USA > Texas > Border fights & fighters; stories of the pioneers between the Alleghenies and the Mississippi and in the Texan republic > Part 23
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The problem presented itself in this way. If the Tex- ans moved forward to attack Santa Anna he would im- mediately concentrate his force and Houston would have to engage the whole Mexican power with his little hand- ful of men. If, on the contrary, he retreated, the prob- abilities were that Santa Anna, disdaining the little Texan army, especially when it was in retreat, would divide his force in order to seize as many points as possible; when, if Houston watched carefully, he might find an oppor- tunity of destroying them in detail. He chose the latter, which was the better course.
III. "The Runaway Scrape "
It was a risky plan, and the risk lay in this: it is im- mensely difficult to hold together in retreat an army which has but little organic coherence and is mainly un-
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disciplined and irregular. The men grumbled at being marched back to the eastward, and a panic immediately pervaded the country. Everybody sought to escape from the dreaded Mexican advance. The country was depopulated, and this precipitate flight of the inhabitants passed into history as " The Runaway Scrape."
It was not without hundreds of incidents, tragic and otherwise. One lone woman whose husband was with the army strapped a feather-bed on her solitary pony, tied her three oldest children on it, and plodded on with the baby in her arms. In one of the wagons, an open one, lay a woman with a nine-day-old baby ; the mothers of Texas have loved to tell how, one rainy night in the wild flight, they stood about her for hours with blankets held over her to protect her from the storm.
Houston carefully kept his disintegrating army between the fugitives and the Mexicans, and he saw that all the people had left any given section before he took up his daily march. On one occasion he gave over fifty dollars from the military treasure-chest, which only contained two hundred and fifty, to the destitute widow of a de- fender of the Alamo.
There was the greatest indignation in certain quarters over this retreat and many protests were made. Hous- ton, however, was undeterred by this opposition, which even went so far as to question his courage, and steadily led his men backward over the prairie. When they reached Brazos, he determined upon a continuance of the retreat, and there some of his men broke out in open mutiny. He left several of the most recalcitrant com- panies to protect the town of San Felipe de Austin at the crossing and marched northward on the west bank of the river.
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On the part of the Mexicans it happened as he had im- agined. Santa Anna had concentrated his army at the Colorado to meet the Texans, but finding that Houston was in retreat, he had divided his force in three columns and despatched them in different directions, leading the centre column himself, to raid and capture Harrisburg. The Texan army was now reduced to less than seven hundred men. The retreat was conducted under circum- stances of the greatest difficulty. Up the valley of the Brazos, over the rain-sodden prairies, the men toiled. Finally some distance up the river, at a place called Groce's Ferry, they found a little steamer called the Yellowstone, which they seized and by means of it crossed the river.
Santa Anna, advancing with imperious energy, ap- peared in force before the Austin defenders, who set fire to the town and promptly did a little retreating on their own account. The Mexicans, by a ruse, inveigled a fer- ryman from the other side and crossed the Brazos, where- after Santa Anna, taking no account of Houston to the northward, pushed on to Harrisburg at the head of the centre column.
Meanwhile Houston had been re-enforced by a small body of men, two cannon, six-pounders, called the " Twin Sisters," sent by the citizens of Cincinnati, via Harrisburg, and the Secretary of War. The President at Harrisburg, apprised of Santa Anna's rapid advance, barely escaped before he reached the town. Despatching one of his regi- ments to the gulf shore to head off the President and his Cabinet, who were fleeing to Galveston, Santa Anna marched on toward Washington. Houston, however, was marching toward the same town. The mutinous Texan companies, persuaded this time of the wisdom of
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their general, came rushing back and raised his force to about seven hundred and fifty men.
IV. Santa Anna is Trapped
Santa Anna was in the heart of Texas with a force not too great for the Texans to meet with hopes of success and with no possibility of re-enforcement. Houston's strategy had proven his wisdom, and he now prepared to attack the unsuspecting Mexican. The forced march to catch him was a terrible one even to these men inured to all the vicissitudes of frontier life. The rains still con- tinued, and it was with the utmost difficulty that the baggage wagons and artillery could be transported. Houston himself set an example to his soldiers. Dis- mounting from his horse he put his own shoulder to the wheel, encouraging them in every way, telling them that the opportunity they had craved was at last at hand, mak- ing no secret of his hope to strike a blow which would be decisive and result in the freedom of the Republic. On the 18th of April, 1836, the army reached Buffalo Bayou, then swollen bank full and unfordable, opposite the ruins of Harrisburg, which Santa Anna had destroyed.
A celebrated scout named Deaf Smith with Captain Karnes of the regular cavalry met them here with a bag full of captured despatches which confirmed the fact that Santa Anna was with the force which had burned Harris- burg and was marching to New Washington. Houston was overjoyed at the possibility thus of capturing the Mexican commander-in-chief. With him in his posses- sion he would be able to dictate terms of peace. Leaving his baggage wagons with a guard of thirty men he pre- pared to cross the bayou, taking with him the two cannon and a single ammunition wagon. They found a leaky
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boat, and upon this and a rude timber raft they succeeded in ferrying over the army.
Houston remained on one bank while the long tedious passage was being made, and Rusk, the Texan Secretary of War, remained on the other. Only by the greatest dif- ficulty was the crossing finally effected. The cavalry horses indeed had to swim the bayou. By nightfall, how- ever, they were all over and on the march toward the junction of Buffalo Bayou with the San Jacinto River, at a place called Lynch's Ferry, where they hoped to head off the Mexicans, who were supposed to be marching toward La Trinidad.
The tired army marched twelve miles that night, stop- ping for rest at one A. M. on the 20th. Houston allowed his soldiers but a few hours for repose, for before dawn they started again and marched seven miles. A halt was taken for breakfast, but, upon receipt of intelligence that the Mexican army was at hand they left off preparations for the meal and marched post-haste to the ferry, across San Jacinto Bay, a little below the point where the Buf- falo joins the river.
They reached the coveted point before the Mexicans, for no sign of the invaders were found. Six men under Captain Hancock, however, had made a valuable capture of a flat boat loaded with flour and filled with Mexicans, who surrendered without firing a shot. That cargo was intended for Santa Anna's army, which, in ignorance of the proximity of the Americans, had been marching for the same spot. It was a most welcome contribution to the American commissariat, for they were almost literally without anything to eat .*
* There is a legend to the effect that after the battle Houston exhibited an ear of corn to Santa Anna with the question: "Sir, do you ever expect
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Confident that the Mexicans were moving into the trap, they now turned back up the Buffalo for about three quarters of a mile, where Houston posted his army in a strong defensive position in a thick wood on the edge of the bayou. In front of the camp lay a stretch of prairie land broken by three large clumps of trees, known as islands. On the left was the broad arm of San Jacinto Bay, the enclosing marshy shores of which swept around to the south in front of them at a distance of a mile away. The marsh grew wider as it trended to the southwest. Beyond the tree islands lay another clump of trees termi- nating in the marshland. The country to the southwest was also marshy and impassable. The road up which they had marched to their position led across a deep ra- vine with very high banks called Vince's Creek. The road crossed this creek on a wooden bridge about eight miles from the battle-ground.
Santa Anna with some twelve hundred of his men was in New Washington when his scouts brought word that the American forces were at hand. A scene of wild con- fusion and terror ensued, a panic in fact, extending from the general to the soldiery; but as the day wore on and no attack was made the Mexicans recovered their self-con- trol in a measure, and order having been restored, they marched toward Lynch's Ferry to meet the enemy. The Mexican advance came in touch with the Texans on the afternoon of the 20th. Santa Anna's artillery consisted of one nine-pounder. There was a fruitless duel between this gun and the " Twin Sisters," and some cavalry skir-
to conquer men who fight for freedom, whose general can march four days with one ear of corn for rations?" The story goes on to say that the men begged the ear from the general, divided its kernels, planted them, and that Texas is full of San Jacinto corn to this day !
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mishing, which was not unimportant, in that it gave one Mirabeau B. Lamar, one of the romantic characters of the period, an opportunity to distinguish himself under fire by the rescue of a comrade in circumstances of peculiar danger ; as a reward for which, he was immediately pro- moted to the rank of colonel by Houston and given com- mand of the sixty horse which comprised the Texan cavalry !
Aside from this skirmish no attempt was made by either army to bring on a general engagement that day. Hous- ton had his own reasons for not wishing to fight and Santa Anna desired time to bring up a re-enforcement of five hundred men which was near at hand. Houston is re- ported to have said that his reason for not engaging was that he wanted the Mexicans to bring their whole availa- ble force in the vicinity to the field that he might over- come the enemy with one blow and not be compelled to make " two bites at a cherry." At any rate Santa Anna encamped in the woods to the south of the Texans, his right resting on the marshes which extended around his rear from San Jacinto Bay. He refused his left slightly and protected his front by making a flimsy entrenchment of pack saddles, baggage, etc., about five feet high, in the centre of which in an opening he planted his nine-pound- er. His cavalry, several hundred in number, he posted on the right.
On the morning of the 21st of April, 1836, five hun- dred men under General Cos marched up the road from Vince's bridge and joined Santa Anna. Houston gave out that it was not a real re-enforcement but merely part of the army already encamped, marching about to give the impression of an augmented force, but the statement deceived no one. Neither did it diminish the con-
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fident courage of the Texans in the slightest de- gree.
Houston had fully decided upon his course of action. He called Deaf Smith to him and bade him and a compan- ion named Reeves procure two sharp axes and hold them- selves in readiness for orders, directing them to keep with- in close touch during the day. The Texans waited under arms thinking the Mexicans in greater force, in fact out- numbering them over two to one, would attack them. But Santa Anna made no movement to advance and at the request of some of the higher officers Houston called a council of war at noon, the question being whether they should make, or wait, an attack. The two junior officers were in favor of attacking at once. All of the seniors said that it would be madness to attack regular and vet- eran soldiery with undrilled levies, pointing out that there were but two hundred bayonets in the Texan army, that they had a good strong defensive position where they were, and they ought to wait for the Mexicans there.
Houston heard the discussion and received the conclu- sions in silence. He had already made up his mind, how- ever, for he called Smith and Reeves to him and secretly ordered them to go with all speed and cut down Vince's bridge. In other words, he deliberately destroyed the only practicable means of escape for either army in case of defeat. By his action the battle which ensued was lit- erally fought in an enclosure made by Buffalo Bayou on the north, San Jacinto Bay on the east, the marshes and waste land on the south, and Vince's Creek on the west.
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V. The Battle of San Jacinto
At half after three o'clock the men were drawn up on the prairie in front of the camp, their movements being screened from the observation of the Mexicans, who were most careless on this occasion and had apparently posted neither scouts nor sentinels, by the tree islands. Colonel Burleson with the first regiment occupied the centre. Colonel Sherman was on the left with the second regi- ment, with the two pieces of artillery posted on the right of Colonel Burleson's men. The guns were supported by four companies of infantry under Lieutenant-Colonel Mil- lard. The newly celebrated Lamar, burning to distin- guish himself again, occupied the right of the line with his cavalry. Secretary Rusk had general command of the left, while Houston led the centre in person.
At four o'clock Houston gave the order to advance. The band, which consisted of the solitary drum of famous memory, re-enforced by a single fife, struck up a familiar popular air entitled " Will You Come to the Bower?" It was a bright, brilliant, sunny afternoon. The men with their guns a-trail advanced slowly until they passed the timber islands and appeared in view of the surprised Mex- icans. Then they broke into a run and darted forward. Houston dashed up and down the lines on horseback, waving his old white hat * and shouting profanely but emphatically, " G-d d-n you, hold your fire !"
When they were within two hundred feet of the Mexi-
* On this day Houston wore "an old black coat, a black velvet vest, a pair of snuff-colored pantaloons, and dilapidated boots," with his trousers tucked in them. "His only badge of authority during the campaign was a sword with a plated scabbard which he tied to his belt with buckskin thongs."
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can line Deaf Smith tore madly on the field, his panting horse flecked with foam, and shouted in tones that could be heard all along the little line: "You must fight for your lives ! Vince's bridge has been cut down!" The purport of this startling message was instantly perceived by the Texans. Like Cortez, Houston had burned his boats behind him. If they did not conquer, they would be like the army of Sennacherib, " all dead corpses."
The Mexican camp was a picture of consternation and terror. They had never dreamed of the possibility of as- sault. Santa Anna was asleep, many of the officers were taking their afternoon siesta; the cavalrymen were water- ing their horses, the company cooks were preparing for the evening meal, the soldiers had laid aside their arms and were playing games. In great astonishment, as they discovered the Texans passing around the tree islands, they ran to their arms, and as Houston's men came on, the Mexicans delivered a wavering volley, which, being aimed too high, did almost no execution. One bullet struck Houston in the ankle, making a bad wound, and several others hit his horse, but nothing could stop the advance. Before the Mexicans could discharge their cannon-it was found loaded when captured-the Amer- icans struck the place.
Quick as had been their advance the "Twin Sisters " had been able to deliver two well-aimed shots which had demolished a large portion of the flimsy barricade. As they reached the rampart the Texans fired pointblank at the huddled Mexicans. The discharge did fearful execu- tion. Before the Spanish could turn and fly, the fierce, furious faces of the Americans burst upon them through the smoke, and with clubbed muskets, a few bayonets, and many bowie knives, began their dreadful work. The cry
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that ran over the field with ever-increasing volume until it drowned the roar of the guns, had been one filled with menace to Santa Anna and his men.
" Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Re- member La Bahia ! "
Inspired to fury by the recollection of the cruel, blood- thirsty massacres, which Santa Anna had instigated and in which these men had participated, the Americans swept everything before them by their valor. In fifteen min- utes the whole Mexican army was either dead or on the run. Lamar, with his handful of horse, had thrown him- self upon the Mexican cavalry and routed them. Horse- men who could do so were galloping headlong down the road toward Vince's bridge pursued by the mounted Americans. The infantry and many officers on the Mexi- can right plunged into the marshes, vainly seeking safety, only to be slaughtered as they stood enmired.
The Mexican defence, however, was not without some redeeming features. General Castrillon coolly stood in plain view of the Americans on an ammunition box, vain- ly imploring his flying men to make a stand. When they had retreated at least fifty yards from him, in despair of rallying them, he turned to follow and was shot down by the enemy, several bullets being found in his body after the engagement was over. Colonel Almonte succeeded in rallying some five hundred men in the trees, but was unable to inspire them with any energy, so he surrendered them in a body.
Santa Anna with some others fled at top speed toward Vince's bridge, hotly pursued by Captain Karnes. When the fugitives reached the crossing and found it destroyed they faced about, but the pursuing Texans slaughtered them without mercy. A few, however, Santa Anna
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among the number, leaped recklessly into the ravine and managed to make good their escape on the other side.
The Mexican army had been completely routed. As an army it had been eliminated from the campaign. Six hundred and thirty dead bodies were left on the field, of whom twenty-four were officers. Two hundred and eight lay wounded and helpless, of whom eighteen were offi- cers. There were seven hundred and thirty prisoners, a few fugitives, and many unknown and unaccounted for, who died in the marshes or rivers attempting to escape. The total Mexican force engaged had been about eigh- teen hundred. Of Texans there were just seven hundred and eighty-three, of whom eight were killed and twenty- three wounded! It was one of the most crushing and bloody defeats on record.
Though the numbers engaged were small the results were remarkable, for Santa Anna was captured next day by a party of Texans, and with him in possession the war was over, and the independence of Texas accomplished.
Besides the arms and equipments twelve thousand dol- lars in specie was found in the Mexican treasure-chest. Houston generously gave up his share of plunder to his soldiers. Having set aside a portion for the Texan Navy, the men received on an average about seven dollars and a half apiece, but no reward could have measured up to the standard of their splendid victory; and the Field of the Hyacinth, changed from purple to red by the blood of their enemies, in Thomas H. Benton's poetic figure, is as- sociated with the brightest day in the story of the Lone Star Republic, which then took its place in the constel- lation of nations.
Houston had again led the charge as he had done years before, and he was the hero of the occasion, although, as
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he said himself, the " glorious achievement was at- tributable not to superior force but to the valor of our soldiery and the sanctity of our cause." Certainly I think San Jacinto must be placed high among the memorable conflicts and struggles that have occurred during the evolution of the American people, for it terminated for- ever any possibility of Spanish dominion in what is now one of the greatest and most important parts of the United States. From that point it is one of the most decisive of our battles.
Old Sam Houston had not read Cæsar's Commenta- ries for nothing. His masterly retreat from the enemy inducing him to divide his force, when the composition of the army is considered, was a splendid manœuvre. He showed that he knew how to carry the shield of Fabius; and when he learned that Santa Anna was alone, with a part of his force at Harrisburg, his forced march to cor- ner him and the brilliant, workmanlike manner in which he planned and fought the battle, his daring in staking all upon the hazard by destroying his only means of retreat, showed that he wielded the sword of Marcellus as well.
While he had no opportunity to distinguish himself on larger fields and with greater force, yet he made the very best possible use of, and secured the greatest possible re- sults from, the means at his command. No one could have done better, few could have done so well. There- fore we may write him down a soldier.
No monument has yet been erected by grateful Tex- ans over his remains, but the state itself, empire as it is in extent, in resources, is forever associated with his name.
THE END.
INDEX
INDEX
A A
DAIR, JOHN, assists Sevier and Shelby with North Carolina funds, 78
Alamo, the Mission del, 314- 316; meaning of the word, 314; description of mission buildings, 315; siege of, 319 Amathla, Charlie, Seminole chief, 195
American, racial type of, vii
Arbuckle, Capt. Matthew, ar- rests Cornstalk, 58
Army of the West, the, 271- 274
Artaguiette, d', defeated by Natchez and Chickasaw Ind- ians, 212
Austin, Stephen Fuller, "The Father of Texas," plants first American colony in Texas, 312
B
BACK WATER MEN," 74 Baen, Major, killed, 259 Bahia, La, mission of, 329 Bailey, Dixon, elected captain at Fort Mims, 170; heroic conduct of, 174; death of, 176 Bartholomew, Col., wounded at Tippecanoe, 261
Bassinger, Lieut., 198, 201; heroic conduct of, 202; butch- ered by negroes, 203 Batcheldor, Capt., 170
Battle of Bushy Run, 13-16; of
Point Pleasant, 48-55; of King's Mountain, 85-88; of Enaree, 95; of Blue Licks, I40-145; of Tohopeka, 177; of Burnt Corn, 193; of the Thames, 248; of Fallen Tim- bers, 249; of Frenchtown, 280- 286; of Concepcion, 314; of the Coleta, 334-338; of San Jacinto, 363-368
Batts, Capt. Thomas, Virgin- ian explorer, 115
Beasley, Major Daniel, at Fort Mims, 170; careless conduct of, 171-172; death of, 174
Beattie's Ford, 81
Bedford, Pa., fugitives at, 6; relief of, 9
Bellerive, Louis St. Ange de, Governor of Vincennes, Ind., 212
Bennett's Creek, 255
" Betsy," David Crockett's rifle, 309
" Big Knives," Kentuckians so called, 222
Big Turtle, Indian name of Daniel Boone, 132
Black Fish, Shawnee Chief, adopts Daniel Boone, 132; attacks Boonesborough, 134 Bloody Spring, massacre of Indians at, by Capt. Samuel Brady, 28-32
Bloody Year, the, 36
Blue Licks, 131, 140
Bonham, Col. James Butler, Texan volunteer, 319; killed, 324 Boone bibliography, 116
37I
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Index
Boone, Daniel, commands
three frontier forts, 48;
words of, on surveying the country, 66; the greatest of the pioneers, 113-147; birth of, 116; family of, 116-117; handwriting of, 118; mar- riage of, 118; captured by Ind- ians, 119, 130-132; slaughter of his family by Indians, 123; removes to Clinch River, Va., 123; commissioned cap- tain in the British service, 123; returns to Kentucky, 124; fac-simile letter of, to Gen. Shelby, 124; named Big Turtle by Black Fish, Indian chief, 132; attacks Indians on Scioto River, 134; court- martialled, 138; promoted lieutenant-colonel, 138; aban- dons his first land claim, 139; advice at Blue Licks, 141-142; at Battle of Blue Licks, 143; his two sons killed, 145; dis- possessed of his second land claim, 146; removes to Mis- souri, 146; his wife dies, 146; dispossessed of his third land claim, 147; Congress grants him a tract of land, 147; death of, 147; buried in Ken- tucky, 147
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