When the Mexican authorities demanded the return of a cannon loaned to the colonists of Gonzales in 1831, the citizens denied the request. In late September of 1835, Mexico dispatched 100 dragoons to retrieve the cannon. As the town fortified against the approaching attack, Cynthia Burns and Evaline DeWitt painted a flag on white cotton cloth, depicting the cannon, the lone star of Texas and “Come and Take It,” a clear challenge to the Mexicans. This is also referred to as “The Old Cannon Flag.” The Battle of Gonzales was quick as the First Shots Fired in the Texas Revolution resonated and the Texans were victorious.
