Why Manuel Flores Holds the Flag in Texas Legacy in Lights
The Battle of Gonzales—October 2, 1835—is remembered as the “Lexington of Texas.” It’s where a small group of Texian settlers drew the line, refusing to surrender a cannon to Mexican soldiers and firing the first shots of open rebellion. It was bold. It was symbolic. And it set the tone for the revolution to come.
But the historical rosters are clear: every name on that riverbank was Anglo. No Tejano names. No Hispanic surnames. That’s not a debate—it’s a matter of record, found in land grants, affidavits, and pensions. The “Old Eighteen” and the reinforcements that followed came from the Anglo colonies: DeWitt, Bastrop, Mina. Not San Antonio. Not Goliad. Not Béxar.
Still, that isn’t the whole story.
Because just offstage—literally days away—were Tejanos who had already made their decision. Men like Manuel N. Flores, from one of the most respected ranching families in San Antonio, had pledged themselves to the Texian cause. He was aligned with Juan Seguín. He had helped organize resistance, hosted planning meetings, and delivered messages between Tejano leaders and the incoming Anglo militias. By mid-October, Flores was in uniform, fighting at the Siege of Béxar. Later, he would ride again at San Jacinto.
That’s why, in Texas Legacy in Lights, we made a deliberate choice: Flores holds the flag at the Battle of Gonzales.
Not because the historical record places him there that morning—but because history also includes what was already in motion. And Flores was in motion.
Putting him in that moment isn’t about changing what happened. It’s about making visible what was coming.
It’s also a respectful nod to the bronze sculpture Defiance by Craig Campobella, unveiled in 2023 at the Gonzales Memorial Library. The statue shows three figures—no names, no identities—with a Tejano waving the “Come and Take It” flag. Campobella didn’t cast a specific person; he cast a symbol. Our film follows that artistic lead. But where Campobella leaves the figures anonymous, we assign one a face and a name: Manuel Flores.
Because Flores wasn’t a fictional addition. He was a real man with a real legacy. He fought. He served. He believed in a free Texas. And he did it at a time when being a Spanish-speaking revolutionary meant navigating danger from both sides.
Tejanos like Flores, Seguín, Navarro, and Benavides didn’t join late. They weren’t outsiders. They were in the fight from the beginning—they just weren’t always in the frame.
By putting Flores at the Battle of Gonzales, we’re not denying who fired the first shot. We’re showing who else was getting ready to pick up the cause. We make it clear in our supporting materials: no Tejano is listed on the muster rolls for Gonzales. But we also say this: just because your name wasn’t on a list doesn’t mean your story didn’t start that week.
That’s not revisionism. That’s context. And in public storytelling—especially storytelling meant to last—it matters.
Representation isn’t about erasing others. It’s about completing the picture. Because the Texas Revolution wasn’t fought by one kind of man, from one kind of place. It was a convergence—cultures, convictions, languages, and loyalties coming to a head in the dust and heat of 1835.
When viewers watch Texas Legacy in Lights, we want them to feel that. To see someone they might not see in a textbook. To understand that liberty was won by more than just the most famous names.
And maybe, just maybe, they’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for those who helped build Texas, even if they weren’t always invited to hold the flag—until now.
Sources
Gonzales: Hope, Heartbreak, Heroes, Gonzales County archives
Handbook of Texas Online: “Manuel Flores,” Texas State Historical Association
Handbook of Texas Online: “Juan Seguín,” Texas State Historical Association
Huffines, Alan C. The Alamo: Blood of Noble Men – The Siege and Battle of the Alamo
Hardin, Stephen L. Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution, 1835–1836
Campobella, Craig. Defiance sculpture, Gonzales Memorial Library, 2023
Gonzalez, J. L. Tejano Volunteer Company 1835–1836