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Sarah DeWitt's Flag LbNA #38183 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Lone Star Quilter
Plant date:Mar 5, 2008
Location:
City:Gonzales
County:Gonzales
State:Texas
Boxes:1
Found by: Pfetch
Last found:Apr 8, 2010
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Mar 5, 2008
Sarah Seely DeWitt was born in Virginia in 1789. She came to Texas in 1826 with her husband, Green DeWitt and their five children. In Missouri, Green DeWitt was a neighbor of Moses Austin, the father of Stephen F. Austin and, like Austin, received a grant from Mexico to bring settlers to Texas. He died in Mexico in May, 1835, while on a business trip. By October of that year, relations between the Texans and the government of Mexico had become strained. A small cannon that had been given to the citizens of Gonzales to defend themselves against the Karankawa Indians, had become a point of contention and Santa Ana had ordered it’s return to the Mexican Army. The Gonzalians, led by their mayor, Andrew Ponton, refused the demand. It was their contention that the demand was despotic and that any citizen who yielded to despotic rule deserved to be slaves. Sarah DeWitt and her daughter, Evaline, made the battle flag, then called the Old Cannon Flag, from Evaline’s white wedding dress. The flag depicted a black cannon with a lone star above it and the words “Come and Take It” beneath the cannon. It was Texas’ first battle flag, and the first lone star flag. It’s now called the “Come and Take It Flag” for good reason. We prefer to call it “Sarah DeWitt’s Flag”.

Directions:
From Gonzales, take US 183 South about 1.7 mile then go South on US 97 about .25 mile; take a right on County Road 197 west 0.1 mile then go a short distance to the next road past the large green rodeo arena buildings. Turn right and go under the arch gate that says “Welcome to J. B. Wells Park”. You will see the small enclosed cemetery on the hill in front of you. Go around to the entrance, park and walk up to the gate, where you’ll read the historical marker. Go in and see Sarah DeWitt’s grave and read the monument about her husband, Green DeWitt.

To the box:
Go back outside the fence and face the historical marker. In the post that holds the sign, you’ll find the box.