The Lone Star Rebellion - Chapter 13 - The Rise of a Mass Democracy
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The Lone Star Rebellion, also known as the Texas Rebellion or Texas War of Independence, begun on October 2nd, 1835, and ended on April 21st, 1836. The last battle, the Battle of San Jacinto, was the battle that ended Santa Anna’s (the dictator of Mexico) war on the Texans. Texans wanted freedom from Santa Anna and Mexico because they had become bankrupt under the rule of Mexico and thought that if they had their own republic, that they would be able to regain a healthier financial status. Sam Houston was the main general in the Battle of San Jacinto, winning the war for Texas. San Jacinto is close to the city of Houston, the town that is named after him for his efforts in creating the Republic of Texas. On October 2nd, 1835, the Texan Army attacked in the battle that was called the Battle of Gonzales. The Mexicans retreated early, with two Mexican soldiers getting killed and one Texan soldier was injured because he fell off his horse during the battle. On October 3rd and 4th the Texan Army regrouped and continued to gather in Gonzales. General Martín Perfecto de Cos, Santa Anna’s brother-in-law, was shocked to find out that the Texan Army had won the battle, and rushed to Bexar. He left on the journey with over half of his soldiers, but because of transportation issues, most of his war supplies stayed in the city of La Bahía, where he had been living. The Texans, unaware that Cos had left the city of La Bahía, took a big step and attacked the city, hoping to capture Cos and kill most of the soldiers there. Three men were killed and seven were wounded and the Texans had one man wounded. 20 soldiers escaped and warned the groups of soldiers at Refugio and Copano of the coming Texans. The Texans took over $10,000 in food and other supplies at La Bahía, with all of the supplies being sent around all of the Texan Army groups. Stephen F. Austin, a Texan Army soldier, gathered the men in Gonzales and put together a good army. He led his army to Bexar, where he sought to engage in battle with Cos and his troops. A couple days later, the men got to Salado Creek close to Bexar and started a siege on the city. On October 27th, they started a camp at Mission San Francisco de la Espada. Austin then sent two men with some others to go find a better campsite. The two men were James Bowie and James Fannin. They decided to move the camp to Mission Concepción because they knew that it was a great defensive spot if a battle ever occurred close to the site. Austin became angry because Fannin and Bowie sent a messenger to bring him directions to the new site. He had told them to bring the directions to him personally and then proceeded to threaten all of the officers who chose not to follow instructions with court-martial. General Cos sent Colonel Domingo Ugartechea and his troops to initiate a battle with Bowie and Fannin’s men because he had learned that the men had been split between them. The battle would be the first real battle of the Texas Revolution, called the Battle of Concepción. The Texans won the battle, and it made them happy about themselves. The battle was said to have been an easy win for the Texans, and now they relied on their long rifles to finish the war. The Battle of the Alamo is the most well-known of all of the Texas Revolution battles. Fought in San Antonio, this battle became known because of what Sam Houston would shout in a later battle. The Mexicans got to San Antonio on February 28, 1836, and the Texans were completely unprepared for battle. They collected food from the town quickly and tried to get themselves ready for the ensuing battle. 1,500 Mexican troops were brought into the area, and they raised a red flag which signified no quarter. But on March 6th, the Mexicans attacked the Alamo, and the battle that followed would be called the Battle of the Alamo. Almost all of the defending Texans were killed, including James Bowie, Davy Crockett and William B. Travis, three great soldiers in the Texan Army. 400 to 600 Mexicans were either killed or wounded, which would be about one third of the entire Mexican Army. General José Urrea took his Mexican Army into Texas, and made his way North on the coast of Texas which also helped the Mexican Navy. They had come from Matamoros, a city in Mexico where Urrea’s troops had been staying. He had flanked Colonel Frank Johnson in the Battle of San Patricio and they also defeated a small Texan group of soldiers at the Battle of Agua Dulce on March 2nd, 1836. Urrea would also see Colonel James Fannin in Goliad, where Fannin was commanding 450 troops and was the only Texan force outside the Alamo. Fannin divided his force on March 10, sending out 148 Texans with William Ward, Amon B. King and William C Francis to Refugio. The Texans would face heavy casualties in the battle which became known as the Battle of Refugio. Santa Anna fled to Galveston, where several of the Provisional Government members of Texas had fled. He brought his force with him hoping to capture any Revolutionary leaders and then just put an end to the war. The war had started to become costly for Mexico, and Santa Anna also believed that the battle had become too long. On April 20th, the two armies me at San Jacinto River. Sam Houston and his army went into battle with Houston shouting “Remember the Alamo!”. That statement alone made the Battle of the Alamo very famous. Houston’s army surprise attacked the Mexican force while they were having siestas, and killed and captured nearly all of Santa Anna’s men. After 18 minutes, the Mexican Army was defeated, with Santa Anna being captured in a swamp disguised as a soldier. He signed two treaties in front of Houston, The Treaties of Velasco, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which recognized the Mexican secession of Texas. These treaties would result in a victory for Sam Houston and Texas, and at long last, Texan Independence.