TX Dodson’s Flag / Historic Mexican-Texican War Flag

Size: 3 x 5 feet Sewn Cotton

The Dodson tri-color flag, often called Dodson’s flag, was created by Sarah Dodson for Captain Andrew Robinson’s Harrisburg Company of Texas Volunteers during the Texas Revolution. Her husband, Archelaus Dodson, was part of that company.

Made in 1835, the flag became a symbol of the volunteers as they marched from Harrisburg, Texas, to Gonzales. Later, it may have flown over Cibolo Creek with another company. When Stephen F. Austin took command, the flag was used during the Siege of San Antonio de Béxar in December.

In 1836, Dodson’s flag was one of three flags flown over the Alamo during the famous battle. That same year, it may have also been displayed at Washington-on-the-Brazos, where the Convention of 1836 led to the creation of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Some believe this flag was the one politician Lorenzo de Zavala suggested as the national flag of Texas.

Sarah Dodson designed the flag using blue, white, and red calico fabric. It had three equal squares, with a white five-pointed star centered in the blue square. Many consider this the first Lone Star flag of Texas. It was first flown in Gonzales in October 1835 and later during the Siege of Bexar in December. The flag might have also appeared during the Battle of Concepción, the first fight of the Siege of San Antonio de Béxar.

After Texas won its independence at the Battle of San Jacinto, the Dodsons moved to Fort Bend County. In 1844, they settled in Grimes County, where they donated land for Bethel Cemetery, located five miles north. Sarah Dodson passed away from pneumonia in 1848. Though her grave was unmarked at first, her descendants honored her memory with a pink granite tombstone in 1935 during the Texas Centennial.

The Dodson tri-color flag remains an important symbol of the Texas Revolution, representing the courage and spirit of those who fought for Texas independence.