Chapter 11 – The Texas Revolution
A Mexican Army Arrives in Texas
· Tension was increasing in Texas.
· Gen. Cós arrived in San Antonio with more troops.
· Towns formed Committees of Safe to warn of approaching Mexican troops.
· Committees of Correspondence were formed to keep colonists informed about political and military information.
Gonzales – The Lexington of Texas
· Colonel Ugartechea ordered the people of Gonzales to surrender their cannon.
· They refused.
· He sent 100 soldiers to get the cannon.
· They buried it in a peach orchard until reinforcements arrived.
· Then they dug it up and put it on a wagon.
· Then they made a flag with the words “Come and Take it.”
· When the 100 Mexican troops arrived, they faced 160 armed Texans commanded by Colonel John H. Moore.
· Brief fighting took place and the Mexican troops withdrew to San Antonio.
· No Texans were killed and one Mexican soldier was killed.
· News spread quickly throughout Texas.
· Many more Texans became excited about fighting for independence from Mexico.
· General Cós considered the actions to be the outbreak of war.
On to San Antonio
· One week later 120 Texans captured the Mexico garrison at Goliad.
· This convinced Texans that the Mexicans would be easy to defeat. (BIG MISTAKE!)
· The only large Mexican army still in Texas was at San Antonio, commanded by Gen. Cós.
Army of the People
· Commanded by Stephen F. Austin
· About 400 Texans against 750 Mexican troops
· Texans decided to lay siege to the city, hoping that the Mexican troops would run out of supplies and be forced to surrender.
The Grass Fight
· Erastus “Deaf” Smith reported that a Mexican cavalry and mule train were headed to San Antonio.
· Texans thought it was carrying silver to pay the Mexican soldiers.
· Texans attacked and captured some of the mules and they found …grass for the horses in the cavalry!
The Consultation
· Met at San Felipe on Nov. 3, 1835
· There was a printing press in the town.
· War Party wanted to declare independence from Mexico.
· Peace Party wanted to oppose Santa Anna but to support the Mexican Constitution of 1824.
· When a vote was taken, the Peace Party won.
Declaration of the People of Texas in General Convention Assembled
· Printed in English and Spanish.
· Declared loyalty to Mexico.
· They were defending themselves and opposing Santa Anna.
· Called for all Mexican citizens in Texas and elsewhere to fight for democracy.
· Offered land to anyone who would help them.
Provisional Government
· Temporary government for Texas
· Governor – Henry Smith
· Lieutenant Governor – James W. Robinson
· General Council – 1 representative from each town.
· Full time army created - Sam Houston chosen as commander of the regular army (but not the volunteer army).
Texas Armed Forces Divided
· 100 men in San Antonio.
· 100 men in San Patricio.
· 450 men in Goliad commanded by James Fannin.
· Another group at Gonzales.
Texans Occupy the Alamo
· Gen. Houston sent Colonel James Bowie to the Alamo.
Mission – inspect the situation and decide whether or not to abandon the post
· 25 men with him.
Travis Arrives at the Alamo
· Colonel William B. Travis brought 30 soldiers from San Felipe to reinforce the Alamo.
· He shared command with Jim Bowie, commander of the Texas volunteers.
· Bowie was ill with pneumonia and gave up his command to Travis.
Davey Crockett and 12 Tennessee Volunteers
· Skilled sharpshooter, hunter, and storyteller.
· Claimed to have killed over 100 bears in less than a year.
· Wore frontier clothing and a coonskin cap.
· Colonel in Tennessee militia.
· Congressman from Tennessee.
· 50 years old when he came to Texas.
Tejanos Fight for Texas
· Risked their lives, lands, homes, and families
· 9 Tejanos at the Alamo: Brigido Guerrero, Juan Abamillo, Juan Antonio Badillo, Carlos Espalier, Gregorio Esparza, José Losoya, Antonio Fuentes, Damacio Jiménez, and Andrés Nava
Strengths of the Alamo
· Walls were 2 to 3 feet thick and 12 feet high.
· There were 21 cannons fortifying the walls.
· One cannon, an 18 pounder, was placed pointed toward the town.
· There was plenty of corn and beef.
· Because of an irrigation ditch, there was sufficient water.
Weaknesses of the Alamo
· There was a gap between the south wall and the old chapel on the southeast.
· There was only a fence of sticks and dirt to close the gap.
· The mission covered nearly 3 acres of land and Travis had only 200 men – not nearly enough to defend the entire Alamo compound.
In Defense of the Alamo
· Because Jim Bowie and William Travis believed that holding the Alamo was vital to the fate of Texas, they began strengthening its defenses.
· The advance wing of Santa Anna’s army arrived in San Antonio on Feb. 23, 1836.
· The Texans barely made it inside the Alamo before the Mexican cavalry charged into town.
The Siege
· Santa Anna’s forces surrounded the Alamo and began bombardment (artillery fire) of the mission.
· Mexican buglers played El Deguello, which literally means “the slit throat”, a sign that no mercy would be given.
· An ever closing ring of Mexican troops moved in and cut off potential escape routes.
Travis Asks for Reinforcements
· On February 24, Travis sent a letter to the “people of Texas and Americans of the world” asking for reinforcements.
· As late as March 3, Travis sent riders to inform the Texas provisional government of his situation and request reinforcements.
· Sam Houston’s army was not strong enough to fight through the Mexican Army and help the defenders of the Alamo.
· Travis sent several riders, including James Bonham, to Colonel James Fannin at Goliad asking for assistance.
· Due to poor transportation and Fannin’s inability to make up his mind, help never came from Fannin’s 450 men.
· On March 1 at about 1 a.m., 32 Texans led by Captain George Kimball and John W. Smith from the town of Gonzales slipped through the Mexican lines and joined the defenders at the Alamo.
· They would be the only response to Travis’ requests for help.
A Line in the Sand
· According to Alamo survivors, on March 5 Colonel Travis called all the men together.
· After explaining that staying to defend the Alamo would mean certain death, Travis took his sword and drew a line in the sand.
· He said anyone willing to fight to the death for Texas should step across the line.
· All except one man, Moses Rose, stepped across the line.
· At the end of 12 days of siege, there were 4,000 to 5,000 Mexican soldiers, but only about 1,500 were used in the final assault.
· The Texas forces numbered about 183.
· Santa Anna had raised a red flag from his headquarters at the San Fernando church.
· The blood red flag made his message perfectly clear: No quarter would be given for the Alamo defenders. (No prisoners would be taken.)
The Mexican Army Attacks
· The 1st column of 300 to 400 men led by General Martín Perfecto de Cós moved toward the northwest corner of the Alamo.
· The 2nd column had 380 men commanded by Colonel Francisco Duque.
· The 3rd column had 400 men led by Colonel José Maria Romero.
· The 4th column was 100 light infantry commanded by Colonel Juan Morales.
· The Texans pushed back one of the attacking columns, but Cós’ column was able to break through the weak north wall where the first defenders were killed.
· Among the first to die was Travis, killed by a shot to the head.
· The Alamo defenders were spread too thin to adequately defend all the walls as well as fight back the Mexican soldiers who were already inside.
· By 8:00 that morning, nearly all the Alamo defenders had been killed in brutal hand-to-hand combat.
· Jim Bowie was bayoneted and shot to death in his cot.
· David Crockett died defending the east wall. (Some reports say he surrendered and was then executed.)
· The battle, from the initial assault to the capture of the Alamo, lasted only an hour.
Caualties
· Mexican casualties were about 200 deaths and 400 wounded.
· About 183 Texan and Tejano bodies were found at the Alamo after the battle.
· All but one of the bodies were burned at Santa Anna’s order except for Gregorio Esparza, who was buried rather than burned because his brother Francisco was in Santa Anna’s army.
Alamo Survivors
· Ana Salazar de Esparza (wife of Gregorio Esparza).
· Juana Navarro de Alsbury whose husband was away on a scouting mission.
· Susanna Dickinson – wife of Almeron Dickinson – and her daughter Angelina.
· Joe Travis – William B. Travis’ servant.
· Andrea Castañon – took care of the ailing Jim Bowie.
· Brigido Guerrero – convinced Santa Anna that he had been forced to fight against his will.
Importance of the Alamo
· Santa Anna lost many professional fighters during the fighting.
· It delayed Santa Anna for 2 weeks, giving Sam Houston valuable time to organize his army.
· The courage of Travis and his men made Texans even more determined than ever to win their independence.
· Encouraged citizens of the U.S. to help the Texans in their struggle for freedom
· Remember the Alamo! - ¡Recuerdo el Alamo! - became the battle cry of Houston’s army.
The Convention of 1836
· Met at Washington-on-the-Brazos March 1, 1836.
· No library, no printing press, no convention hall.
· Unfinished buildings.
· Hung cloth over the open windows.
· 59 delegates
· Only 2 native born Texans
· 52 from the United States – mostly from Southern states.
· 1 each from Mexico, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Canada
Texas Declaration of Independence
· Written by George C. Childress, newly arrived from Tennessee
· Approved by unanimous vote of the Convention on March 2, 1836
· March 2 is TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY !
· Stated that Santa Anna had violated liberties guaranteed under the Mexican Constitution of 1824.
· Texans had been deprived of freedom of religion, right to trial by jury, right to bear arms, and the right to petition (request something of) the government.
· Mexico failed to provide a system of public schools.
· Mexico had used military force against the Texan protests.
Texas Constitution - Approved March 16, 1836
· Similar to the U.S. Constitution.
· 3 branches of government.
· Executive (President) – the person in charge of carrying out the laws.
· Legislative (Congress) – makes laws.
· Judicial (System of Courts) – punishes lawbreakers.
Texas Bill of Rights
· Freedom of speech
· Freedom of the press
· Freedom of religion
· Trial by jury
· Other basic civil rights (basic human rights)
Some ides from Spanish and Mexican Rule
· Community Property Law - Property jointly owned by husbands and wives.
· Homestead Law – protects people in debt.
The Bad News…
· Legalized slavery in Texas.
· Legislature not allowed to free slaves or stop importation of slaves.
· Free African Americans were not allowed to live in Texas without permission of the Texas Congress (This meant that free African Americans who fought for Texas independence were not allowed to live in Texas.)
Ad Interim Government
· Ad Interim President - David G. Burnet
· Ad Interim Vice President – Lorenzo de Zavala
· Ad Interim Secretary of War – Thomas J. Rusk
· Commander in Chief of the Texas Army – Sam Houston
Panic at the Convention
· Word came that Santa Anna’s army was marching toward Washington-on-the-Brazos.
· The convention broke up in panic.
· President Burnet and his cabinet left for Harrisburg.
· As Santa Anna’s army approached, Burnet’s government fled to New Washington and then on to Galveston, barely escaping with their lives.
Urrea Sweeps Northward to Refugio
· Gen. José Urrea and 1,000 troops advanced from Matamoros through South Texas.
· Captured the towns of San Patricio and Agua Dulce.
Trouble at Refugio
· Citizens of Refugio asked for help from Colonel James Fannin at Goliad.
· Fannin sent 30 men.
· Part of Urrea’s men surrounded the town.
· Soldiers took refuge in a mission and asked for more help.
· Fannin sent 100 more men to help.
· Texans divided their forces.
· One group was stopped by Urrea’s men and either killed or captured.
· Another group withdrew but suffered heavy casualties.
· The rest of the group was captured near Victoria.
Fannin Delays His Departure
· Fannin’s inability to make a decision hurt the Texas cause.
· First he promised to send troops to the Alamo but later changed his mind because they didn’t have enough wagons.
· Gen. Sam Houston ordered Fannin to retreat toward Victoria.
· Fannin delayed, waiting on the group at Refugio to return.
Battle of Coleto Creek
· Slowed down by oxen pulling the heavy cannon
· At Coleto Creek Fannin allowed his men to stop and rest in a open prairie.
· They were suddenly surrounded by Urrea’s men.
· Fannin put his men in a square and drove off 3 Mexican attacks.
· Fannin was wounded in the leg.
· Fannin’s men were trapped in the open prairie.
· Urrea’s men had the cover of trees.
· Overnight Urrea received reinforcements.
· At daybreak on March 20 Mexican cannons opened fire.
· After consulting with his officers, Fannin signed an agreement of surrender to Gen. Urrea.
Surrender Terms
· Texans believed they were prisoners of war and would be treated fairly.
· The surrender document, however, stated that they were surrendering unconditionally.