Benjamin Rush Milam found himself imprisoned in Mexico after a long series of events , but soon had escaped and was going to find his way back to Texas any way he could. Previously he was a dedicated Mexican citizen and a colonel in the Mexican army, but now that Texas was consolidating its fight for Independence he was going to give his soul to Texas.

After escaping from prison, Milam rode almost day and night till his horse went dead lame just after crossing the Rio Grande. He then abandoned the animal and made his way on foot. Continuing in this way he arrived near the little settlement of Goliad on the evening of October 9, 1835. Fearing to enter the town in daylight, he hid in some thick mesquite brush just outside and waited for darkness. As he was preparing to scout into the place he heard the approach of horsemen. (Destiny had marked Milam for her own, but right here she laid a hand upon his shoulder, and directed his very footsteps.) It so happened that at this time Capt. George M. Collingsworth, with 47 men from the Texian Army found Milam almost dead of thirst.

Milam wrote upon learning of the movement for Texas Independence, "I assisted Mexico to gain her independence. I have endured heat and cold, hunger and thirst; I have borne losses and suffered persecutions; I have been a tenant of every prison between this and Mexico. But the events of this night have compensated me for all my losses and all my sufferings."

Milam was furnished with a horse, while the Texian Army moved forward to surprise the garrison. And surprise it they did; at a given signal all rushed the door of the fortified church; killed a sentinel as he fired on them; battered down the door and captured the Mexican commander in his night clothes. In a few moments the garrison was in their hands, along with 300 stands of small arms, two cannon and about $10,000 in cash. Leaving the town in charge of Capt. Dimmitt and a few men, they joined Austin at Gonzales. Very soon thereafter, they took up the march to San Antonio, where the Texian army arrived on the 20th, and camped just across the river (to the east) from the old Mission Espada.

Austin was commanding the assault on San Antonio, while Milam was made colonel. The battle had begun - after advancing at a walk to 150 yards, the enemy fired a volley and charged, coming in a dead run, yelling and waving their lances. Not till they were within 80 yards of the Texans did they receive a shot in return for all this noise. Then, far over on the right, Deaf Smith fired and the foremost Mexican officer dropped from his horse. All around the position rifles now began to crack, not by volleys, nor very fast. But every man in the Texian army had to secure at least part of his living by the rifle, and it is doubtful if any of the 72 men under Bowie this morning knew how to miss a man at 80 yards, or less. (Each men fired one shot, and Sowell said that after the first charge he could count at least 65 Mexicans lying on the field, there must have been a few who were able to hold to their saddles though badly wounded.)
The Texians could not gather further momentum to storm the city and moral was waining. A considerable amount of time was passing without significant progress and the troop level was dwindling. Something had to be done. Milam stepped out in front of Burleson's tent, called everyone out in the street, and yelled: "Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?" Nearly 400 men stepped forward and enrolled at once. His rally cry and pleading to continue the assault had re-energized the troops. The plans we hurriedly put together.

As the Texians stormed San Antonio the battle raged from house to house. On the morning of December 7 it was discovered that the enemy had placed a battery just across the river from the Veramendi house (about the corner of College and St. Mary's). A battery had also been placed on Commerce, near the bend. All these directed a hot fire on the Veramendi house and drove the Texians to cover. About 11 o'clock a.m. Colonel Milam came through the communicating trench into the Veramendi house, to make arrangements preparatory to moving the men out of if and over to the right. The Mexican cannon had smashed a huge hole in the south wall and a hail of bullets was coming through it. As Milam was getting ready to gather his troops a bullet struck him the temple and he fell forward on his face. Several men sprang forward and carried him into one of the small rooms, but he was dead before being lifted from the floor. The next day they buried him in the yard of the Veramendi house.

The Texian Army continued and defeated General Cos and his army. They controlled San Antonio until the fall of the Alamo. But, with the departure of Cos not an armed Mexican soldier remained on Texas soil. She was free. But the man who gave her freedom paid with his life for the privilege of immortality, an immortality that will ever grow and flourish in the minds of men. Had he lived he surely would have been one of the great leaders in Texas. The debt that Texas owes him surmounts that of just about any other of her soldiers.

God Bless Texas!
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