90 Texians crouched in a riverbank gully and held off 275 Mexican soldiers for 30 minutes — using marksmanship so devastating historians called it 'the first major engagement' of the revolution.
On October 28, 1835, roughly 90 Texian soldiers under James Bowie and James Fannin defeated a Mexican force of 275 infantry and cavalry near Mission Concepción, about 2 miles south of San Antonio — all in just 30 minutes.
The Texians had been sent ahead as scouts when Mexican General Cos spotted the divided force and dispatched Colonel Ugartechea to destroy them before they could rejoin Austin's main army.
Bowie positioned his men in a horseshoe-shaped gully carved by the San Antonio River, which gave them perfect cover and a commanding field of fire. Mexican cavalry, accustomed to open plains, struggled badly in the wooded riverbank terrain.
Mexican infantry launched multiple direct assaults only to be repelled each time by Texian long-rifle marksmanship. One Texian — Richard Andrews — was killed; one was wounded. Mexican casualties ranged from 14 to as many as 76 killed.
After the battle, Bowie and Fannin declined to pursue and exploit the victory, choosing instead to await Austin's main force — a cautious decision that frustrated more aggressive commanders.
Historians credit this engagement as the first demonstration that the Texian militia could stand and defeat trained Mexican soldiers in open battle, a crucial psychological turning point for the revolution.