CHAPTER 11: THE ROAD TO SAN

JACINTOPages: 246 -259

Section 1: Santa Anna remains in Texas◦ The fall of the Alamo and losses in South Texas allowed for Mexican

forces to advance further into Texas

◦ Santa Anna’s troops were ordered to burn down every town and

settlement in their path

◦ Santa Anna was anxious to get back to Mexico and thought the

Texas rebellion was coming to an end

◦ Commander of the Mexican forces: General Vicente Filisola

◦ Filisola was sent to arrest David G. Burnet and the temporary

government of Texas

Filisola and Santa Anna

◦ Filisola was an Italian man who served in the Mexican army for a

long time

◦ Contrary to Santa Anna, he thought the Texans would become

more angry the more Mexican forces march into Texas

◦ He thought the Texans would fight more stubbornly and not give

up so easily.

◦ Because of Filisola beliefs, Santa Anna delayed returning to

Mexico until after they have control over central and east Texas.

General Vincente Filisola

◦ https://www.google.com/search?q=general+vicente+filisola&newwindow=1&safe=active&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=DgvQVMr8BofEgwSFj4K4AQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1366&bih=667#imgdii=_&imgrc=3Ou6uivrf24z1M%253A%3B-rmTGEUnf8ZSQM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fupload.wikimedia.org%252Fwikipedia%252Fcommons%252Fthumb%252F7%252F7c%252FVicente_Filisola.jpg%252F220px-Vicente_Filisola.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fen.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FVicente_Filisola%3B220%3B251

Houston builds the Texas Army

◦ Houston knew that the Texas campaign wasn’t over

◦ After being named the commander in chief at the convention of

1836, Houston leaves and joins the army at Gonzales.

◦ Upon arrival, Houston was greeted by 370 volunteers who had

heard the appeals sent out from the Alamo.

◦ People there: Edward Burleson, a long time Texas resident Colonel

Sidney Sherman, who brought Kentucky Volunteers

◦ Two days later, Houston found out that the Alamo had fallen

Houston faces a decision

◦ Houston had to make a decision- to fight or to flee after he had

heard that the Alamo had fallen

◦ He had less than 400 troops that were untrained

◦ Houston orders a retreat to the Colorado River in hopes of getting

more soldiers

◦ He send orders to Fannin to retreat from Goliad. Once there he

was instructed to blow up the garrison.

Houston’s army retreats

◦ March 13- Houston begins to withdraw troops from Gonzales

◦ Anything that could not be carried was destroyed by Juan Seguin

and his troops and they were also instructed to help civilians

escape

◦ Houston waited at the Colorado river at Burnham’s crossing for 9

days

◦ Volunteers stared to arrive

◦ Now has 1,400 soldiers – more still untrained and unequipped

Houston is worried about Fannin◦ Houston begins to wonder where Fannin is

◦ He sent out a scouting team to find out

◦ March25- Houston learned about what happened to Fannin and his

men (as discussed in chapter 10)

◦ Word that there was movement of Santa Anna’s troops toward to

Colorado River, Houston retreats further to the Brazos river

◦ This angered many officers and soldiers because they wanted to fight

◦ Houston believed his forces were still too weak

◦ Waited on help from the US

Panic causes the runaway scrape

◦ Houston’s decision to retreat panicked the families living between

Brazos and Colorado river

◦ They feared the Mexican army would be coming for them next after

hearing of the Alamo and Goliad massacre

◦ They started to move along the Sabine river in East Texas

◦ Their journey was difficult due to spring rains, lack of food, and sickness

◦ This was known as the Runaway Scrape

Houston trains his army ◦ March 29, 1836: Houston’s army reached the Brazos river at San Felipe

de Austin

◦ Two companies refused to retreat further – they were posted as

guards for the river and the rest of the troops headed northward to

the plantation of Jared Groce

◦ This plantation was used to train the army

◦ The troops complained about the training sessions and this made their

tempers worse

◦ There was talk of electing a new general

President David G. Burnet sent orders to Houston urging him to attack Santa

Anna

Houston still refused to discuss his plans to move the troops

Mexican Army

◦ Hendrik Arnold- a scout that kept Houston informed of Santa

Anna’s movements

◦ Mexican troops are advancing toward the Brazos

◦ Santa Anna’s forces failed to overcome the two forces that

Houston had left behind at the Brazos River.

◦ So Santa Anna moved 30 miles down the river where he learned

that President Burnet and his advisers were only 30 miles away in

Harrisburg – he begins to mobilize toward Harrisburg

◦ Yet the Texas government had moved to Galveston

Houston’s strategy ◦ Many of Houston’s troops believed Houston was drawing Santa

Anna’s troops toward to Sabine river

◦ General Edmund P. Gaines and his US troops came to aid the Texans

◦ When Houston turned toward Harrisburg his soldiers knew it was time

to fight

◦ Texas army reached Buffalo bayou on April 18

◦ Houston heard that Santa Anan’s army was close and moving along the

San Jacinto river

◦ Houston moved his army along the banks

Movement of troops

Check point – Section 1

◦ Why did Houston retreat to the Brazos river?

◦ What event began the Runaway Scrape?

◦ Why did the Texas government move locations?

Section 2: Victory at San Jacinto

◦ Objective: How did Texas defeat Santa Anna at San Jacinto

◦ Vocabulary:

◦ Cavalry

◦ Flank

◦ Infantry

The eve of Battle

◦ April 20, 1836- Texans troops are camped out along the Buffalo

Bayou banks where it joins with the san Jacinto River

◦ Santa Anna’s army was very close across the prairie (3/4 of a mile

away)

◦ Some of Santa Anna’s commanders were in poor location to fend

off an attack

◦ April 20th- small skirmish: during the skirmish private Mirabeau B.

Lamar (from Georgia) was so distinguished in battle that he was

given command of the Texas Cavalry – army on horseback

San Jacinto soldiers from varied backgrounds

◦ Houston had an entire company made up of Native Americans

commanded by Juan Seguin (20-30 men)

◦ Houston worried that Seguin and his men would be shot by

mistake

◦ To protect them, Houston had them guard the Texan camp– this offend

them

◦ Jose Antonio Manchaca told Houston that they joined the army to fight

and fight they would

◦ Houston admired their courage

◦ Seguin's men wore pieces of cardboard on their hatbands to

distinguish them from Mexican soldiers

Houston calls a council of war

◦ April 21, 1836

◦ Santa Anna had about 850 troops with him and about 540 more

joined him under the command of General Cos (inexperienced

soldiers)

◦ Cos’ men had marched all night, so Santa Anna told them to eat

and rest and so did Santa Anna

◦ Houston ordered Erastus “Deaf” Smith and Henry Karnes to

destroy the bridge across Vince’s bayou

◦ This cut off the path of retreat for both Texans and Mexicans

Interpreting battle maps

Remember the Alamo

◦ 3:30 in the afternoon: general Houston ordered his officers to

assemble the troops for an immediate attack

◦ Sidney Sherman commanded the left regiment or flank

◦ Edward Burleson was on the right side of Sherman

◦ Twin sisters were in the center under the command of George W.

Hockley

◦ 4 infantry units were to the right of Hockey

◦ Cavalry unit was commanded by Mirabeau B. Lamar on the

extreme right – in charge of keeping the Mexican troops from

escaping

The battle◦ Houston draws his word and ordered the troops to advance

◦ 3 Fife players played “will you come to the Bower”

◦ Smith rode up and says that the Vince bridge is down

◦ The Mexican army was sleeping – they didn’t know the Texans were

coming

◦ The Texan troops began to cry “Remember the Alamo and

Remember Goliad” as they opened fire with cannons

◦ https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qes04

Interpreting battle maps

The Mexican army surprised

◦ The Mexican forces tried to get their troops together

◦ There was much confusion

◦ Some Mexicans tried to run away but the bridge had been

destroyed and they were cut off by Lamar’s army

◦ The battle was over in 18 minutes but the killing continued until

dark

Mexicans suffer heavy losses

◦ The losses for the Texans were little –less than 10

◦ 30 were wounded including General Houston

◦ 630 Mexican casualties and 730 captured as well as Santa Anna

◦ Santa Anna was found hiding in tall grass- he had run away from

the fight

◦ At first the Texans did not recognize him and one of his own men ratted

him out and he was taken to General Houston

The Texan Navy Control the Coast

◦ The navy had 4 ships that were able to control the Texas coast

◦ They brought supplies and help cut off supplies to the Mexican

troops

◦ Since several thousand Mexican troops remained in Texas after

the battle, they were forced to withdraw thanks to the help of the

navy for cutting off supplies

Treaty of Velasco

◦ http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-san-jacinto

◦ http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/mgt05

Explain what the Treaty of Velasco stated in your own words

◦ Both public and private

Many Texans wanted revenge

◦ After the war, many Texans wanted to hang Santa Anna for all of

the deaths at the Alamo and Goliad

◦ Houston refused to let the soldiers kill the general

◦ President Burnet also spared Santa Anna’s life

◦ Burnet was determined to carry out the terms of the Treaty of

Velasco

◦ Santa Anna boarded the ship, the invincible.

◦ A group of angry Texans refused to let the ship sail away and

demanded that they take Santa Anna to execute him.

◦ Burnet stepped in and said that this would not happen

◦ Several months later, Santa Anna left Texas

Victory Consequences

◦ Texas WON their independence by defeating the Mexican troops

at San Jacinto and capturing Santa Anna

◦ Those who fled during the Runaway Scrape were now safe and

could come home

◦ Houston went to Louisiana to seek medical attention

◦ Volunteers from the US finally showed up, but realized that the

battle was over and Texas had won

◦ What was now going to happen to the Republic of Texas?

Summary of section 2