Aftermath.

Houston is elected President of Texas.

Santa Anna doesn't make it back to Mexico until early 1837. He is sent to Washington D.C. instead where he meets Andrew Jackson. By the time he gets home he has been tossed out. He regains power, looses a leg to a French cannonade and gives the severed limb a military funeral. His replacement wooden leg is captured by the Illinois National Guard during the US/Mexican War. He helps invent chewing gun with investors in New York. He gains the Presidency and is deposed 11 times. Not bad for a genocidal megalomaniac who deserved to be gutted with a bowie knife at San Jacinto. He dies in 1876 in Mexico.

Emily D. West, is released from her indenture as a servant to the Morgans and returns to New York City.

Buzzards and coyotes eat Saracen. The Mexican dead are left on the battlefield.

Stephen F. Austin misses the whole war in New Orleans and is eclipsed by Houston. He dies in 1837 and the Yellowstone carries his body up the Brazos.

Deaf Smith dies in Richmond, Texas the next year. He is 50.

The bones and remains of Fannin's men are gathered and buried.

General Juan Almonte serves as translator for Santa Anna with Houston. The two men are held at the Phelps Plantation on the Brazos. Rumors of a planned rescue attempt cause the Texans to equip both men with iron balls chained to their legs.

General Urrea protests the withdrawal from Texas. He blames Filisola for obeying orders issued under duress, but he does march his army back to Mexico.

Mirabeau B. Lamar, Georgian and newcomer, land speculator and horseman becomes President of Texas and drives the peaceful Cherokee and Caddos, friends of the Big Drunk, Houston, out of East Texas.

The Yellowstone disappears into the mists of History.

The Twin Sisters are lost, probably buried near Houston after the Civil War.

Santa Anna in hand.

Texas troops scouring the countryside for escaped Soldatos and Santa Anna find him, dressed in a private's uniform. He's worth much more alive than dead as he -under some duress, issues orders for General Filisola, his immediate second in command, to retreat to San Antonio. Couriers go out to the Mexican forces with the message.

Houston and Santa Anna are both Masons. Almonte does the translating.

Houston having quite a bit of difficulty with his ankle. It will trouble him the rest of his life.

Sam ran the war with 200.00 in his saddlebags. His horse Saracen is dead. He spent the 200.00. The Texans find 12,000.00 silver in Santa Anna's tent.

Secretary of War Rusk had a letter in his pocket relieving Houston of command the whole time since Gonzalez. Never used it.

The Texas Government steams to the battle site from Galveston on the good ship Yellowstone, stacks patched from the dash past the Mexican camp on the Brazos with the 1836 equivalent of duct tape.

No word of the fate of Emily D. West, though Col. Morgan, her owner is on the field. She deserves Texas highest honor for helping catch the Generalissimo with his pants around his ankles. God bless the Yellow Rose of Texas.

Given the provocation, previous Mexican depredations and death toll, 650 Mexican dead 230 wounded out of 1300 seems light.

Col. Adrian Woll, English mercenary, rides in under a flag of truce, to find out the terms of surrender but also to calculate Texan strength. He is detained and sent home through Velasco and Goliad. He returns to Mexico with Filisola's troops.

The word slowly gets out. Still substantial Mexican armies in the field stretched from New Washington to the Rio Grande. Nobody going home for a bit. Refugees scattered to the East all the way into Louisiana. Slow turn-around.

Santa Anna stands down the troops.

The Mexican troops have been up most of the night anticipating an attack. Cos rode in at 9:00 and the morning has been spent getting his people squared away. Santa Anna consults his commanders and decides that Houston, like every time before, is going to retreat or wait to be attacked. Santa Anna has more troops just hours away and nothing to lose by waiting. He give the order to stand down. The cavalry unsaddle and begin to tend horses. The men eat and finally get a chance to nap and rest. Muskets are stacked and troops disappear into their tents. Out of sight, over a low rise and in the thick oaks the Texans are making final preparations.

Santa Anna decides to have a late lunch with Emily D. Smith. Champagne and grilled quail sound about right.

Decision made at San Jacinto: Texans will attack, not defend.

The lunch meeting ends. Accounts vary as to who wants to attack, who wants to defend and who wants to retreat. The overwhelming sentiment is: Lets get it ON. So it's on.

Mirabeau B. Lamar shaves his horse's butt with the words: "Support your local Revolutionary" on one side and "Shoot a Mexican Dictator today!" on the other.

The Texans sort out by company in the woods. Sidney Sherman, (relieved of leading the Texas Cavalry), and his Tennesseans on the Texas left. They will go up the woodline and into the Mexicans on that end through the brush along the San Jacinto River. Burleson will be next to him up the left center of the field. Hockley, (replacing the wounded JC Neill), with the Twin Sisters up the middle, Millard and his regulars up the Texas right. Lamar and the cavalry will wide right to cut off retreat and roll up the end of the Mexican line against the Mexican Cavalry if they come out.

San Jacinto: Clear and dry.

No rain. The dawn has been clear and dry. The Mexican Army isn't across a river or behind walls. The Texans left their extra equipment behind at Harrisburg and the most anyone has is a blanket and a cup. They are ready to FIGHT, if only someone will give the order.

Instead, there is a meeting. The captains and commanders and impromptu leaders gather at lunch.

Up the pasture, because of the slight crown in the field, you can't see the Mexican position, only the tops of flagpoles and pennants floating in the morning sunlight. If you climb an oak, as several men do, you can see more. The Mexicans have erected a barrier of wagons, baggage, gear.

Breakfast is leftovers off the captured Mexican supply flatboat. Horses watered and grazed. They saddle up and unsaddle them. Rifles cleaned loaded and oiled. Knives sharp. Tomahawks edged. Everyone ready to GO.

4:00 Wake-up, Sam Sleeps in.

Map of the battleground. Notice the small grove of trees where the one Mexican cannon, the "Golden Standard" was positioned yesterday during the skirmish.

A freedman named "Dick" beats reveille on a drum at 4:00 and gets the Texan camp awake. Houston has left orders not to be disturbed and sleeps through it. General Cos rides in with about 450 men at 9:00, over Vince's bridge, the only good way in and out of the battleground. The Mexicans now have more men, giving the Mexicans a 1,200 to 900 edge.

Houston sends Deaf Smith and Henry Lane around behind Santa Anna's camp to get a rough count of troops and observe their disposition. Smith and Lane sit on their horses 300 yards back while Deaf counts tents with a telescope. The Mexicans send a company after them and they are forced to run.

Back at the Texan Camp Houston gets the information and sends Smith and six others to burn Vince's Bridge to prevent more reinforcements. At noon officers gather to demand a plan of action from Houston. Are they standing firm in the oaks and waiting for an attack or attacking?

April 20th, evening.

The Texan camp in the trees is raging. SOMEONE is going to lead an attack in the morning. The Mexicans are bulwarking their line and camp with baggage. Speculation burns in both camps about night assaults. The Texas Army is about to quit on Houston but stays together anticipating getting at the Mexicans. Rifles are cleaned and bowies whetted. The rain has held off and the men are washing up and drying out, plus everyone is getting to eat. Newcomers, latecomers, old settlers, Tejanos from the San Antonio area, everyone ready to fight.

The men left in Harrisburg are wondering what happened since the army marched away. It it goes bad, they are sitting ducks.

Private Mirabeau B. Lamar, Georgian land speculator, who just arrived a couple weeks ago is now Col. Lamar, due to his display of nerve, pistolry and horsemanship.

Houston, who hasn't been off his horse or slept in days finally rolls up in a blanket and goes to sleep.

San Felipe burned, Harrisburg smoldering, New Washington gone. Fannin and his men rotting outside Goliad. Alamo in rubble. The whole countryside turned into refugees. Coyotes digging dead children out of shallow graves along every road.

Santa Anna is having a late dinner with Emily D. West.

Tomorrow this is going to be settled one way or the other.

William Barrett Travis saddlebags.

Henry Karnes and Deaf Smith show up with a captured Mexican Courier who is carrying dispatches from Santa Anna in William Barret Travis saddlebags. Houston finds out the Santa Anna is at New Washington with a small force. Houston is finally ready to attack.
Unknown if the courier survived capture.

Santa Anna to New Washington.

Santa Anna and Almonte turn SOUTH toward New Washington looking for the Texan government. Col. Almonte splits off to seize the Lynchburg crossing of Buffalo Bayou. To the North Sam Houston and the Texas Army approach the fork in the San Antonio Road. The North road leads to Nacogdoches. The South ford heads straight to Harrisburg. Sam is at the back of the column and a band at the front. A local farmer, Mr. Roberts stands at the intersection loudly pointing out the way to each. The band takes the rebel army South toward burned-out Harrisburg, BEHIND the Mexican Army for the first time.

Mrs Pamela Mann had loaned the army a pair of oxen to pull the Twin Sisters. She understands that her beasts are going to Nacogdoches, safe from the fighting. When the army turns South she appears on a mule with a bowie knife, cuts her beasts free and leads them away. Conrad Rohrer, the army wagon master goes after her but returns, shirt tattered and without the team.

The army marches 58 miles of muddy road into Harrisburg. They will retreat no more.

At Lynchburg, Col. Almonte chances upon a mixed-blood young lady famous for her beauty and charm named Emily West. He knows Santa Anna has an eye for women so he escorts her back to the General. The Yellow Rose of Texas is in place.

Santa Anna arrives in Harrisburg.

On a rainy, muddy night, Santa Anna struggles into Harrisburg just after midnight trying to catch the Texas Government. He misses them by just a few hours. Harrisburg is deserted except for three printers. President David Burnet and the cabinet had ridden toward New Washington. Santa Anna sends Col. Almonte and the cavalry after them. The local word is that Houston is marching toward Nacogdoches.

Santa Anna stuck in the mud on the way to Harrisburg

Getting tighter. All the forces getting jammed down to a smaller area.

Santa Anna leads a force of 700 out of Ft Bend toward Harrisburg to capture the Texan Rebel cabinet and government. He's got a cannon with him that repeatedly bogs down in the quagmires that pass for roads. It's raining steadily. Several mules loaded with supplies drown in a creek. The column stretches out in the rain and mire and becomes unwieldy and disorganized, struggling along.

Santa Anna rides to Fort Bend

Ramierez Y Sesma arrives at San Felipe. Santa Anna leaves him there confronting Baker's men across the river and takes a column South toward the Fort Bend crossing. One of Baker's men is captured and reveals that Houston is 30 miles North at Groce's Plantation. Also Santa Anna learns the the Texas government had moved from Washington-on-the-Brazos to Harrisburg.
The General doesn't care to fight Houston's army in the timber along the Brazos, at any rate Houston has shown no inclination to fight. He'd love to capture the Texas Government, especially an old enemy, Texan Vice President Lorenzo de Zavalla.
Groce's is 30 miles North. Harrisburg is 30 miles east.

Santa Anna starts crossing the Colorado.

Tuesday, April 5. No resistance across the Colorado at Beason's Crossing. When Santa Anna arrives at Ramierez y Sesma's camp he starts the army crossing the river. Incredible shortage of boats. The Texicans have burned, sunk or beached all of them River level is falling and conditions improving and the Mexicans ford the river. Takes a few days to get across with baggage and supplies. Santa Anna is hunting the Texican Army with his three separate forces. He rides 13 miles north to San Bernardo Creek.

Santa Anna leaves Bexar and rides to join Ramierez y Sesma at the Colorado.

Santa Anna has packed up his new wife and mom and sent them back to Mexico. He then left San Antonio and is riding to joining Generals Ramierez y Sesma and Tosca at the Colorado across from where Houston's force had been. Floodwaters are beginning to recede on the Texas Rivers.

Houston is another river ahead, across the Brazos at Groce's Plantation North of San Felipe. A company of Texians guards the crossing at San Felipe with another group to the South at Ft Bend. Fannin and his men are a week dead in the fields outside Goliad.

Jared Groce's Plantation on the Brazos River.

Bernardo House at the Groce Plantation with the Twin Sisters.


Foundation at the Jared Groce Plantation.

The Plantation is expansive. Groce is the richest of the 300 settling families and can feed an army out of his barns, storehouses and herds. He has a blacksmith with an extensive shop on the grounds. There is even a store of lead pipe to melt down for bullets. Houston and some officers begin to feed, equip and train the men. Many are sick and they get food, rest and care. They start work on getting 700 men out of the weather.

Houston marches to Groce's Plantation.

Houston known among the Indians as "The Raven." Also: "Big Drunk."
He's 42 and in charge of the last Texian Army.

Houston stays overnight at San Felipe, then moves the army 20 miles North to Jared Groce's plantation. San Felipe is a very important town to Texicans as it is the center of colonization for Austin's "Old 300" but it doesn't look like a good place to fight. The men are grumbling having been ready to fight on the Colorado and now retreating again. Captain Mosley Baker announces that he and his company are staying to defend San Felipe and Wiley Martin takes men South to defend the Brazos crossing at Ft Bend. Since they ARE staying Houston orders them to stay and moves the army North.
Groce's plantation has supplies, corn, cattle, pigs and Houston is going to rest and organize the army there. It's raining and the Texians are disgusted with the retreat, abandoning San Felipe to the Mexicans and the weather. Houston is running the whole show out of a saddlebag. The Texas Supreme Commander has 200.00, a horse and a pistol stuck in his sash. Someone steals his indian blanket.

Word of the Goliad massacre reaches the Texican Army.

Fannin's men marched out and shot on Palm Sunday, their bodies left in the killing fields. Word reaches Houston's army at San Felipe. Only 28 survivors of the 347. Fannin shot. Dr. Sutherland and Duval presumed dead.

Houston's men are near mutiny at the constant retreat from river to river. The settlers are committing to the fight. The rain continues and the while Santa Anna considers the war over and this just a mopping up action, the Texans are grimly preparing to fight. It's a bitter Monday in San Felipe.

The ante is being raised in the war for Texas.

The Twin Sisters arrive.

Elizabeth and Eleanor.

Two iron six pound cannons commissioned and built by citizens of Cinncinatti, Ohio arrive in Galveston as Houston crosses the Brazos at San Felipe. They are the only artillery the army has. Everything else was lost at the Alamo or Goliad. They have been smuggled down the Mississippi, (listed as 'hollow ware" on the manifest), sailed out of New Orleans to Brazoria, Texas and schoonered back to Galveston.

Two twin daughters of Dr. Charles Rice, Elizabeth and Eleanor presented the cannon to representatives of the Texas Government at Galveston. The Texans name the cannons the Twin Sisters.

San Felipe, Texas, 1836.

Houston and the last Texas army arrive in San Felipe today. Settled by Stephen F. Austin, the town is the center of the 'Old 300" colonists and important to the Anglo settlers. It's on the West side of the Brazos, the side the Mexican Army will be on.

Rumors begin to circulate that Fannin and his men have been executed by the Mexican Army at Goliad. The Texian troops surrendered under the belief that they were to have been paroled after a few weeks.

The Runaway Scrape is on!

Settlers, colonists, newcomers, Houston's army, all moving East to get away from the Mexican armies. General Gaona is at Bastrop waiting to cross the Colorado. Tolsa and Ramierez Y Sesma opposite Houston at Burnam's Crossing, Urrea on the coast at Matagorda.

The little Texas Navy has done great work intercepting and harrassing Mexican supply boats along the coast. Three ships, the Brutus, the Invincible and the Independence are restricted to defending Galveston, the last port open to the United States.

The rain holds up the Mexican advance but makes life on the road miserable. Houston's army has a huge refugee train. The old San Antonio Road to Nacogdoches is full. The Texican army is burning ferrys, crossings and towns to deny them to the Mexicans. The Mexicans are torching plantations, settlements and farms.

The Runaway Scrape is on. It's a miserable time of sickness and destruction. It's estimated that 10% of the Texas population died this Spring.