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Monday, October 15, 2018
Page #15
Texas History Minute soon leased out a mine to a British company. In the meantime, Mexican officials grew increasingly concerned about American designs on Texas in light of offers by the United States government to buy Texas and raids such as the Long Expedition. In 1830, the Law of April 6 banned all immigration from the United States into Texas and expressly forbade the introduction of new slaves into the area even though Mexico had officially banned slavery the year before. This Benjamin Rush Milam was born in imperiled Milam’s empresario 1788 in Frankfort, then just a tiny contract. village on the Kentucky River in Agustin Viesca became governor what was not yet Kentucky. His of Coahuila y Texas in 1835. Ben life was defined by the early frontier. He had very little formal Milam believed he could work with him to secure new land titles education, as almost no schools for Texas settlers. On his visit to were available. the new governor, he found a willing audience in his attempt to As a young man, he was mostly secure legal protections for their interesting in trade and bartering. lands. However, Gen. Antonio Struck by wanderlust, he drifted from one adventure to the next. In Lopez de Santa Anna had 1812, he enlisted in the Kentucky overthrown the elected government. His officials arrested militia and served honorably as a Viesca and Milam both. Milam, lieutenant in the War of 1812. however, was able to talk their way out of jail thanks to Viesca’s Milam made his first, brief foray political allies. Milam reached into Texas in 1818. By the next Texas in October and joined year, he found himself in New George Collinsworth’s column as Orleans, caught up in the excitement of a potential raid into they marched to take Goliad on October 10. Texas to seize it for the United States from Spain. In what After Goliad, Collinsworth’s became known as the Long forces met with other armed Expedition, James Long made Texans marching toward San Milam a colonel and led his ragAntonio. Gen. Martin Perfecto de tag army that crossed the Sabine Cos held the city for Santa Anna. River into Spanish Texas. They Mexico had a large armed force quickly took Nacogdoches and occupying the city. It was now declared Texas independent of December 4. With the weather Spain. When the Spanish Army growing cold, many Texans arrived, the Long Expedition fell considered holing up for the apart. winter, building their forces, and preparing for an attack in the Milam and Long attempted to spring. reorganize at Galveston in 1820, but the effort quickly faltered. Milam then went to Veracruz and Milam recognized that point was the time to try to consolidate their on to Mexico City. Instead of gains and was determined to lead finding the cities defended by the charge himself. With the monarchists, he and his party permission of his superiors, he found that the rebels had already taken the cities. He and the dozens made an impassioned plea and declared to the troops, “Who will of men with him were thrown in go with old Ben Milam into San prison. An American diplomat Antonio?” Three hundred men later arranged their release. stepped forward and marched into He returned to Mexico in 1824 in the lion’s den. They attacked at dawn the next morning. the aftermath of yet another revolution, one that established Mexico as a republic. And with a After two days of fighting, Milam’s forces were making new government came a new progress. On the morning of attitude. All was forgiven, and December 7, they were charging Milam was made a colonel the steadily forward for the third day. Mexican Army as well as a Milam stood at the fore of the citizen. Times were good for Milam. He soon teamed up with a battlefield, eyeing the positions of British immigrant, Gen. Arthur G. their attackers. A chance shot rang out. He was then struck in the Wavell, and started a silver mine head by the rifle fire and collapsed in Nuevo Leon, a northern into the arms of his friends. He Mexican state adjacent to Texas. died at the scene at the age of 47 In 1825, they also gained empresario grants in Texas – land just as the Texas Revolution was grants that allowed them to sell or heating up. Texas forces took the city two days later. lease lands in order to attract residents to what was still a Milam was widely honored in the lightly-populated region. years after his death. In addition Events, however, soon turned sour to streets, schools, and parks, a for Milam. The Nuevo Leon mine memorial site stands in San started to falter, and he and Wavell Antonio. Residents of the Sabine Ben Milam was an average man who traveled the early frontier. But the course of events would place him in the middle of the Dr. Ken fight for Texas Bridges independence and into legend. Milam’s decisive actions made him one of the early heroes of the Texas Revolution.
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County community of Red Mound Dr. Bridges is a Texas native, renamed their city after Milam in writer, and history professor. He 1836. The Texas Republic can be reached at established Milam County in drkenbridges@gmail.com. Central Texas in 1837 and is now boasts nearly 25,000 residents.
