The Mexican dictator, General Santa Anna, charged his cousin, General Martin Perfecto de Cos, with control of the key city of San Antonio de Bexar and gave him 570 men to hold it. Texans rallied to retake the city in October of 1835, and on December 5 the Texas revolutionary army launched a surprise attack on the Mexican garrison at San Antonio.
More than 300 volunteers led by Ben Milam and William Gordon Cooke attacked the town in two columns, while another 400 men under Edward Burleson charged the Alamo, forcing Cos to divided his men between the town and the old mission.
The Mexican Army suffered 150 casualties to the Texians’ 30-35. Unfortunately, one of the Texas casualties was Ben Milam, who was killed on the second day of battle. Out-manned and out-gunned, Cos surrendered his army on December 9. When the Texas volunteers disbursed for home, San Antonio and all of Texas was under their control.
