How Did The Lipantitlans: A Brief Look At The Battle Of Texas

NOTE: The battles of Texas were not in such a consecutive order, certain ones overlapped and some had occasional intermissions. The battles mentioned in this paper are the ones the author felt had been overlooked and needed to be recognized, not all of the battles are listed in this paper. Texas became a US state on December 29th, 1845. Many people know how Texas was originally Mexican territory, and how there were many battles between the Mexicans and Texans to officially claim the land. Unfortunately, some of those battles have been overlooked or forgotten, even though they played a big role in Texas history. (Last sentence in progress). The Battle of Gonzales was one of the first battles to occur, it took place on October

To Santa Anna, he had won a major victory, but this brutal event was the trigger to several other battles, some in which Mexico had been crushed. Some time after Goliad, the Battle of Lipantitlan took place. This battle is one of the most forgotten ones in Texas history, but it is a very interesting subject. The word “Lipantitlan” translates in English to; “The Land of the Lipan” as in the Lipan Apache, a type of Native Americans. Lipantitlan was a fort which was used by both the Mexican, and the Texan armies during military voyages. The two opponents each used this fort at different times, but began wanting it entirely to themselves. The Battle of Lipantitlan occurred November 4, 1835. The Texans were led by Adjutant Ira J. Westover, they left Goliad with only 35 men, but were joined by many settlers on the way. By the time they had reached Fort Lipantitlan, the number of soldiers had nearly doubled. Approximately 90 Mexicans prepared, under the orders of Captain Nicolás Rodriguez. The Texans arrived at Lipantitlan after crossing the Nueces river, and waited until morning to attack. Within the fort were Jacales, huts consisting of dirt with fence rails to hold it in place. John Linn, a member of the Texan army, even wrote; “It answered tolerably well…...for a second rate hog

They agreed to have the fort taken by the Texans, along with their twin sister canons and 21 men, so that they would be free to leave without any harm done. When the Texans finally started to cross back over the Nueces, the Mexicans took action. However, Westover and his men fought courageously, and in only 32 minutes, they demolished the enemy. 28 of the 90 Mexicans were lost in that fight, while only a few Texans were badly injured, such as the three fingers of William Bracket’s right hand had been shot off by a rifle ball. After the battle, Westover told his men to haul the canons back across the river and bring them home, but the weather did not cooperate. Due to the heavy rain, the Texans were ordered to dump the cannons into the river, which is where they still lie