Nicholas Mosby Dawson of Fayette County

Nicholas Mosby Dawson was born in Kentucky to George and Frances Mosby Dawson. He was raised in Sparta, White County, Tennessee. He followed his friend John Henry Moore and his cousins William and Nicholas Eastland to Texas.

John Henry Moore, William Mosby Eastland, and Nicholas Mosby Dawson were destined to play courageous and spectacular roles in the history of Texas. It is believed that Nicholas Dawson was in New Orleans when he was recruited to fight in the Texas Revolution. He arrived by ship at the port of Velasco and on January 29, 1836, he enlisted in the Texas Army for two years as a “permanent volunteer.” He was elected as second lieutenant and two months later his company joined the main force of Sam Houston’s army on their retreat from the Colorado River. At the battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, Second Lieutenant Nicholas Mosby Dawson of Company “B”, served under the command of Colonel Edward Burleson in the First Regiment, Texas Volunteers.

Dawson served in the Texas Army until May 1837 and then settled in this area to be near his family. He continued his military pursuits by serving in several campaigns against Indian tribes.

Despite the decisive victory at San Jacinto, Texas continued to be harassed by Mexican invasions. In March 1842, General Raphael Vasquez raided and briefly captured San Antonio before retreating. Texas forces pursued them to the border, one company being under the command of Captain Nicholas Mosby Dawson.

Afew months later, GeneralAdrian Woll invaded Texas again, attacking and capturing San Antonio on September 11, 1842, taking many prominent citizens as prisoners.

The news reached La Grange on September 14 and a spirited meeting was held where the citizens of the county called for immediate and prompt action. On September 15, Nicholas Mosby Dawson and other volunteers willing to ride to the defense of San Antonio left home at once, starting as they got ready, four or five at a time, or a dozen together, riding night and day, until they reached Nash’s Creek, sixty miles from La Grange and fifty miles from San Antonio. By this time 53 men were in the group and Dawson was elected Captain.

Colonel Matthew Caldwell and his army were encamped on Salado Creek east of San Antonio and proceeded to draw Woll’s army out of the city to engage them in battle. Late on September 17th, Caldwell sent out an express rider with a message that “urged on all companies” to join him. Dawson and his men hurriedly broke camp, saddled their tired horses and rode all night. At daylight on the morning of September 18 they finally stopped long enough to make coffee, the first time they had the opportunity to do so since leaving home.

A scout was sent ahead to determine Caldwell’s position and he soon found the battle already underway. Dawson and his men advanced, urging their exhausted horses into a weary gallop until they could see the battlefield about two miles in the distance. They did not know that they were approaching the rear of the Mexican army until it was too late. Woll knew his forces would be in grave danger if the Texans attacked from the front and rear so he sent 400 men and one piece of artillery to crush the newly discovered Texans. At around 3 or 4 p.m., Dawson and his men realized that the approaching troops were Mexican and “was too great to contend with successfully, but retreat was out of the question.” Many of the horses were broken down and one or two men were on foot.

Dawson moved his men to a sparse mesquite thicket covering about two acres in the midst of a prairie (near present day Fort Sam Houston) and ordered his men to dismount and tie their horses. They prepared to stand and fight.

They were quickly surrounded but were able to keep the enemy at bay with their rifles; however, once the Mexican cannon began to open fire, Dawson’s force began to be slaughtered. Wounded, Dawson raised a white flag trying to surrender but in confusion both sides continued to fire and Dawson was killed. His “last and dying words” were “sell your lives as dearly as possible – let victory be purchased with blood.” About sundown, the Mexicans made their final assault and the battle became one of hand to hand combat. After little more than one hour, the battle ended with 36 Texans killed, 15 taken prisoner and two escaped.

The bodies of Dawson and his men were stripped of their clothing and searched for valuables, mutilated and left where they had fallen. During the night a cold rain fell and cleansed the bodies of blood giving them a marble-like appearance. At sunrise Caldwell’s men located and inspected Dawson’s battleground and the men were buried on the site in shallow graves.

In 1848 the remains of the gallant Texans who died in the “Dawson Massacre” were exhumed and brought to La Grange. On September 18, 1848 they, with the remains of the men who were executed in the “Mier Expedition” were placed in a single stone vault on a hill overlooking the Colorado River and the city.