Come and Take It Monument, (sculpture) - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

As American settlers began to move westward, many found Texas a very habitable place to settle. In the early 1800s, the blend of Mexican citizens and American citizens was supplemented by various European immigrants. In the 1830s, Gonzales was a small town southeast of San Antonio and was a pioneer settlement that was attacked twice by local Indian tribes. The Mexican Army provided Gonzales' citizens a small cannon for protection from further Indian attacks. However, as the civil unrest grew both within the Mexican government and in the spirit of the Texian settlers, Mexican officials dispatched soldiers to Gonzales to take away their cannon. Being warned of the Mexican Army's approach, the militia of Gonzales formed to resist the removal of the cannon. The citizens of Gonzales created a battle flag with a cannon in its center with the phrase "Come and Get It" under it. On October 2, 1835, the Mexican soldiers skirmished with the Gonzales milita and the Gonzales troops won the day and kept the cannon.

When Gonzales was planned out, several town squares were designed to be used for various purposes. One of the town squares was dedicated to commemoration of the Battle of Gonzales, where the first shot of the Texas Revolution from Mexico began. This square is now called Texas Heroes Square. In the center of this square is a battle memorial with a "minuteman" statue of a Texian soldier on top of a granite base. On the front of the base is a bronze bas-relief showing eight Texian militia men moving the cannon. Engraved under the relief image is the wording: "Come and Get It ..." On the lower right corner of the bas-relief sculpture is the sculptor's signature, "Pomeo Coppini Sc."
The militia man sculpted above the bas-relief is of a citizen soldier holding his muzzel loaded rifle in his proper right hand such that the rifle is held in front of the man. He is dressed in a bloused shit with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The sash around his waste holds a large hunting knife and he wears knee-high boots. His proper left arm is held out to the side and his legs are in a pose as if he is walking while holding his rifle.
On the front of the plinth the militia soldier is on, the following is inscribed:
"Pompeo Coppini Fecit
San Antonio Tex"
The back of the large granite base is inscribed with:
"Erected by
The State of Texas
In grateful memory of
Those heroes who made
This spot historic as the
Birth-place of
Texas Independence.
Gonzales, Texas 1910."


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TITLE: Come and Take It ARTIST(S): Pompeo Coppini, sculptor; Roman Bronze Works, founder DATE: none MEDIUM: Sculpture: bronze; Base: granite CONTROL NUMBER: IAS TX000510 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Texs Heroes Square in downtown Gonzales, TX. It is in the 300 block formed by St. Lawrence Street on the north, St. Louis Street on the south, and St Joseph Street on the east and St James Street on the west. DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: The description in the Smithsonian entry completely ignores or overlooked the eight lines of text carved into the back of the granite base of this monument!

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