Benjamin Rush Milam Monument

This monument honors colonist, entrepreneur and hero of the Texas Revolution, Benjamin Rush Milam (1788-1835), who was killed during the Siege of Béxar (present-day San Antonio) on December 7, 1835. It is believed he was buried here in the park, which was a cemetery between 1840 and 1860 and named after him. His remains were reinterred at the base of the monument in 1994. Erected in 1938, the monument consists of a granite base and a bronze statue of Milam standing on top holding a rifle above his head. Milam had previously fought in the War of 1812 (1812-1815) and the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821). Local artist Bonnie MacLeary created the sculpture and architect Donald S. Nelson designed the base. The statue is one of twenty Texas erected to commemorate the state's centennial. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.

Benjamin Rush Milam was born in Frankfort, Kentucky on October 20, 1788. The fifth of six children of Moses and Elizabeth Mliam, he received little schooling during his childhood. During the War of 1812, he served in the 8th regiment, 39th infantry company of the Kentucky militia. By 1818, he had become a trader with the Comanche Indians on the Colorado River. The next year, he was recruited to join the fight against Spain and participated in what became known as the "Long Expedition," which was a successful, yet brief, military expedition into Spanish Texas. It established the Republic of Texas (not be confused with the later Republic of Texas [1836-1846]) in June but Spanish forces drove them out a few months later.

Milam became a Mexican citizen and commissioned colonel in the Mexican Army in June 1824. By then, Mexico had achieved independence from Spain and established a republican government based on the Constitution of 1824. The next year, Milam invested in a silver mine in Nueva León with a partner. The two men also received land grants from the Mexican government. The mine was not successful and Milam tried to establish a new mining company in 1829 but could not obtain enough financial backing. In 1830, the Mexican congress passed a law prohibiting American citizens from settling in Texas (the purpose of the law was to prevent the United States from annexing Texas, given the increasing numbers of American citizens living there). As a result, Milam failed to fulfill his land contracts, which required a certain number of settlers.

Milam attempted to obtain land titles for Texas settlers in 1835 from the governor of Coahuila and Texas, Agustín Viesca. The governor agreed but they soon learned that military leader (and future five-time president of Mexico, Antonio López de Santa Anna), overthrew the Mexican government and became dictator. He was also traveling north to Texas with an army. Milam and Viesca fled but were captured. Milam escaped to Texas in October and joined a small company of 50 Texas volunteers led by George Collinsworth, who told him of the movement for Texas independence. They successfully attacked the Mexican garrison at the town of Goliad on October 9.

Shortly thereafter, the main Texian Army began to lay siege on Béxar (San Antonio). Milam joined the effort but on December 4, after returning from a scouting mission in the Southwest, he learned that most of the army was planning to retreat to winter quarters instead of going through with an attack. Displeased with this development, Milam decided to take action. He requested permission to lead volunteers to attack the city. Upon receiving approval, he allegedly declared: "Who will go with old Ben Milam to San Antonio?" Around 300 men heeded his call. They attacked at dawn on December 5th over the next four days made their way further into the city. On the second day, a sniper shot and killed Milam. The leader of the Mexican garrison, General Martín Perfecto de Cos, surrendered on the 9th.

Milam's life and death became mythologized in Texas over time. For example, his apparent call to arms—"Who will go with old Ben Milam to San Antonio?"—was probably an embellishment of what he actually said. Nevertheless, he did play a decisive role in the Siege of Béxar and the overall struggle for Texas independence. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas erected a monument at his burial in the park in 1897 (the park was established in 1883). It was later removed in 1976, however, and the location of the gravesite was forgotten. A grave was discovered in 1993 and archaeologists believed it contained Milam's remains.

"Ben Milam Papers, Inclusive: 1835 January 5; Bulk: 1835 January 5." Baylor University Libraries. December 22, 2014. https://baylorarchives.cuadra.com/cgi-bin/starfetch.exe?Gsjy6rUBT@IhJBxjSssjFC4RceToNhJnKFAAukDbnSInA4KNDUICHJaA6y.UeikjMgML1SS47k53n1F1qdjxkgdTBnAZ5VGnMfOa2SeF74Y/0001nx.xml.

Garver, Lois. "Milam, Benjamin Rush." Handbook of Texas Online. Last Updated June 19, 2020. Accessed March 24, 2023. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/milam-benjamin-rush.

Wilson, Bonnie Tipton. "Ben Milam Statue." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. August 27, 2020. https://www.thc.texas.gov/public/upload/100005535.pdf.