An important battle in early Texas history occurred on the banks of the San Gabriel River, not far from my home.
In 1836, Texas gained its independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto and became an independent republic for the next nine years. Although Texans had defeated the army of Santa Anna, the Mexican government refused to recognize the Texas Republic and actively conspired to bring about its downfall. As part of that effort, Mexican officials incited Native Americans in Texas, principally Cherokee Indians, to rise up and attack settlers in new republic. A Mexican agent named Manuel Flores was part of this conspiracy. In the spring of 1839, he and a band of 20-30 Mexicans and Indians traveled from Mexico up through central Texas with munitions and supplies to support the Indian rebellion.
The Flores group was intercepted by a small group of Texas Rangers on Onion Creek south of Austin. For several days, the Rangers pursued Flores and his group, as they retreated northward, but the Mexicans and Indians were able to stay a day ahead of the Texans. On May 17, eighteen of the rangers, led by Lieutenant James Rice, caught up with the Flores group and forced them onto a bluff high above the banks of the North San Gabriel River west of Georgetown. Trapped on the bluff, the Mexicans and Indians made a stand, charging the Texans. Flores and two others of his party were killed. The remainder of his group dispersed, abandoning their horses, mules, and equipment. Among the spoils, the Texans found correspondence between Flores and Mexican officials, outlining efforts to incite Indians against the Texans. The significance of this skirmish, known as the Battle of the San Gabriels, lay in recovery of these important documents.
On a beautiful February afternoon, Marlene and I set out to see if we could find the location of the Battle of the San Gabriels. A little research revealed that a historical marker commemorated Manuel Flores and the battle. We were able to find the granite marker, erected in 1936 during the Texas Centennial, just off state highway 29 along County Road 260 near Liberty Hill. To our horror, a porta potty had been placed immediately in front of the marker. Nevertheless, we were able to take some pictures.
The marker says the battle occurred “In This Vicinity.” Clearly it didn’t take place at the monument, as historical records indicate that the battle occurred on the banks of the North San Gabriel River, which is several miles distant from the monument. My guess is that the monument was erected on the nearest state-owned land, which happened to be along highway 29. There are a number of high bluffs along the river in this area. I have yet to determine the precise location of the battle.
References
Photo of Ben and the Flores monument by Marlene Tyrrell
Mann, William. 1951. James O. Rice: Hero of the Battle on the San Gabriels. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly Vol. 55, No. 1 (Jul., 1951), pp. 30-42 Published by: Texas State Historical Association Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/30241882