Talk:Texas Revolution/Lord

p 25

in Texas, lots of fish and game everywhere mustangs and buffalo roamed for the taking

some of the new arrivals lived in towns with the MExicans, in the old mission towns or Gulf ports

p 26 number moved to Bexar after Mex. ind, though, Bexar became a "neglected outpost" and within 10 years half the population left

p 29 most of the new arrivals formed their own new towns Indian raids bad Comanches killed a French trader near Gonzales one day; the next day, Jacob Durst, Wash Cottle, Jesse McCoy and Almeron Dickinson

p 30 led counterattack on Comanche camp

p 31 by 1830, Americans made up over 75% of Texas population

p 32 after 1830 laws, Travis was one of more vocal citizens in favor of independence

p 36 in 1835, SA reopened Customs Houst in Anahuac - now duties again; sent Capt Antonio Tenorio to Anahuac to oversee and make sure the fees were paid

legislature in Monclova shut down after tried to raise money by selloing 400 leagues of land in TEX to US speculators

Mex. garrison seized Texas schooner Martha at Galveston

p 37 it had supplies; a message shortly thereafter taken from a Mexican courier said that more MEx. troops comin; sttlers burned lumber ordered by Tenorio in revenge in late June 1835, Travis and 25 men marched on Tenorio's HQ - told Mex they had 15 min to surrender or be "'put to the sword'" Tenorio surrendered and was sent to San Felipe many Tex. unwilling to go that far (open rebellion) already, and Travis sternly chided

in August, SA sent Cos to Texas; Cos ordered arrest of Travis and other Texas troublemakers

p 38 Tex more mad at military law then they were over Travis's antics Sept 1, 1835, Austin came home; banquet in his honor in Brazorio the next week - in a speech at the banquet he called for a consultation

week after that, Cos arrived at Copano with 400 men Lt Castaneda

p 39 Travis missed Gonzales - at home with sore throat

p 43 Sam Houston advertised in newspapers for help with the army = his first appeals "devoted as much space to real estate as to the rights of Texas"

p 44 "Texas meetings" across the US in Philadelphia they burned Santa Anna in effigy various cities colected money - 1500 from Mobile, 3150 from Macon, GA

p 45 some newspapers not too thrilled with the activity = NY COmmerical Advertiser said that US had treaty with MExico, and "We have a right to sympathize, but more than that we cannot do"

NO Commercial Bulletin said, "Let the government of our country bow to the supremacy of law. As individuals, we do not, or cannot feel ourselves bound by cold and heartless rules; and when the cry of the oppressed reaches our shores, we long to buckle on our armour, and shoulder to shoulder, contend with freemen against their cruel oppressors"

p 46 James M. Rose was nephew of former US President James MAdison

p 49 many of those who came from US wanted to fight for Tex. independence, not rights under 1824 Const.

p 56 During siege of San Antonio, in Nov 1835 many named Conway killed Sherod Dover of Capt COleman's company the men hung Conway from a pecan tree

p 59 Jameson wrote to Houston on Jan 18: "You can plainly see that the Alamo never was built by a military people for a fortress"

p 60 day after group left for matamoros, Neill and his garrison assembled. They passed a resolution, "We consider it highly essential that the existing army remain at Bexar"

p 62 According to the TAmaulipas Gazette, "Don Santa Anna, feeling as every true MExican ought, the disgrace thus sustained by the Republic, is making every preparation to wipe out the stain in the blood of those perfidous foreigners"

p 66 at this time, Mex army had one officer or non-comm for every two privates

SA arrived at saltillo on Jan 7, 1836 p 67 and then promptly got ill and had to spend 2 weeks in bed since no doctors with them, SA hired local village doctor, N. Reyes as his personal physician

many of the new recruits didn't know how to shoot well their muskets had huge recoil, so they rarely fired from shoulder; when did so, didn't use sights

lots of marching and drilling in Saltillo

p 68 on Jan 25 they did a Grand Review with SA watching

Mex Minister of War Tornel said, "The superiority of the Mexican soldier over the mountaineers of Kentycky and the hunters of Missouri is well known. Veterans seasoned by twenty years of wars can't be intimidated by the presence of an army ignorant of the art of war, incapable of discipline, and renowned for insubordination"

began moving out of Saltillo on the 26th

p 70 Sesma had originally gone north with 1541 men to relieve Cos; too late, so waited along Rio Grande for SA and his 4000 men to arrive

p 71 Feb 13 a blizzard blew in Andrade's cavalry got lost in a mesquite thicket Gaona's brigade lost 50 yoke of oxen no tents for the men

p 72 not enough forage for the animals; in one case the team of 8 mules pulling a large howitzer collapsed; SA said to leave the gun and sell the mules - they could use the money

no chaplains either many Mex soldiers tried to desert on the marchl most were caught and forced to keep going

p 73 on feb 12 they reached the Rio Grande Sesma had arrived at Laredo on Dec 27 to find Cos already there

p 76 when Bowie got to the Alamo, no horses for scouting, no rifle powder, no medical supplies, no cannon balls for the 18-lber

Bowie used his local contacts to get horses so could do some scouting Jan 22 p 77 Bowie learned from the NAvarro family that SA was marching on TX with 4600 men local priest said the army was going straight to Bexar

p 78 Jan 26, Bowie attended a mass meeting in support of the governor, who had just been impeached ended ub "a rousing rally for holding the Alamo"

as chair of the event, Bonham signed first, then Bowie Bowie negotiated a $500 loan with the locals for supplies

Jan 27 a scout brought word that Sesma had a large number of men near the border - courier sent to San Felipe for "men, money, rifles, cannon powder"

Feb 2 bowie learned from locals that 5000 more Mex on their way

p 79 Feb 2, Bowie sent personal letter to Gov Smith with die in these ditches line

p80 Travis spent some of his own money buying blankets, coffe, and sugar for the men he was brining

p 81 Feb 7, Sam Maverick and Jesse Badgett elected to represent the garrison at the Convention to set up a permanent govt

on the 8th, Crockett arrived

p 85 by mid-Feb, all but 3 of the Alamo guns mounted

p 86 on Feb 16 p 87 and Feb 18, Travis warned by the family of local Ambrosio Rodriguez that their relatives further S said that SA was on his way to Bexar now; Travis thought no way, too son

Feb 20, one of Seguin's men, Blas Herrera, who ha dbeen socuting on the Rio Grande, came back to say he had seen SA's army crossing the Rio Grande 9 pm that night, council of war at the Alamo; Texans argued for hours over whether to believ ehim

p 88 decided not to listen Feb 16, SA left Rio grande Feb 17, camped on Nuecesa River (45 mi inside TX); 119 mi from Bexar

p 89 Texans had burned the Nueces bridge, so Mex had to build another of branches and dirt - and it was raining "torrents"

Feb 19, reached Frio River - 68 mi from SA Feb 20, reached Hondo, less than 50 mi Feb 21, SA got in front, and reawched banks of Medina River at 1:45 pm - 25 mi away from Bexar there, they found Sesma's drgoons waiting (had arrived night before)

delegation from Bexar brought news about a fandango that night

p 95 in the commotion when they realized the MEx were just outside town, Dickinson grabbed his wife and baby and brought them to the Alamo (they had been living in the Musquiz home)

Bowie grabbed Juana and Gertrudis - Dr. Horace Alsbury away

p 96 Bowie and some of his men were ransacking abandoned houses looking for food others found 30 cattle and tried to herd them in

p 101 Military Plaza 800 yds from alamo SA angry that Bowie wanted to "negotiate as equals"

p 105 Gregorio Esparza didn't bring his family into the Alamo until evening of the 23rd - after dark on day 1 of siege entered througha window in the church - kids lifted up one by one Esparza was one of Seguin's men -one of the only ones in that group who knew how to handle artillery

p 107 be end of Feb 24, only abt 600 of Sesma's troops had arrived

p 108 people in Bexar were able to get to the Alamo during the first few days of siege; Seguin even got his meals from a local, Estaban Pacheco (sic)

p 109 the first raid on La Villita conducted by Robert Brown, Charles Despaillier, James Rose and a few others

Rose almost captured by a MExican officer

by end of day Feb 25, no Tex hurt p 110 8 Mex casualties - 1 dead, rest wounded Feb 25, SA sent Col Bringas to tell Gaona to hurry with his 3 best copabies

p 111

on Feb 25? evening, several Mexicans let the alamo and asked to surrender to SA but told that SA had gone to bed and couldn't be disturbed until morning

Travis did not want to send Seguin as a messenger - thought he would be useful in dealing with SA if they were to have ore dealing; knew the language, the countryside and hte customs and was a Mex. citizen

p 116 in early days of siege, Texans didn't bother to take cover - the Mex were too far out of their range; however, any Mex who got within 200 yds at serious risk of getting injured or killed

on Feb 27, they saw a Mex general surrounded by aides and dragoons surveying and fired, but idd not hit any of them

p 117 did not realize it was SA

p 118 Mex had hoped to find supplies to procure in SA, but almost nothing many of the Mex provisions in the rear with Gaona and Filisola

Feb 27, SA sent out more couriers to tell them to hurry Filisola at this time sitll at the Rio Grande - his men unmotivated; as they were in the rear, they saw the detritus of SA's march

p 119 SA finally asked local Mexcian Manuel menchaca to help find food - went straight to Seguin and Florez ranches and tool all their corn, beef an dhogs

p 126 Gonzales group set out at 2 pm on Saturday Feb 27

p 127 as the group left town they passed John g. King's ranch. His 15-yr old son came out and begged his father to stay - there wre 9 kids! Young William ofered to take his place, and the men agreed

as they neared the fort, they heard a voice in English ask them if they wished to go into the fort they said yes and were told to follow him John W. Smith suspicous - guys didn't identify himself and didn't get close but spoke good English and not earing a uniform

p128 Smith finally said, "Boys, it's time to be after shooting that follow!" and the stranger spurrred away

p 129 Travis's letters were helping at Victoria, learned that col Wharton had crossed the Guadalupe and headed to Bexar in San Felipe, Capt Moseley Baker ordered local militia to prepare ot march on the 29th

p 130 dr. Sutherland and Horace Alsbury recruited 12 more men and set out on the 28th Seguin got 25 more local Mexicans they two groups went to Cibolo - Fannin said that [eople should meet him there and continue on together to Bexar they didn't know that Fannin had turned back and waited there for a few days

when the Mex didn't arrive at Goliad, Fannin started thinking again about going to Bexar and on mar 2 began preparing to leave

p 133 when fannin said no to Bonham the second time, Bonham went to Gonzales; most men who weren't already at the Alamo were at hte convention did meet up with Ben Highsmith, age 19, who had left the Alamo with an appeal to Fannin before SA arrived he had tried to go back to the Alamo but

p 134 had been chased by the Dolores cavalry 6 mi he said no one coul dget through those lines and Bonham shouldn't try

March 2 Bonham crossed the Guadalupe and headed toward Alamo

p138 same day Bonham came back with news that Fannin wasn't coming, Gaonoa arrived - up to 2400 Mex troops and 10 guns

p 139 on March 3, Mex got news of Urrea's victory over San Patricio first Mex victory

p 143 men wrote laters March 3 to go with smith to be delivered to their families Travis's last letter was to the man watching ove ris son, "If the country should be saved, I may make him a splending fortune; but if the country shoul dbe lost and I should perish, he will hav enothing but the proud recollection that he is the so of a man who died for hi country"

that is also when he decided to start firing the cannon 3 x per day to let peole know they were still there

to cover Smith, several Tex. went out the northern postern gate, worked their way N toweard the sugarmill an dfired at random; the apatrols went that way to see what was going on and Smith turned e out the same gate and vanished - just about midnight

p 144 Mex heard the hammering and shovels and htought the Tex were planning to blow up the Alamo with everyone in it

despite being so ill, Bowie's cot carried out several times so he could try to rally the men

p 145 some of the Mex. defenders discouraged - began to looks more like Mex vs. Anglos, and they were Mex - thought they wouldn't do well under Anglo govt

on 4th morning, Mexican woman went to SA to say that garrison weak and wanted to surrender Mexican rumor said she was sent by Travis Lord says unlikely

p 148 after one of the officers pointed out that Mex had few doctors and med supplies SA said okay, men would know "not as bad to die as to come out wounded"

p150 Sanchez wrote "Why is it that Santa Anna always wants to mark his triumps with blood and tears?" on mar 5

p 152 moon behind clouds on night of March 5/morning March 6 Allen left as last scout riding bareback with his arms around the horse's neck

p 160 as the gunners at the S turned toward the N, Morales's men seized huts at SW corner of Alam o (stone huts); regrouped quickly, raced across a few exposed yards, climbed barbetted and pounced on the gunners and soon killed them and had 18lber

p 161 when the N wall resistance collapsed and people began coming over the walls, quartermaster Eliel Melton and several others leaped over the palisade and tried to get away

one of them managed to kill a Mex. lance corporal

p 162 Crockett and his boys were too far away to get to the barracks with Travis dead, Adjutant John Baugh gave the signal to head for the last stand at the barracks

no communication between the rooms or the buildings

p 164 Juana Alsbury and her sister and son lived in the rooms along the west wall, apart from the other women Gertrudis opened the door to show that only women; a passing Mex soldier snatched off her shawl and she ran back into the room Mex. troops followed, and a young Texan (maybe named Mitchell, came in to try to protect them - killed in front of the women

p 165 a Mex officer arrived, chased out the Mex and ordered the women out of the room to stand against a wall , according ot Lord 'where they were comparatively safe"

p 166 Jacob Walker, a gunner from nacogdoches, ran into the room with Sue and the other women and tried to hide, but 4 Mex soldiers killed him in front of them

by 6:30 am it was all over

p 168 news of the Alamo spread quickly - in NO papers on March 28, in Maine by April 13

p 169 according to the NY Post, "Had he treated the vanquished with moderation and generosity, it would have been difficult if not impossible to awaken that general sympathy for the people of Texas which now impels so many adventurous and ardent spirits to throng to the aid of their brethern"

even some of the newspapers in the US which had been neutral came out in favor of Texans - esp. b/c of Crockett's death

p 171 many places began raising money again - in NY collected $200,000 in pledges in 2 days

p 172 volunteers began pouring in fromaround the US

p 173 many of the men were not adventurers, but farmers, etc. and many of the communities around hte country lost someone -- this made US people more sympathetic than might otherwise have been

p 175 as the fighting died down, mex. soldiers sent the surviving women and children to a little room off thee main entrance of the church - Sue th eonly "Anglo-american" woman there

p 176 Juana had been found by Manuel Perez, the brother of her firs thusband, who lived in town and had come to see the ruins Juana and Gertrudis taken to their family home, the Navarro place; the others to the Musquiz house

p 177 SA asked Joe to point out the bodies of Bowie and Travis

p 178 SA claimed that he killed 600 Tex and abt 70 Mex were dead and 300 wounded also sent the new Orleans Greys flag - proof that the foreigners had tried to take over

p 179 one by one on hte 7th the survivors brought to SA $2 and a blanket for each woman

p 182 afte rHouston heard from Sue, he decided that sieges were just wasint menl should retreat, get SA to follow, and turn and strike when needed

houston ordered an imm. retreat by 9:30 pm the men were loading up to go the two brass 24-lb cannon were thrown in the Guadalupe River b/c it would slow them down Houston gave most of the wagons to ettlers

p 183 Ben became Houston's cook rather than go back to Mex. army when houston gave the order to burn Gonzales so as to deny the Mex army anthing, about 20 of the Tex. deserted to try to go save as much of their belonging as they could

in San Felipe editor Gail Borden ran an editorial in the Telegraph and Texas Register telling everyone to stay home; then he loaded up the presses and also headed east

p 184 for the most part, the refugees in front of the army, which was supposedly protecting them from the Mex. stopped at Colorado on March 17 and waited a week for Fannin to arrive

p 186 Houston learned of Fannin's surrender on March 25 and by the 26th they were marching reached the Brazos on the 31st; stopped 2 weeks to drill

p 187 Houston had had most of the boats on the Brazos hidden or sunk so the mex couldn't cross almonte tried to talk some of the Tex into bringing a boat back - he had an American accent, but didn't work

they then went down the right bank toward Thompson's Ferry (30 mi south)

April 11 they ambushed a Negro who showed them a canoe April 12 they captured another canoe and a flatboat at Thompson's Ferry after surprising the Tex. there

last of Mex. crossed the Brazos on April 14 - shocked to see the steamboat Yellow Stone headed downstream after finishing helping Houston many of hte Mex. had never seen a steamboat before - some tried to lasso it, others to shoot it, some hid

p 189 as SA approached Buffalo Bayou, Sesma at Thompson's Ferry with 1000 men, Filisola behind him with 1800 Urrea at matagorda with another 1200 Gaona got lost near Bastrop, had 2 whole battalions

on April 18 at about noon Mex army reached New Washington Almonte was waiting htere as expected rested a day there on 19thSa sent Capt barragan to scout for the texians he came back at 8 am on the 0th to say Houston less than 8 mi away, facing the Mex not Lunch's Ferry Mex began marching imm.

p 190 although Tex had inflicted damage at Alamo, Mex troops in Texas still outnumbered Tex 6 to 1 SA had told the govt of Mex on Feb 16 that he expected to take San Antonio by March 2, so the siege didn't delay him that much

Houston scolded sec of War Rusk, "Your removal to Harrisburg has done more to increase the panic in the country than anything else that has occurred in Texas, except the Fall of the Alamo" (meaning the govt leaving)

p 198 Seguin gave at least 4 different dates as the day he left the fort and none agreed with dates others said Ramon Caro often said things happened on Feb 30 (no such day)

p 199 very little written down

p 208 Lord says that Sam didn't exist - people actually meant Ben

p 213 Lord say sthat Toribio Domingo Losoya was in Seguin's company but not at Alamo - honorably discharged oct 25, 1836 from Tex army