G for Goliad and Gonzales

 

In "My Texas Alphabet", the letter "G" is for Goliad and Gonzales. Both are connected with the early history of Texas State and its fights for independence.

In 1835, Texas was still part of Mexico, however, the Texas insurrection had already begun. The Goliad Campaign, which took place that year, was related to suppressing the Texas uprising by the Mexican government and their army.

I am not going to describe it all here, as experts in Texas history have done it already.
You can read about the Goliad Campaign here.

Gonzales was a crucial spot during the Campaign. On 2 October 1835, the battle of Gonzales took place. The attack of Texan troops made the Mexican army withdraw their forces from Gonzales to Bexar. A certain cannon played an important part in it all. Upon the request of the citizens of Gonzales who needed protection from the Indian attacks, the cannon had been provided by the Mexican army. There was one condition, though. The cannon was to be returned to the givers whenever they wanted it back. That time came during the Goliad Campaign in 1835, when the representatives of the Mexican army came to Gonzales to retrieve the gift. Nevertheless, the colonists, who were not willing to give the cannon back, arrested the soldiers. All in all, the conflict arose and led to the Battle of Gonzales. Before the battle, two women of Gonzales made a flag that became symbolic later. It contained the picture of the cannon and the slogan "Come and Take It". 

More about the Gonzales cannon and flag here.

 Recently, the flag and the slogan have become controversial, to say the least.

Well, I do not intend to provoke any political discussion here regarding the flag, the places mentioned or the people who were involved in the Campaign. According to philosophers, everything is subjective. That was what I have been taught during my philosophy studies. I would say, (history) facts are just facts. Yet, adding interpretation to those facts is a totally different matter.

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"My Texas Alphabet" is quite a particular and personal summary of our hitherto life in Texas.

You can find more Alphabet entries Here

Photos from:

1. La Grange, TX.

2, 3. Bandera, TX

E for Elbląg and Elbląg Canal

 

Elbląg is a city in northern Poland situated on Lake Drużno. In its early beginnings, the land was inhabited by Prussian tribes. In Middle Ages, Elbląg, then called Truso, was a Viking settlement. Later, in the 10th century, Truso was destroyed by fire. After the Teutonic Knights conquered the area, in 1237 they built a castle there.

Old Town, Elbląg

In the 13th century, the history of the present city began. A new settlement was founded in 1237 and was granted city rights 9 years later.

Due to the complicated history of the region, Elbląg was part of the Polish Kingdom/German Empire/Prussia/Germany. During WW2, the city was severely damaged and was reconstructed by the Poles after the war.

In 2009 my mom and I visited the city very briefly as our main goal was a boat trip along the Elblag Canal. Everything was organized by PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society).

The Old Town are was being worked on then.

According to the legend, a young baker trainee once saved Elbląg from the Teutonic Knights' siege. With his bread oven shovel, he cut the rope that was holding the city gate, so it went down just before the Knights managed to enter the city. 

And here he is, still standing at the historic remains of the city wall/the gate. It is said that touching his nose brings good luck. Well, we did that, just in case, it was true.

The 50-mile (80.5 km) long canal goes from Lake Druzno through the Elbląg River/Drwęca River to Lake Jeziorak. It was commissioned by the King of Prussia and designed in 1825/1844 by Georg Steenke. What is so special about that canal? It has big differences in water levels (up to 300 feet/100 meters). 

On a higher part of the canal

Navigation on the canal is possible only thanks to its locks and a sort of train carts (inclined planes). The latter carry boats on the ground level and then back to the lower water level again.

Our boat trip lasted 4 hours.

Double lock

The boat is about to get on the cart which is under water - see higher, side part of it

It was interesting to see all the locks and how the boat was transported over a hill, back to the water level again.

However, the time in between was a bit boring. Luckily, the weather was nice and sunny so we were able to sit on the deck and enjoy the landscape. At the same time, due to a lot of still water around, mosquitos bit us quite often.

 

The lock is a sign the ground level of the canal is close

 ... and up on the cart again...

The last part of the trip on Lake Jeziorak was very rewarding, considering the beautiful views. 

 

 

The lake is a habitat for various birds and fish. The previous had their cute nest on the little islands on the lake waters.

Elblag Canal is listed by the National Heritage Board of Poland as one of the Polish Historic Monuments. It has also been recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of Poland.

 

Lake Jeziorak

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My Polish Alphabet is related to things, places, and people that come to my mind when I think about Poland. More Alphabet entries here.