Dr. Eugene Clark Library continues series on Texana Tales
The historic Dr. Eugene Clark Library continues its monthly series of TEXANA TALES with THE SIEGE OF BÉXAR on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 7:00pm. In a lecture and narrative presentation combined with song and characterization, historian Donaly Brice and songwriter Fletcher Clark depict this longest engagement of the Texas Revolution.
In this first major campaign of the Texas Revolution from October until early December of 1835, Texian volunteers laid siege to the Mexican army in San Antonio de Béxar. After Mexican troops were repelled with the “First Shot” at Gonzales on October 2, the Texian force grew to 300 men, electing Stephen F. Austin commander to bring unity out of discord.
The Texians advanced on October 12 toward San Antonio, where Gen. Martín Perfecto de Cos (Santa Anna’s brother-in-law) recently had concentrated Mexican forces numbering 650 men. Cos fortified the town plazas west of the San Antonio River and the Alamo, a former mission east of the stream.
On October 25 the Texian democratic Consultation conducted a debate over strategy, vowing support to capture San Antonio, believing that the presence of General Cos’ forces was intended to quash any federalista resistance to centralista (santanista) rule. After fierce house-to-house fighting, Cos asked for surrender terms on the morning of December 9. Commander Edward Burleson accepted the surrender of most Mexican equipment and weapons, allowing Cos to retire southward since neither army had supplies to sustain a large group of prisoners.
In this program, Donaly explains in two lecture segments this sequence of events of the protracted SIEGE OF BÉXAR. In complement, Fletcher presents the perspective of three principal figures – Stephen F. Austin, Ben Milam, and Edward Burleson – each speaking as the dead. Included are an elegy for Ben Milam written by Erasmus ‘Deaf’ Smith and two original songs from Fletcher – WHO WILL GO WITH OLD BEN MILAM? and SAN JACINTO.
For eleven years, Brice and Clark have widely presented their programs of Texas history to scores of Daughters of the Republic of Texas chapters, County Historical Commissions, civic libraries and museums, and various history symposiums.
Brice, a retired Senior Archivist for the Texas State Library and author/historian, continues to lecture and write on a wide range of subjects. He remains an active fellow of the East Texas and Texas State Historical Associations, as well as the Caldwell County Genealogical and Historical Society and its Plum Creek Almanac publication.
Clark continues his long career as musician, composer, songwriter, producer, and recording engineer. His enduring prominence in the Texas music scene has earned him a deservedly venerable status in its history.
TEXANA TALES is made possible by Director Bertha Martinez and her able staff at the historic Dr. Eugene Clark Library, the oldest continually operating library building in Texas.
The second-Tuesday-of-the-month series will continue through the year with MASSACRE AT GOLIAD and conclude with THE BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO.
