Texas Tidbits: 175th Anniversary of Texas Independence!

Republic of Texas, 1836

April 21 is one of the most important dates in Texas History. Period. 175 years ago today, The Republic of Texas was born when General Sam Houston and his men routed the mighty Mexican Army in just eighteen minutes with an attack that caught the Mexicans by surprise, confused and in disarray. Gunfire and shouts of "Remember the Alamo" filled the air as the Texians took revenge on the very Army that had made its way across Texas with little or no resistance, save for the Battle of the Alamo, which afforded much-needed time for the Texian Army to regroup. In less time than it takes to cook frozen french fries in the oven, Texas became an Independent Nation.

The San Jacinto Museum website has a brief summary of the Battle of San Jacinto. It begins "In March of 1836, things were not going well for Sam Houston’s Texas revolutionaries. Having declared independence from the official Mexican government, they were now running from the Mexican army, being run from their homes—and running out of time.
Since January 1836, Texas settlers had been abandoning their homes and the lives they’d created on the Texas frontier. Known as the Runaway Scrape, this retreat began as the Mexican government initiated military reoccupation of the newly settled land. The event was marked by sickness, freezing weather, hunger and panic among the citizenry." The rest of the article about this improbable victory can be read here.

When the smoke cleared after the battle, the Mexican Army had lost 600 men, another 700 surrendered and the "Napoleon of the West", Mexican General Santa Anna was found hiding in the brush near the battlefield dressed as a common foot soldier, Sam Houston had been shot in the ankle and the Republic of Texas had become a reality. Further, Mexico had lost "nearly a million square miles in territory. For the Texans, their victory led to annexation into the United States and the United States' war with Mexico. In the end, the United States would gain not only Texas but also New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California, Utah and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming. As a result of the Battle of San Jacinto, almost a third of what is now the United States of America changed ownership."

The legacy of the people of Texas in 1836is a state that stands as an example not only to the citizens of the United States, but to people around the world, of what a fierce pride in your land and a dogged determination can do for them, when they stand up to tyranny with the singleminded goal of Freedom as the driving force in overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds against the most vicious of oppressors. Like the great football coach Bum Phillips learned at the foot of his Daddy's buddy Bill, "Texans are forged of a hotter fire." Read the story at the previous link if you aren't a Texan, it'll give you a better understanding of how we feel and why we think and act like we do. It's not a bad idea for Texans to give it another look as well. It's dead solid perfect. You'll thank me later.

Go ahead and have a Texas-size hoot today celebrating this defining moment in history. Have some Mexican food, a tall cold beverage and sing with your chest swollen with pride and a tear in your eye "The Eyes of Texas" (sorry about that, Aggies) Enjoy the fellowship with the folks next to you, your fellow Texans. They are, after all, people forged of a hotter fire.

God Bless Texas!

Texas Tidbits: Remember the Alamo!

It 175 years ago today that, after thirteen days, the Alamo and all its combatants fell to the Mexican Army of General Santa Anna. Outnumbered by more than 10 to 1, the defenders of the Alamo were no match for the better-equipped Mexicans. The siege of the Alamo was over.

For the definitive last word on this subject, we go to The Handbook of Texas Online. "On March 5, day twelve of the siege, Santa Anna announced an assault for the following day. This sudden declaration stunned his officers. The enemy's walls were crumbling. No Texan relief column had appeared. When the provisions ran out, surrender would remain the rebels' only option. There was simply no valid military justification for the costly attack on a stronghold bristling with cannons. But ignoring these reasonable objections, Santa Anna stubbornly insisted on storming the Alamo. Around 5:00 A.M. on Sunday, March 6, he hurled his columns at the battered walls from four directions. Texan gunners stood by their artillery. As about 1,800 assault troops advanced into range, canister ripped through their ranks. Staggered by the concentrated cannon and rifle fire, the Mexican soldiers halted, reformed, and drove forward. Soon they were past the defensive perimeter. Travis, among the first to die, fell on the north bastion. Abandoning the walls, defenders withdrew to the dim rooms of the Long Barracks. There some of the bloodiest hand-to-hand fighting occurred. Bowie, too ravaged by illness to rise from his bed, found no pity. The chapel fell last. By dawn the Centralists had carried the works. The assault had lasted no more than ninety minutes. As many as seven defenders survived the battle, but Santa Anna ordered their summary execution." More details on the conclusion of this extraordinary story can be found at the Texas State Historical Association website.

The bottom line is that the Alamo was lost to the Mexican Army, but the bravery of her defenders bought time for the fledgling Nation to officially declare its independence from its oppressors in Mexico, write a Constitution and put together an Army that was capable of defending Texas, her people and their Liberty. With the Alamo lost, a rallying cry for Texian troops was born. Remember the Alamo! And less than two months later at San Jacinto, a new Nation would emerge from the nearby bayous...the Republic of Texas was born.

God bless Texas!

Texas Tidbits: The Defenders of the Alamo Know Their Destiny Awaits Them, Day 10

Destiny

It's now March 3, 1836. Texas had declared her independence from Mexico and the defenders of the Alamo are watching as the Mexican Army under the command of General Santa Anna was steadily growing in numbers. 1000 more men had joined Santa Anna bringing the total number of troops ready to attack the Alamo to about 2400 men. The Texians inside the mission must have demoralized by such a sight. As Colonel Travis wrote in a letter sent to the Constitutional Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos, "Travis sent a courier that evening to the Convention with news that the Texians had thus far survived the siege with no losses. He warned, however, that: "I look to the colonies alone for aid; unless it arrives soon, I shall have to fight the enemy on his own terms. I will, however, do the best I can under the circumstances, and I feel confident that the determined valour and desperate courage, heretofore evinced by my men, will not fail them in the last struggle, and although they may be sacrificed to the vengeance of a Gothic enemy, the victory will cost the enemy so dear, that it will be worse for him than a defeat." Travis' words were eerily prophetic. He and his men had to know that they were sitting ducks, but still they displayed heroic resolve and courage in the face of astronomical odds. In three days their legacy would be legendary.

Wikipedia has more, " The reinforcements brought the number of Mexican soldiers in Bexar to almost 2,400.^[118]During the day, the Mexican army had erected a battery on the north side of the Alamo, within musket shot of the complex walls.^[111] Unlike previous bombardments, each shot from this battery impacted the walls, causing them to begin to crumble. By nightfall, part of the wall had begun to collapse, and Jameson kept the men working all night to shore up the walls with pieces of lumber.^[119]Almonte's journal reported that there was an engagement after dark on March 3, but that the Mexican troops had repulsed the assault.^[120] Several historians, including Walter Lord, speculated that the Texians were creating a diversion to allow Smith to escape.^[121] However, in 1876, Susannah Dickinson said that Travis sent three men out shortly after dark on March 3, probably in response to the arrival of the Mexican reinforcements. The three men, who Dickinson believed included Davy Crockett, were sent to find Fannin.^[122] Lindley stated that just before midnight, Crockett and one of the other men found the force of Texians waiting along Cibolo Creek, who had advanced to within 20 miles (32 km) of the Alamo. Just before daylight on March 4, part of the Texian force managed to break through the Mexican lines and enter the Alamo. A second group was driven across the prairie by Mexican soldiers.^[123] Lindley based his assumptions on two newspaper reports published within a month of the Alamo's fall that stated that 50 men had reinforced the Alamo a few days before the final assault."

I don't know about you, but I can almost feel what is going on at the Alamo as we go through the history of this battle. It is truly an extraordinary story - heroes facing certain death at the hands of a brutal man in Santa Anna, only to be avenged a few weeks later in a battle that would free Texas of Mexican rule. God bless those brave men. And may God continue to bless Texas.

Texas History: The Battle of the Alamo- The First Five Days

Brave men, one and all

We have covered quite a bit of territory since we began chronicling The Battle of the Alamo earlier this week. One of the more surprising things that I personally learned was that for the first few days of the battle, the local citizenry was allowed to come and go in and out of the Alamo almost at will. As a matter of fact, Juan Seguin had his dinners delivered to him by one of the locals! All in all, it was a fairly quiet week as far as warfare goes, but you can sense what is about to happen, and it ain't good for the "Home Team".

Some of the posts are a bit long, but they are well worth the time it takes to read them.The week in review:

• The Siege of the Alamo, Day 1 
• The Siege of the Alamo, Day 2
• The Siege of the Alamo, Day 3 
• The Siege of the Alamo, Days 4 & 5

As I read more and more of the Texians' epic struggle for Freedom, the deeper I find that mentally I am immersing myself deep and deeper into this historic conflict. It's almost like a movie of the day by day events playing inside my head. Like a fly on the wall, I can see everything unfolding in front of me - the Texians fortifying there position inside the mission, while on the Mexican side, General Santa Anna maneuvers his men into just the right formation for the massive attack on the Alamo that is a mere few days away. I can plainly see Colonel William B. Travis, hastily and with great emotion penning his famous plea for more men and supplies at the Alamo (the letter is in the "Day 2" post above).


I hope you enjoy reading or re-reading the history of the first five days of the siege of the Alamo as much as I liked researching and writing them. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and read away!

Texas Tidbits:The Siege of the Alamo, Day 3

Two Star Flag PO'ed the Mexicans(see below)

On February 25, 1836 the Alamo had been under siege by the Mexican Army under the command of Santa Anna. Still under bombardment from the night before, about 10:00am Santa Anna sent some of his men to set up some artillery batteries in some abandoned homes near the Alamo. The defenders quickly recognized what was going on and "Travis called for volunteers to burn the huts, despite the fact that it was broad daylight and they would be within musket range of the Mexican soldiers.^[55] Charles Despallier, Robert Brown, James Rose and a few others volunteered for the mission.^[57] To provide cover, Dickinson and his men fired their 8-lb cannons, filled with grapeshot and canister, at the Mexican soldiers in the huts. Crockett and his men fired rifles, while other Texians reloaded extra weapons for them. Within two hours the battle was over.^[56] As soon as the Texians saw flames erupting from the huts they threw open the Alamo gate, and the Texians re-entered the Alamo, unscathed,^[58] although Rose was almost captured by a Mexican officer.^[57] The Mexican soldiers retreated,^[59] after six of their soldiers were killed and four wounded, while several Texians had been mildly scratched by flying rock.^[54]
That afternoon Mexican soldiers were posted east of the Alamo, on the road to Gonzales.^[54] Santa Anna learned that a beautiful 17-year-old girl, Melchora Barrera, and her widowed mother had remained in town, and he dispatched one of his men to ask the girl to be Santa Anna's mistress. According to historian J.R. Edmondson, the girl's mother refused the offer, and, although Santa Anna was already married, one of his officers dressed up as a priest and performed a marriage ceremony. Santa Anna then retired to enjoy a honeymoon.^[60]Santa Anna sent a messenger to tell Gaona to hurry to Bexar with his three best companies.^[61] At the time, the First Brigade was at San Ambrosio, a day's march north of the Rio Grande. According to the diary of Jose Enrique de la Pena, on this day carelessness led the Aldama Battalion's powder supply to catch fire, causing "considerable alarm".^[62] Travis also wrote another letter requesting help. The Texian officers voted that Seguin should carry the message.^[63] Travis was adamant that Seguin remain behind, as his knowledge of the language, the countryside, and Mexican customs was invaluable.^[64] The Texians believed that none of the other couriers had made it through the Mexican lines,^[65] and told Travis that Seguin's knowledge of Spanish would also help him to avoid capture by Mexican patrols.^[66] Seguin, riding Bowie's horse, which was the fastest in the mission, and his aide Antonio Cruz left about 9 pm.^[54] Seguin did not expect to survive the mission; he and Cruz encountered a Mexican cavalry patrol^[67] but were able to escape using their knowledge of Spanish and the local terrain.^[54]
After dark, a small party of Texians left the Alamo to burn down more of the huts; all were able to return to the Alamo without injury.^[68] Despite their efforts, several huts remained standing, and overnight the Mexican army was able to erect a battery only 300 yards (270 m) from the Alamo.^[69] An additional battery was erected at a location known as old Powderhouse, 1,000 yards (910 m) to the southeast of the Alamo. The Mexican army now had artillery stationed on three sides of the Alamo.^[54] Historian Walter Lord said that in the evening several Mexicans left the Alamo and asked to surrender to Santa Anna; they were told that Santa Anna had retired for the evening and could not be disturbed"

While day three of the conflict was a "good one" for the Texians, their most trying days were still ahead of them, the Ultimate Sacrifice for their country would be the end result.

***The two star flag showed Texas & Coahuila  as separate states. The Mexicans were not amused.***

***The Quoted Text Above and the Two Star Flag are From Wikipedia***