication Special Edition 2012-4 Presented by: Schertz Historical Preservation Committee
March 2nd – A Day of Remembrance
March 2, 2012, was a day of destruction across the Midwest and Southern United States. Tornadoes
sweep across many states from Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia leaving a path of destruction miles wide in each state and 36 reported deaths. There were a record number of tornadoes recorded throughout the areas during a two day period. Those events were disastrous natural weather
related occurrences. March 2nd marked a couple of other historical events in Texas history. One such event that occurred some 175 years ago (1836) was the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Another March 2nd event important in aviation history was the date of the first flight of a military aircraft
from a military post (March 2, 1910). That flight occurred at Fort Sam Houston and was piloted by Lt. Benjamin Foulois. Lt. Foulois was a strong proponent of military air power and led the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1931 until his retirement in 1935.
The signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence produced some tragic consequences. The one event most remember as a dreaded consequence of the signing was the defeat of the Texas revolutionaries at the Alamo on March 6, 1836. But, in fact, a far more significant disaster of Texas revolutionary history dates to the first Texas Revolution against Spanish rule some 200 years ago. That disaster occurred at the Battle of Medina. The reminder of the devastating occurrences at Medina were, interestingly enough, reported in the San Antonio Express News on the same day as the tornadoes swept across the Midwest and South. The story’s focus was on the controversy over the exact site of the battlegrounds not the battle itself. The article supplied several interesting historical facts about the Declaration and the Battle of
Medina that bear recounting for those who may not have read the item or who may have forgotten the significance of the Battle.
The Battle of Medina (a spot just south of San Antonio) occurred on August 18, 1813. This battle lasted
approximately four hours and became the deadliest conflict in Texas history. It resulted in the death of nearly 1,000 men with the Republican Army of the North. About 300 more rebels were executed following the battle. The entire independence effort resulted in the estimated loss of 40 percent of the Texas provinces inhabitance. This victory for the Spanish Royal Army ended the short lived existence of the first Republic of Texas. This early attempt to establish a Texas Republic was to be the catalyst for the movement that developed into the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836 against Mexico. So, while “remember the Alamo” may have been an effective rebel battle cry for the Texas independence fighters, an even more meaningful cry might have been “remember Medina”.
The Texas Declaration of Independence was a document agreed to and signed by its authors on March 2, 1836 at a conference of Texas representatives held at Washington-on-the Brazos. The original hand written document was delivered by William H. Wharton to the U.S. State Department in Washington and remained in Washington until it was returned to Texas in 1896. A reproduction of the document is on display at the Texas Capital. There were 59 signers of the Declaration, only two of who were native Texans. The other 57 signers were from 12 states and five foreign countries. Only ten had lived in Texas
longer than six years and 15 had moved to the state less than a year earlier.
The fight for Texas independence from Spanish colonial rule, in fact, dates back as early as the 16th century and entails struggles by the then Tejano ranchers and farmers against the Spanish Crown. The
Tejano chapter of Texas history is just now becoming public and the placement of a monument celebrating that history at the Texas State Capital grounds on March 29, 2012 is a recognizable beginning.
Whether it was the 19th, 20th or the 21st century, March 2nd has seen some significant historical events
worthy of our remembrance.