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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Throughout the long and colorful history of Texas, |
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the cannon has been an important weapon in the state's fight for |
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liberty and independence as well as a symbol of the defiance and |
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determination of its people; and |
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WHEREAS, The very first conflict of the Texas Revolution, the |
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Battle of Gonzales, was fought over a cannon; on October 2, 1835, |
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the 150 Texian rebels at Gonzales refused to surrender their bronze |
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six-pounder to Mexican dragoons; they pointed instead to the cannon |
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and declared, "Come and take it!"; during the ensuing battle, this |
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memorable catchphrase and a painted image of the cannon itself were |
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raised on a makeshift flag that was created by the women of |
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Gonzales; the legendary flag has since become one of the iconic |
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images of the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1836, the defenders of the Alamo boasted the |
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largest artillery contingent west of the Mississippi, an assortment |
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of 18 to 21 artillery pieces, and after the Mexican army captured |
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the fort, the cannons were destroyed or abandoned nearby; when the |
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Alamo was avenged six weeks later by the Texian victory at the |
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Battle of San Jacinto, the famous Twin Sisters, two six-pounders |
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that had been donated to the rebellion by the people of Cincinnati, |
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Ohio, played a decisive role in the defeat of Santa Anna's army; and |
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WHEREAS, A cannon featured in a memorable incident in the |
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early years of the Texas Republic; in 1842, Austin residents feared |
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that President Sam Houston wanted to move the republic's capital |
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from Austin to Houston, and when he sent Texas Rangers to take the |
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government's archives, an Austin innkeeper named Angelina Eberly |
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fired off a cannon on the corner of Sixth Street and Congress |
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Avenue, rousing the city's population and blowing a hole in the |
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General Land Office; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, vintage artillery pieces can be seen at |
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county courthouses, military installations, and historical sites |
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across Texas; two 24-pound howitzers made especially for the new |
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republic by Major General Thomas Jefferson Chambers in the 1830s |
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guard the south entrance of the Texas Capitol, while two 12-pound |
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field guns and a wrought iron cannon are also situated on the |
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Capitol grounds; a cannon reputed to be the "Come and Take It" gun |
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is on exhibit at the Gonzales Memorial Museum, a cannon used by |
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Colonel James Fannin at the Battle of Coleto Creek is displayed in a |
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park in Goliad, and a bronze cannon believed to have been used at |
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the Alamo is on permanent loan to the Shrine of Texas Liberty by the |
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San Jacinto Battleground Conservancy; and |
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WHEREAS, The firing of a cannon continues to be an honored |
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tradition at celebrations and commemorations across Texas; since |
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1954, Smokey the Cannon has been discharged at every University of |
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Texas home football game in Austin--at the kickoff and the end of |
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each quarter, after the crowd sings "The Eyes of Texas," and each |
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time the team scores; during the off-season, the cannon and its crew |
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tour the country, representing the Longhorns at charity and |
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volunteer events; other cannons help recreate Texas history, such |
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as the fieldpiece fired for visitors by the "Living History" |
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reenactors at the Fort Davis National Historical Site; and |
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WHEREAS, These historic weapons serve as powerful reminders |
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of our state's epic struggle for freedom, and they further |
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highlight the unique heritage shared by all those who are proud to |
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call Texas home; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate the cannon as the official state gun of Texas. |