Like many Mexican army flags, this tricolor design was based on the national flag and inscribed with the regiment’s name, “Battalon Activo de Toluca.” During a conservation treatment in the early 20th century, the words were reconstructed and “Activo” was misspelled as “Activa”.

The Toluca Battalion, 400 men strong and one of the most prestigious fighting units in the Mexican army, fought under this flag. While positioning themselves to storm the north wall of the Alamo just before daylight on March 6, 1836, the battalion woke the Texian army. The Mexicans were fired upon point blank and suffered heavy losses. After losing their leader to injury, the unit regrouped and scaled the north wall into the Alamo compound to victory.

Because of its elite fighting status, General Santa Anna then ordered the Toluca battalion to accompany him as he pursued General Sam Houston’s retreating army. On April 20, the Toluca advanced into the woods near Lynch’s Ferry on the San Jacinto River to disrupt the Texian troops who had found cover there. In retaliation, Houston ordered the first firing of the Twin Sisters cannons, which had only arrived nine days earlier.

The Tolucan Battalion retreated. The next day, it was decimated by hand-to-hand combat. This silk flag, badly damaged in the fighting, was captured.

Source:thestoryoftexas