Battle of the Arroyo Hondo
Hondo, Medina County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1842 the Mexican Army launched three invasions into Texas to reclaim territory lost during the Texas Revolution. Col. Rafael Vasquez's Army briefly occupied San Antonio in March, and in July Texans fought with Col. Antonio Canales' forces near San Patricio. When Gen. Adrian Woll's Mexican forces advanced through South Texas and captured San Antonio on September 11, Texan volunteers gathered for battle. More than 200 men under the command of Matthew Caldwell assembled at Salado Creek six miles east of the city, where on September 18 they fought with the Mexicn Cavalry. With losses on both sides, the Mexicans returned briefly to San Antonio before beginning their march toward the border. Additional Texan forces marshaled to meet Woll's Army, and on September 21 another battle occurred at Hondo Creek (Arroyo Hondo) near this site. Although Texan and Mexican accounts of the engagement varied considerably, reliable sources indicate that the Texans, plagued by dissension and a lack of clear leadership, failed in their attempt to rout the Mexican forces. The Mexicans returned home and the Texas government, in response to the 1842 invasions, mounted the ill-fated Somervell Expedition later that year. 1992
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1842 the Mexican Army launched three invasions to reclaim Texas after the revolution, and in September General Adrián Woll's forces seized San Antonio. As Texan volunteers rallied, fighting spread across South Texas — at Salado Creek on September 18 and again on September 21 at Hondo Creek (Arroyo Hondo) near this site. Hampered by dissension and unclear leadership, the Texans failed to rout Woll's retreating army, an outcome that helped prompt the ill-fated Somervell Expedition.
Why it matters
The 1842 border clashes reveal the unsettled, contested years between the Texas Revolution and annexation, when the republic's very sovereignty was still fought over.
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Related people
- · Gen. Adrián Woll
- · Matthew Caldwell
- · Col. Rafael Vásquez
- · Col. Antonio Canales
Related events
- · Woll's invasion of 1842
- · Somervell Expedition
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
General Woll's Road
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During the Mexican counter-invasions of 1842, General Adrián Woll marched an army north to seize San Antonio from the young Republic of Texas—and had a fresh road cut through the brush country so his column could approach undetected. Woll took the city by surprise that September, held it a week, and clashed with Texian volunteers at Salado Creek before retreating along the same secret road. The route long outlived the campaign, serving settlers and freight haulers for decades.
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