Halabja Massacre 😢
The Halabja Massacre, also known as the Halabja chemical attack, was a massacre of Kurdish people that took place on 16 March 1988, during the Iraqi – Kurdish conflict in the closi... View MoreHalabja Massacre 😢
The Halabja Massacre, also known as the Halabja chemical attack, was a massacre of Kurdish people that took place on 16 March 1988, during the Iraqi – Kurdish conflict in the closing days of the Iran – Iraq War in Halabja, Kurdistan, Iraq.
From Wikipedia:
The Halabja chemical attack (Kurdish: Kêmyabarana Helebce کمیابارانی ھەڵەبجە), also known as the Halabja Massacre or Bloody Friday, was a massacre of Kurdish people that took place on 16 March 1988, during the closing days of the Iran–Iraq War in the Kurdish city of Halabja in Iraqi Kurdistan. The attack was part of the Al-Anfal Campaign in Kurdistan, as well as part of the Iraqi Army's attempt to repel the Iranian Operation Zafar 7. It took place 48 hours after the capture of the town by the Iranian Army. A United Nations medical investigation concluded that mustard gas was used in the attack, along with unidentified nerve agents.
Today in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 16, 1836 – "The Constitution not being quite ready, they adjourned to 10 o'clock. At 12 o'clock the Constitution was finally adopted...... View MoreToday in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 16, 1836 – "The Constitution not being quite ready, they adjourned to 10 o'clock. At 12 o'clock the Constitution was finally adopted.... An ordinance organizing a provisional government was then adopted, consisting of President, Vice President, four Secretaries, and an Attorney General. The new officers were sworn in at 4 o'clock in the morning, and the Convention adjourned until tomorrow." ~ William Fairfax Gray
President - David G. Burnet
Vice President - Lorenzo de Zavala
Secretary of State - Samuel P. Carson
Secretary of Treasury - Bailey Hardiman
Secretary of War - Thomas J. Rusk
Secretary of Navy - Robert Potter
Attorney General - David Thomas
General Houston decided to turn northward from the San Felipe road, due to his concern that he and his charges would be overtaken by the enemy as he decided to get off of the main road. He had hoped that this rain would cover their tracks, but the path that 400 men plus several wagons of civilians make may be easily discovered by any decent scout. That evening, General Houston dispatched Smith, Karnes, Hand, Washington Secrist, and John Sharp to spy on the enemy and to provide him with accurate reports as to their location, strength and rate of travel. Rumors were rampant, and absolutely unreliable.
Although Mexican General Urrea was ordered to execute all prisoners, he reluctantly ordered the execution of only non residents, 30 in number, and released colonist and Mexicans. He then left with 200 men toward Goliad. A captured Texian had a message from Fannin stating that he was abandoning Goliad and heading for Victoria. By the end of the day on March 16, the bulk of Urrea's forces began marching to Goliad to corner Fannin. Still waiting for word from King and Ward, Fannin continued to delay his evacuation from Goliad.
The Refugio rescue mission was a failure. Amon B. King's Kentucky militia and the Paducah Volunteer Company were all killed, and Colonel William Ward and his Battalion were on the run with little ammunition, carrying several wounded men. In the morning, a Mexican officer ordered Texian Captain Amon King and his men to be executed. They were lined up against a wall of Refugio mission - and shot. According to witnesses, the rebels were left where they fell.
General Eugenio Tolosa and the 2nd Brigade arrive near the Alamo in San Antonio.
Today in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 15, 1836 – Due to Mexican reinforcements arriving at Refugio, and a conflict over command that caused the insurgents to break into seve... View MoreToday in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 15, 1836 – Due to Mexican reinforcements arriving at Refugio, and a conflict over command that caused the insurgents to break into several smaller detachments, Captain Amon King left the mission to attack a nearby ranch he believed to house Centralistas. Captain King and his troops are captured by the Mexicans.
Lt. Col. William Ward and the Texians were left to defend the Mission. When Mexican forces neared 1500 and thus became overwhelming, the Texians had fled the battle during the night.
"Refugio Rescue Mission!"
Reports are coming in about the revolutionary events in southeast Texas these last few days.
Here is what we know at this moment.
The "Battle of Refugio," as it is now being called, occurred between March 12 and 15, 1836. This battle was a series of fights between Texian forces and elements of General José de Urrea's progressive Mexican forces. The clashes occurred at Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission and the surrounding Refugio area, just north of San Patricio, Texas.
As early as January 1836, mercenary Tejano rancheros, led by Captain Carlos de la Garza, served as scouts and cavalry for General Urrea's invading Army. These men raided and pillaged the village of Refugio.
Many Mexican rancheros from the San Patricio, Refugio, and Goliad areas were incensed at their treatment by the Americans under Fannin's command, so they remained loyal to Mexico. General Urrea has given Carlos de la Garza and his marauders the legal right to steal, rape and kill — at will!
Because of the threat, many of the residents of Refugio took refuge in an abandoned mission. They called for assistance to Colonel Fannin, Commander of Fort Defiance in Goliad. On March 11, Colonel Fannin decided to organize a rescue mission and sent Amon B. King's Kentucky militia, the Paducah Volunteer Company, to evacuate the settlers from the task in Refugio. The militia arrived that evening and camped for the night at Mission Nuestra Senora del Refugio, where some Anglo families had taken refuge.
The following morning, King led his troops to Esteban Lopez's ranch to pick up Lewis Ayers's family and return to the mission. During their return, Captain King's group intercepted and arrested 6 Tejanos, who he was told were ransacking abandoned homes.
King decided to turn back and go back to punish and prosecute the other Mexican marauders ransacking homes. But King greatly underestimated the force he was seeking. So, instead, King led his militia directly into an ambush staged by Carlos de la Garza's marauders and some Karankawa Indians. The Texians repelled the ambush bravely but retreated from the fight and returned to the Lopez ranch. All families gathered at the farm were then escorted to the mission in Refugio under cover of darkness.
Elements of Urrea's advance cavalry arrived in Refugio shortly after King had returned to the mission with the families from the Lopez ranch. King found Mexican troops, including Captain de la Garza's Guards (approx. 100 total troops), surrounding the mission.
King immediately sent a messenger to Fannin, asking for reinforcements. Upon receiving the request, Fannin chose Lt. Colonel William Ward, a fellow Georgian organizer and commander of the Georgia Battalion, for the mission. The Georgia battalion was the most prominent, best-equipped militia in the Texian Army.
Ward and his 120 Georgians departed in the early morning of March 13.
Fannin said, "Lt Colonel Ward, make all haste; avoid offensive contact with the Mexicans, gather the civilians, and return as soon as possible." The Georgian Battalion carried only 36 rounds of ammunition per man to facilitate rapid movement, as extended fighting was not expected.
The column arrived in the early afternoon of the same day (March 13) after a forced march over muddy roads. Ward found the mission under attack by some Mexican Cavalry and local Mexican militia. These forces retreated after the Georgia Battalion fired one or two volleys. Lt. Colonel Ward then successfully entered the mission church.
"Now is the time to deport the families - quickly. But, then, get back to Goliad!" ordered Ward.
Although successful in breaking up the siege, the arrival of Lt. Colonel Ward led to a significant fight and disagreement over who was in command. Captain King insisted he was the first commander on the scene and should be in charge of the combined force. However, King seemed to disregard that Lt. Colonel Ward was his regimental Executive Officer and outranked him.
Lt. Colonel Ward insisted, "…after a short rest, the Georgia Battalion and King's men should gather up the civilians and evacuate the Refugio Mission, returning to Goliad. Immediately!"
Captain King replied, "NO!"
King insisted he was taking his militia, the Paducah Volunteer Company, to attack a ranch where forces believed to be providing support for Captain Carlos de la Garza and the Mexican militias forces were encamped. The tense confrontation resulted in a stalemate.
The possibility of payback was too powerful for King to let slip. Captain King forged on with his men, and King had also convinced several members of the Georgian Battalion to accompany the group and participate in this mission. They departed the task in the early morning hours of March 14. The captain's failure to obey his orders from Fannin - would have tremendous ramifications for Fannin's entire command and the revolution's success. Soon after King departed, more of Urrea's troops continued arriving and slowly, again, were fully invested in the mission.
Shortly after King's troops left the mission, they found a small group of Mexicans, probably militia, asleep and attacked them, routing them and killing 25 in the process.
Early morning of the 14th, after King had departed, the Georgians heard firing in the distance. Thinking Captain King may need assistance, Ward ordered two companies of the Georgia Battalion to form ranks and slowly move forward. The 60 men halted after only 100 yards outside the mission. To their immediate front, the Georgians faced a large contingent of regular Mexican forces in battle formation with rifles readied.
The Texians were forced to retreat quickly and "run back to" the mission. The Texians and refugee families at Refugio Mission were now surrounded!
As the Mexican Army maneuvered around the mission, Ward's men, under sporadic fire, attempted to fortify the Refugio Mission complex further. The rest of the Georgia Battalion "manned windows" and dug loopholes in the church's walls. Most of the men did not return to the Mexican fire due to their ammunition shortage.
Since, at this point, all that Lt. Colonel Ward and the Georgia Battalion could do was repel any Mexican attacks because ammunition was running low – Ward ordered the retreat of his Battalion from the mission. The Battalion was last seen running east towards Victoria.
Down the road about two miles, Amon B. King's Kentucky militia, the Paducah Volunteer Company, found a far stronger Mexican military presence than they had expected, so they were forced to conceal in a wooded area, then retreated in the direction of the mission. But again, the company was forced to halt as the regular Mexican Army units arrived on the scene and joined the attack.
The run-in became intense, and the situation was dire for King and his men. From behind trees and rocks, King's forces made an adequate defense for a time, causing severe losses to the enemy, but finally ran out of ammunition.
History remembers that today, in the late afternoon of March 15, a wounded Captain King and the entire Paducah Volunteer Company surrendered to the man they were seeking to punish--Captain Carlos de la Garza--and his Tejano marauders. King and the other Texian prisoners were humiliated and subdued. Then, the whole militia was marched back to the mission and turned over to regular Mexican forces.
Today in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 14, 1836 - After several hours of fighting near Refugio, Captain Amon King, Lt. Col. William Ward and the Texians attempt to fall back ... View MoreToday in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 14, 1836 - After several hours of fighting near Refugio, Captain Amon King, Lt. Col. William Ward and the Texians attempt to fall back to Victoria. Their fighting colors, the Troutman flag, had flown over the Refugio Mission for the last time.
Picture: The Troutman Flag replica from the Battle of Refugio
Today in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 13, 1836 – Lt. Col. William Ward’s troops arrive at Refugio and the Mexicans are repelled, however, the fighting continues.... View MoreToday in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 13, 1836 – Lt. Col. William Ward’s troops arrive at Refugio and the Mexicans are repelled, however, the fighting continues.
Gonzales - Rear guard officers were assigned to look after the civilians of the town, who were following the army to safety. The civilians selected the few items they could take with them on the long retreat. By morning the army was ten miles from town and behind them they could see smoke and hear explosions. It was whiskey barrels in the stores of the town exploding. Gonzales was burning to the ground. Santa Anna would find nothing there that he could use.
The Lone Star Republic
-Don Gray, reporting from Gonzales, TX, March 13, 1836
GONZALES, TX LEARNS OF THE FALL OF THE ALAMO
The Gonzales community is in mourning today as confirmed reports reached town as to the fall of the Alamo and the deaths of its defenders on March 6. The news came from a party of scouts returning from Bexar. The scouts report that the only survivors of the Alamo are Mrs. Susanna Dickinson (age 21), her daughter, and her two slaves. Mrs. Dickson is the widow of her husband, Lt. Almeron Dickinson. Mrs. Dickinson and her slaves were sparred by Santa Anna so they could report the strength of the Mexican Army to Anglo colonists.
More than thirty women in Gonzales are now widows as 32 men from Gonzales slipped into the Alamo on March 1. Plus another dozen of the Alamo defenders were also from Gonzales, bringing the death toll to close to 45 brave men from Gonzales who gave their lives for Texas independence. Gonzales, and the rest of Texas, will never forget to remember what happened at the Alamo at the hands of Santa Anna. Nor will we forget or desire to be independent of him and of our resolve to return to the Constitution of 1824. Just last October, the centralists and Santa Anna removed many of our rights with the enactment of "Siete Leyes". This move: (1) did away with the federalist Constitution of 1824, (2) abolished all Mexican state legislatures including that of our state, Coahuila y Tejas, and (3) replaced states with "departments" headed up by governors and appointed councils selected by and serving at the pleasure of the ego crazed dictator Santa Anna. And, just six years ago, Mexico refused our request for Tejas to be a state, separate from Coahuila.
Sam Houston, who turned 43 on March 2, the day that Texas declared independence, has ordered all citizens of Gonzales to retreat to the east bank of the Colorado River. The fear of a sudden arrival of Mexican “death squad” troops has created panic in Gonzales. Citizens are fleeing eastward in great numbers by all means available with minimal possessions. Some are calling this mass exodus the “Runaway Scrape”.
-Don Gray
Another notable event in Texas history - The Runaway Scrape.
As Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna amassed troops across the Rio Grande, Texian rebels and noncombatants fled the looming conflict. This ... View MoreAnother notable event in Texas history - The Runaway Scrape.
As Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna amassed troops across the Rio Grande, Texian rebels and noncombatants fled the looming conflict. This eastward frantic flight from Mexican troops, toward the Sabine River—which separates Texas from Louisiana—and the safety of the United States, came to be known as the Runaway Scrape.
“The Runaway Scrape touched virtually every citizen in Texas,” says Stephen L. Hardin, professor of history at Abilene’s McMurry University, describing the exodus as the great untold story of the Texas Revolution. “I think the Runaway Scrape, far more than the battles, played a major role in the forging of the Texian character.
“It is tremendously important because if you look at the Texas mythos—Texans are tough, Texans are resilient, this notion that we can endure damn near anything because we’re Texans. I think that’s where it starts.”
Colonists began their flight from conflict well ahead of the fall of the Alamo in March 1836, and for some of them, the escape culminated within a mile of the San Jacinto battlefield site in a dramatic crossing of the San Jacinto River. There, 5,000 settlers waited their turn at Lynch’s Ferry, desperate to outrun Santa Anna and his approaching troops.
About the time of the fall of the Alamo, Hardin says, the Runaway Scrape “goes into hyperdrive.” Sam Houston and his small, inexperienced army began a retreat from Gonzales, where the army had been gathering. The order to evacuate came at midnight March 13, and the Texians burned the town before they left.
As Houston continued his retreat, many of the 30,000 residents of Texas—including Anglos, enslaved people and Mexican nationals—fled Santa Anna’s army in the rain and cold, carrying what possessions they could on muddy roads and across flood-swollen rivers. In an April 1836 letter to a friend, colonist John A. Quitman remarked, “We must have met at least 1,000 women and children, and everywhere along the road were wagons, furniture and provisions abandoned.”
Dilue Rose Harris was 11 when she fled her home in Stafford’s Point, just southwest of what is today Houston, with her family. In 1898 she wrote of her memories of the Runaway Scrape: “We left home at sunset. Hauld beding clothing and provision on the sleigh with one yoak of oxin. Mother and I walking she with an infant in her arms.”
Guy Bryan, a nephew of Stephen F. Austin, was 16 when he fled his home near San Felipe de Austin with his family. He told his story in an 1895 letter to Kate Terrell, a survivor of the Runaway Scrape and writer who chronicled the event. “Some families left their home with their table spread for the daily meal; all hastily prepared for flight as if the enemy were at their door,” he wrote.
The second-largest city in Texas on the eve of the revolution, San Felipe had close to 600 residents and was a bustling center of government and commerce. As in the town of Gonzales, the Texians and their army burned the town behind them, a strategy to deny Santa Anna’s troops food and supplies.
Angelina Peyton Eberly, a tavern owner, recalled in a letter to a friend the evening she evacuated San Felipe across the Brazos River: “Much was left on the river banks. There were no wagons hardly … few horses, many had to go on foot the mud up to their knees—women and children pell mell.” Safely across the river, Eberly could hear “the popping of spirits, powder &c [etc.] in our burning homes.”
Creed Taylor, a Texian soldier who escorted his family to safety before fighting in the Battle of San Jacinto, wrote in 1900, “I have never witnessed such scenes of distress and human suffering. … Delicate women trudged alongside their park horses, carts, or sleds from day to day until their shoes were literally worn out, then continued the journey with bare feet, lacerated and bleeding at almost every step. Their clothes were scant, and with no means of shelter from frequent rains and bitter winds, they traveled on through the long days in wet and bedraggled apparel, finding even at night little relief from their suffering since the wet earth and angry sky offered no relief. … Thus these half-clad, mud-besmeared fugitives, looking like veritable savages, trudged along.”
Harris, Bryan and Eberly converged with other refugees at Lynch’s Ferry, on the south bank of the San Jacinto River, within a mile of the future battlefield at San Jacinto. “Arrived at the San Jacinto River in the night,” wrote Harris. “There were fully 5,000 people at the ferry. … We waited three days before we crossed. … It was all-most a riot to see who should cross first.”
The crossing was daunting. The ferry was a wooden, flat-bottomed raft, hand-drawn along cables. A few dozen people and possessions could travel per trip.
After crossing the ferry at Lynchburg, Bryan and his party moved 6 miles southeast. “When we joined the long line of ‘Runaways’ at Cedar Bayou the sight was most piteous. I shall never forget the sight of men, women and children walking, riding on horseback, in carts, sleds, wagons and every kind of transportation known to Texas.”
Many became ill or died along the route. There are no official records of deaths, but historians estimate hundreds died. “Measles, sore eyes, whopping cough, and every other disease that man, woman or child is heir to, broke out among us,” wrote Harris. Her younger sister died of a flux—diarrhea—and was buried at Liberty. With scant updates, families kept moving east, toward the Sabine River and the safety of the United States.
Harris recalled one evening: “All of asddnt we heard a report like distant thunder. … Father said it was cannon that the Texas army and Mexicans were fighting.” They thought the Texians had lost because the cannon fire ended so quickly. They hurried eastward until a messenger found them and yelled, as Harris wrote, “Turn back, turn back. The Texas army has whipped the Mexicans. No danger, no danger.”
Sources: Stephen F. Austin University, McMurry University, TPC, and Wikipedia.
Today in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 12, 1836 - Battle of Refugio begins: Amon Butler King and his men are attacked by General José de Urrea. Texan troops commanded by Lt. ... View MoreToday in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 12, 1836 - Battle of Refugio begins: Amon Butler King and his men are attacked by General José de Urrea. Texan troops commanded by Lt. Col. William Ward are dispatched for relief.
Pictures: The Battle of Refugio, Battle of Refugio map, Amon B. King memorial, General José de Urrea.
Today in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 11, 1836 - General Sam Houston arrives at Gonzales, Texas to take command of the Texas Army. He received word of the fall of the Alamo ... View MoreToday in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 11, 1836 - General Sam Houston arrives at Gonzales, Texas to take command of the Texas Army. He received word of the fall of the Alamo and would shortly learn of the defeat at Goliad. Houston sent his aide-de-camp, Alexander Horton, to San Felipe de Austin to spread the word. San Felipe was the nearest large town and home to the publisher Baker & Bordens. The publisher served a vital role during the Revolution by printing the majority of documents in 1835–36. These publications were the primary way official information was communicated to the people. The Standing Committee for San Felipe de Austin prepared this address announcing the Alamo's fate. The report called on the people to unite and fight back. "All—all, must be satisfied of the necessity as well as importance of making a desperate defence in support of their lives, fortunes, and sacred liberty. It is confidently hoped that none ... will prove [cowardly], but, like men and freemen, maintain all at the point of the bayonet."
With 374 men, Houston began a 41 day retreat (precipitating the Runaway Scrape), recruitment and training mission. Houston orders Fannin to fall back from Goliad and retreat to Victoria.
General Joaquín Ramírez y Sesma departs San Antonio for Gonzales.
Pictures: General Sam Houston, Gonzales, Alexander Horton, Gail Bordens, Colonel James Fannin, Goliad, the Runaway Scrape
Sending wishes for a peaceful Ramadan.
Today in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 10, 1836 - Edward Burleson is elected as an infantry colonel at Gonzales.
Samuel P. Carson (an American political leader and farmer i... View MoreToday in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 10, 1836 - Edward Burleson is elected as an infantry colonel at Gonzales.
Samuel P. Carson (an American political leader and farmer in both North Carolina and Texas) arrives late to sign the Declaration of Independence. A week later he loses by 6 votes becoming the president of Texas.
Mexican General Juan José de Andrade arrives at the Alamo in San Antonio.
Pictures: Colonel Edward Burleson, Samuel P. Carson, Gen. General Juan José de Andrade
On the trail to Texas independence.
Not much happening today. General Sam Houston and Gen Antonio López de Santa Anna are meeting with their respective commanders discussing strategies and directing ... View MoreOn the trail to Texas independence.
Not much happening today. General Sam Houston and Gen Antonio López de Santa Anna are meeting with their respective commanders discussing strategies and directing troop movements, locating supplies, and attempting to recruit more soldiers.
I thought I'd take this lull in the action to repeat my "disclaimer".
These bits of Texas history are interesting fun things about the history of Texas independence in 1835 and 1836; they are just that, “bits”, and intended to spark the imagination and curiosity. I do not claim to be an expert, or even amateur historian, just someone who values a good tale and admires a people with a singular purpose - LIBERTY. Besides, I’m a sucker for the underdogs.
The odds are against any group of people attempting to break free from an oppressive government and take their place among the nations of the world. As for our country, the U.S. did it in the mid 1770’s, and Texas did in the mid 1830’s. The colonists and the Texians proved they were up to the task and I believe we owe them a great deal.
Most all of the information in these posts has been gleaned from the Internet and some from college courses. There’s a wealth of knowledge out there if one is willing to take advantage of it. However, I am sure that some of this information may not be 100% accurate and some may have been enhanced by additions or demeaned by deletions by the story tellers. Some information is taken from firsthand accounts, and some by word of mouth yarn spinning. Either way, it makes a good story.
A brief prequal, if you will:
The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) began when colonists (primarily from the United States) in the Mexican province of Texas rebelled against the increasingly centralist Mexican government. After a decade of political and cultural clashes between the Mexican government and the increasingly large population of American settlers in Texas, hostilities erupted in October 1835. Texians (English-speaking settlers) disagreed on whether the ultimate goal was independence or a return to the Mexican Constitution of 1824. While delegates at the Consultation (provisional government) debated the war's motives, Texians and a flood of volunteers from the United States defeated the small garrisons of Mexican soldiers by mid-December 1835.
The Consultation declined to declare independence and installed an interim government, whose infighting led to political paralysis and a dearth of effective governance in Texas. An ill-conceived proposal to invade Matamoros siphoned much-needed volunteers and provisions from the fledgling Texas army. In March 1836, a second political convention declared independence and appointed leadership for the new Republic of Texas.
Determined to avenge Mexico's honor, President Antonio López de Santa Anna vowed to personally retake Texas. His Army of Operations entered Texas in mid-February 1836 and found the Texians completely unprepared. Mexican General José de Urrea led a contingent of troops on the Goliad Campaign up the Texas coast, defeating all Texian troops in his path and executing most of those who surrendered.
Here are some of the sources I used. I am sure there were more, but my memory is –well – it is what it is. LOL…
In no particular order:
Texas A&M
Earlytexashistory(.)com
Wikipedia
Historical Commission of Harris County
Texas State Historical Association
Texas Bob
Bullock Museum
Andrews(.)edu
Sons of DeWitt Colony Texas
Sanjacinto-museum(.)org
Britannica(.)com
Tejano Volunteer Company page on Facebook
Additional news on the trail to Texas independence for March 8th, 1836.
William Travis' March 3 reinforcement plea reaches Washington on the Brazos. Sam Houston (elected commander-in-chief of the Tex... View MoreAdditional news on the trail to Texas independence for March 8th, 1836.
William Travis' March 3 reinforcement plea reaches Washington on the Brazos. Sam Houston (elected commander-in-chief of the Texas army on March 4th) and his staff head for Gonzales.
James Fannin receives the news of the Texas Declaration of Independence. While Sam Houston did not arrive in Gonzales until March 11th, a messenger was sent with orders for Fannin with his command at Goliad, and Neill with his command at Gonzales, to go aid the Alamo defenders, not knowing that the Alamo had fallen.
From March to May, Mexican forces once again occupied the Alamo. For the Texans, the Battle of the Alamo became a symbol of heroic resistance and a rallying cry in their struggle for independence. Mexican troops continued their march to the Texian settlements while Texian forces retreated toward Louisiana.
I apologize for the poor quality of the recruitment poster photo. It was the best I could find.
Happy International Women's Day.
Today in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 8, 1836 - Col. James Fannin receives the news of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Gen. Sam Houston orders Fannin with his comman... View MoreToday in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
Mar 8, 1836 - Col. James Fannin receives the news of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Gen. Sam Houston orders Fannin with his command at Goliad, and James Neill with his command at Gonzales, to go aid the Alamo defenders.
Mexican Generals Antonio Gaona, Adrián Woll, Vicente Filisola, and Juan Arago arrive at the Alamo with artillery and the remainder of the First Brigade.
Santa Anna Releases Survivors. General Antonio López de Santa Anna individually interviewed each of the Alamo's noncombatant survivors at the home of Don Ramon Musquiz. It was reported that Santa Anna was impressed with Susanna Dickinson, the young widow of Alamo Artillery Captain Almaron Dickinson. The General offered to adopt her infant daughter, Angelina, and have the child educated in Mexico City. Susanna refused the offer.
Others interviewed include Ana Salazar Esparza and her children (Gregorio's Family), Concepcion Charli Losoya (Toribio Losoya's Mother), Juana Losoya Melton, and Victoriana de Salina, with her three children.
Each woman was asked to make a declaration and then be given $2 and a blanket and allowed to go free to forewarn the ruin that awaited those who opposed his government. Finally, Santa Anna ordered the Tejano civilian survivors to be allowed to return to their homes inside San Antonio.
Santa Anna had more effective plans for Susanna. Since she had been shot in the calf during the battle, she was given a horse and a dispatch for Sam Houston.
Santa Anna instructed Susanna to "Ride to Gonzales and give this letter to General Houston."
Susanna and Ben, a former slave from the United States who served as Mexican Colonel Juan Almonte's cook, were ordered toward the Anglo settlements at Gonzales. They were escorted down the road that led to Gonzales.
Before releasing Joe Travis (Travis' former slave), Santa Anna commanded the surviving members of the Mexican Army parade in a Grand Review, hoping Susanna, Ben, and Joe would be impressed and deliver a warning to the remainder of the Texian forces that his army remained invincible.
Susanna was last seen with the two former slaves, traveling down the road that leads to Gonzales this evening. Their heads hung low.
Pictures: Col. James Fannin, Gen. Sam Houston, Col. James Neill, Den. Antonio Gaona, Gen. Adrián Woll, Gen. Vicente Filisola, Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna, Don Ramon Musquiz, Susanna Dickinson, Capt. Almaron Dickinson
More from the Trail to Texas independence - March 7, 1836.
Sam Houston's Letter to James Collinsworth. (Photos)
Text of Santa Anna's letter to "the inhabitants of Texas":
"The General-in-Chief of t... View MoreMore from the Trail to Texas independence - March 7, 1836.
Sam Houston's Letter to James Collinsworth. (Photos)
Text of Santa Anna's letter to "the inhabitants of Texas":
"The General-in-Chief of the Army of Operations of the Mexican Republic, to the inhabitants of Texas:
Citizens! The causes which have conducted to this frontier a part of the Mexican Army are not unknown to you, a parcel of audacious adventurers, maliciously protected by some inhabitants of a neighboring republic dared to invade our territory, with the intention of dividing amongst themselves the fertile lands that are contained in the spacious Depart ment of Texas; and even had the boldness to entertain the idea of reaching the capital of the republic. It became necessary to check and chastise such enormous daring; and in consequence, some exemplary punishments have already taken place in San Patricio, Lipantitlan and this city. I am pained to find amongst those adventurers the names of some colonists, to whom had been granted repeated benefits, and who had no motive of complaint against the government of their adopted country. These ungrateful men must also necessarily suffer the just punishment that the laws and the public vengeance demand. But if we are bound to punish the criminal, we are not the less compelled to protect the innocent. It is thus that the inhabitants of this country, let their origin be what it may, who should not appear to have been implicated in such iniquitous rebellion, shall be respected in their persons and property, provided they come forward and report themselves to the commander of the troops within eight days after they should have arrived in their respective settlements, in order to justify their conduct and to receive a document guaranteeing to them the right of enjoying that which lawfully belongs to them.
Bexarians! Return to your homes and dedicate yourselves to your domestic duties. Your city and the fortress of the Alamo are already in possession of the Mexican Army, composed of your own fellow citizens; and rest assured that no mass of foreigners will ever interrupt your repose, and much less, attack your lives and plunder your property. The Supreme Government has taken you under its protection and will seek for your good.
Inhabitants of Texas! I have related to you the orders that the army of operation I have the honor to command comes to execute; and therefore, the good will have nothing to fear. Fulfill always your duties as Mexican citizens, and you may expect the protection and benefit of the laws; and rest assured that you will never have reason to repent yourselves of having observed such conduct, for I pledge you in the name of the supreme authorities of the nation, and as your fellow citizen and friend, that what has been promised you will be faithfully performed.
Antonio Lopes de Santa Anna."
And The Texas Quote of the Day is a description of David Crockett at the Alamo as told by a Mexican army officer:
"A tall man, with flowing hair, was seen firing from the same place on the parapet during the entire siege. He wore a buckskin suit and a cap all of a pattern entirely different from those worn by his comrades. This man would kneel or lie down behind the low parapet, rest his long gun and fire, and we all learned to keep a good distance when he was seen to make ready to shoot. He rarely missed his mark, and when he fired he almost always rose to his feet and calmly reloaded his gun, seemingly indifferent to the shots fired at him by our men. He had a strong, resonant voice and often railed at us, but as we did not understand English, we could not comprehend the import of the words, other than that they were defiant. This man I later learned was known as "Kwockey."
~ Captain Rafael Soldana of the Tampico Battalion
Today in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
March 7, 1836
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna reportedly pens a letter "to the Inhabitants of Texas”. In the letter, he explains why h... View MoreToday in Texas History
On the trail to Texas independence.
March 7, 1836
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna reportedly pens a letter "to the Inhabitants of Texas”. In the letter, he explains why his army is in Texas. States that those not participating in the rebellion have nothing to fear from the Mexican government.
General Sam Houston writes to James Collinsworth, the chairman of the military committee of the Consultation meeting in Washington-on-the-Brazos, about the need for fortifying a point on Copano Bay and about several Indian matters (Cherokees and Comanches). Ends by asking what Collinsworth thinks of the idea of passing a resolution in the convention stating that Texas is a part of Louisiana and thereby in the U.S. by the terms of the Treaty of 1803.
Portraits: General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, General Sam Houston, James Collinsworth.
Another account from an eyewitness...
The Fall of the Alamo - 188 years ago today...
On this day in 1836,the Alamo garrison fell, and the fortress that had been a mission became a shrine. ... View MoreAnother account from an eyewitness...
The Fall of the Alamo - 188 years ago today...
On this day in 1836,the Alamo garrison fell, and the fortress that had been a mission became a shrine.
Francisco Antonio Ruiz was the Acalde (mayor) of San Antonio. He was an eyewitness to the events of that day.
Twenty-four years later, in 1860, Don Poncho (as Ruiz was known), recounted what he had seen for the Texas Almanac.
Below is his account in full.
PS - Don Poncho's father, Don Francisco Ruiz, signed the Texas Declaration of Independence four days before the Alamo fell.
Fall of the Alamo, and Massacre of Travis
and His Brave Associates
by Francisco Antonio Ruiz
Translated by J. A. Quintero
On the 6th of March at 3 a.m. General Santa Anna at the head of 4000 men, advanced against the Alamo. The infantry, artillery and cavalry had formed about 1000 varas from the walls of said fortress.
The Mexican army charged and were twice repulsed by the deadly fire of Travis' artillery, which resembled a constant thunder. At the third charge the Toluca battalion commenced to scale the walls and suffered severely. Out of 800 men, only 130 were left alive.
When the Mexican army had succeeded in entering the walls, I with Political Chief (Jefe Politico) Don Ramon Musquiz, and other members of the corporation, accompanied the curate Don Refugio de la Garza, who, by Santa Anna's orders had assembled during the night, at a temporary fortification erected in Potrero Street, with the object of attending the wounded.
As soon as the storming commenced, we crossed the bridge on Commerce Street with this object in view, and about 100 yards from the same a party of Mexican dragoons fired upon us and compelled us to fall back on the river to the place occupied before.
Half an hour had elapsed when Santa Anna sent one of his aides with an order for us to come before him. He directed me to call upon some of the neighbors to come with carts to carry the dead to the cemetery, and also to accompany him, as he was desirous to have Colonels Travis, Bowie and Crockett shown to him.
On the north battery of the fortress lay the lifeless body of Colonel Travis on the gun carriage shot only in the forehead.
Toward the west in a small fort opposite the city we found the body of Colonel Crockett.
Colonel Bowie was found dead in his bed in one of the rooms of the south side.
Santa Anna, after the Mexicans were taken out, ordered wood to be brought to burn the bodies of the Texans. He sent a company of dragoons with me to bring wood and dry branches from the neighboring forests.
About 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the next day they commenced laying wood and dry branches upon which a file of dead bodies were placed, more wood was piled on them and another file brought, and in this manner all were arranged in layers. Kindling wood was distributed through the pile and at 5 o'clock it was lighted.
The dead Mexicans of Santa Anna's army were taken to the graveyard, but not having sufficient room for them, I ordered some of them to be thrown in the river, which was done on the same day. Santa Anna's loss estimated at 1600 men. These were the flower of his army.
The gallantry of the few Texans who defended the Alamo were really wondered at by the Mexican army. Even the generals were astonished at their vigorous resistance, and how dearly the victory had been bought.
The generals who, under Santa Anna, participated in the storming of the Alamo were Juan Amador, Castrillion Ramirez and Asesma Andrade.
The men burned numbered 182. I was an eye witness, for as Alcalde of San Antonio, I was with some of the neighbors collecting the dead bodies and placing them on the funeral pyre.
(Signed) Francisco Antonio Ruiz
I am not a native Texan, but I am inspired by those brave men of the Alamo and truly hope their spirit, their drive to remain free, has not vanished from the residents of this state. We face many tria... View MoreI am not a native Texan, but I am inspired by those brave men of the Alamo and truly hope their spirit, their drive to remain free, has not vanished from the residents of this state. We face many trials in the coming years, not the least of which is the relinquishment of our liberty and freedoms fought for and earned by brave Texicans and others. When threatened, they answered the challenge and showed their true resolve. May we show that same resolve when we are challenged.
REMEMBER THE ALAMO
The sun rose rose over San Antonia de Bexar as a Blood red omen of what the day will bring to the men of the Alamo. The last day of the 13 days of glory that will forever symbolize man's desire to be free of tyranny. "Dequello", the trumpet song meaning "slit throat" or "no quarter" was being played on all four sides of the Mission Fort. Today, Santa Anna will have his temporary victory and lose the war. May all men who love freedom forever bless the men who fought and died for us, whether it was in the Alamo or today in far off shores. God bless freedom, God bless the Alamo! March 6th, 1836.
Sentiments written by Alan Vogel.
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