During the following morning Colonel Piedras surrendered the command to Captain Francisco Medina, who in turn declared for Santa Anna and surrendered to James Carter the entire Mexican force of some four hundred men.
Col. James Bowie, who reached Nacogdoches a few days after the battle, agreed to convey the Mexican troops to San Antonio, and in his report stated that there were 33 Mexicans killed and 17 or 18 wounded; the Americans losing three men killed and seven wounded.
The Battle of Nacogdoches was the opening gun in the Texas Revolution, and resulted in the expulsion of all Mexican troops from the territory east of San Antonio, giving the Texans an opportunity to hold their Convention without military interference of the enemy.
Peter Ellis Bean Home
Built 1829. Standing 4½ miles east of Nacogdoches near Old King’s Highway. See [page 21].
Growth of American Influence
Nacogdoches now became more and more American in its character. In 1834 the neighboring municipality of San Augustine was organized, and the two sister towns grew in numbers and influence. Nacogdoches was the capital of the department of the same name, and held jurisdiction over all the region east of Trinity River. The alcaldes who presided over the civil affairs of the municipality from the first reorganization in 1820 had usually been chosen from among the Mexican people living there, but after the expulsion of the Mexican troops in 1832 Americans were selected to fill that office, and the town gradually assumed a character more American than Mexican. American customs prevailed over those of former times, and the business fell into the hands of enterprising merchants and tradesmen from the States. The Indians to the northeast were impressed by the power and vigor of the new people and left them unmolested, although they also had increased until they greatly outnumbered the whites.
Business was thriving, the population was increasing, and new settlers were coming into the town, or taking up land in the country. Commerce was greatly aided by the communication with the other colonies in the interior, and an era of prosperity seemed to have dawned. But in the midst of all came more political troubles in the republic of Mexico. Santa Anna, by a rapid series of measures, overturned the constitution of 1824, under which the settlement of the province by Americans had begun. The guarantees of liberty seemed to be disappearing. In Austin’s colony there arose a “war party,” which advocated resistance to these measures by force of arms. Trouble began to arise at Galveston and at Anahuac. Still Nacogdoches remained peaceful, hoping even against hope that all would yet be well.
War Clouds
At length, however, the ambition of the Mexican dictator began to unfold itself, and his designs against the lovers of freedom in Texas became manifest. Even yet the mind of the people refused to move towards complete independence. Delegates from the war party at San Felipe visited the town, and by their persuasion at length convinced the people that it was in vain to lie still any longer. Then East Texas was ready to act, and from Nacogdoches and San Augustine armed soldiers set forth on the long march across the State to the threatened region around San Antonio.