Texas Independence

Historians often describe the Texas Revolution, which started on October 2, 1835, at the Battle of Gonzales, the first military engagement between Mexico and the Texan colonists. The end of the Texas Revolution is given as the Battle of San Jacinto fought on April 21, 1836, where the Texian Army led by General Sam Houston routed the Mexican Army led by the President of Mexico and Supreme Army Commander Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

Most Texians and Tejanos (native-born Mexicans and those born in Texas) did not initially want to separate from Mexico. Many of the original families had been very successful and were thankful for the opportunities Mexico had given them in Texas. A series of events in the following years would soon unite many colonists to seek freedom from Mexico.

Some significant reasons for Anglo-American and some Tejano dissatisfaction with the faraway Mexican government would include:

• The general ethnic and racial distrust the Anglos felt towards their Mexican neighbors and the Mexican government.
• The Mexican government’s laws restricting and then abolishing Slavery.
• The Mexican government began imposing a tariff on settler’s goods after the 7-year grace period expired.
• The 1830 law passed by the Mexican Congress abolishing Anglo-American immigration from the United States.
• The refusal of the Mexican government to recognize Texas as its own state in the republic and not just an addition to the state of Coahuila.
• The election in 1833 of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna as President of Mexico. Initially running as a Federalist, Texas supported him because of his robust state rights platform. Santa Anna quickly changed his mind and became a Centralist, believing the Federal Government had unlimited rights and not the states. He would then go on to operate as a dictator in Mexico.

In September 1835, Santa Anna began asserting control of Tejas by sending General Perfecto de Cos to San Antonio with roughly 500 troops. This was also done to inform the United States that Tejas was indeed a Mexican state (Coahuila y Tejas) and that Mexico would not accept any American interference.

Battle of Gonzales

Later that month, the commander of all Mexican troops in Texas sent 100 cavalry troops to the town of Gonzales to retrieve a small cannon that the Mexican Army had lent to the townspeople to help repel Native American assaults. The Colonists used a variety of excuses not to give the cannon back while sending out messengers to various communities for recruits to help against the Mexicans. After several days of jostling, on October 2, 1835, the Texian army attacked the Mexican troops and drove them off to return to San Antonio, using the cry “Come and Take It!” and daring the Mexican military to return for more battle. Even though this was a very minor battle with only 2 casualties, word soon spread throughout Tejas that there had been a first military engagement between Texians and the Mexican troops. The Texians began to rally and unify under the decision to fight for independence now that it seemed probable.

A few weeks later, a Texian army of several hundred volunteers, initially led by Stephen Austin, marched to San Antonio, laid siege to General Cos’ troops in the town, and later, in the mission of San Antonio de Valero, popularly known as the Alamo. By December, the Texians began a bloody house-to-house assault, eventually leading to General Cos surrendering to the Texians on December 11th, 1835. The casualties for the Texians were roughly 35, while the Mexican army suffered about 150 losses, mainly due to the greater accuracy of the Texian rifles. The Mexican troops were allowed to retreat to Mexico on the promise of never entering and fighting in Texas again.

The Alamo

Recently elected Mexican President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was upset and embarrassed that the Texian troops had been able to defeat a Mexican contingent (who happened to be led by his brother-in-law, General Cos). He ordered Cos to immediately stop retreating, re-form, and wait for further orders in Matamoros, Mexico.

Some Texian army decided to occupy San Antonio and reinforce the Alamo. Originally built as a mission and not a fort, the structure was not ideal to defend. That did not stop the Texians from improving their defenses where possible. As expected, soon after, the Mexican Army, several thousand troops strong, led by General Santa Anna himself, came to San Antonio for the first significant encounter of the Texas Revolution. On February 23, 1836, the first part of the Mexican army, led by Santa Anna, arrived in San Antonio and began their siege of the Texians (including several Tejanos), who had fled to the Alamo from town. The Texians consisted of approximately 200 fighters, including long-time Texian settlers, Tejanos who opposed the Mexican government policies, and many newly arrived fighters from America who wanted to be part of the battle in hopes of the rewards if they won (large land grants). They were led by Colonel William B. Travis and James Bowie and newly arrived David Crockett, the famous ex-Tennessean congressman who had gone to Texas to start a new life. The siege lasted 13 days, culminating in the final battle on March 6^th, where the Mexicans overran the Alamo walls and slaughtered the Alamo defenders, leaving alive only women, children, and slaves. Mexican casualties were high, with many resulting from their own friendly fire during the chaotic assault.

After the battle of the Alamo, Santa Anna further divided his army into segments to attack the northern area from San Antonio (including 800 Mexican troops who went through Mina (Bastrop) and ransacked the town for supplies. A group of Comanches who were trailing this army then continued the pillaging after the Mexicans had left. They also burned Mina to the ground. Another segment of the military stayed in San Antonio; one reinforced the army along the coastal areas, and the last, led by Santa Anna, chased Sam Houston and the Texian army eastward to meet up with another segment of his army in the following weeks.

The Goliad Massacre

The bad news continued for the Texians as Colonel Fannin’s Texian army in Goliad surrendered to the Mexican Army led by General Urrea after a brief battle. They were held for several days in Presidio La Bahia (Fort Defiance) in Goliad. On March 27, 1836, the Mexican army, on orders from Santa Anna himself, marched these prisoners from three different exits and then began executing them in cold blood outside the presidio. Roughly 340 prisoners lost their lives, with as many as 24 who escaped and 20 who were spared because of the skills the Mexican army needed.

The Runaway Scrape

This was the name that the Texians applied to the flight of civilians not fighting in the revolution (primarily women, children, and the aged). When Santa Anna’s army entered Tejas, this caused many in the south-central part of Texas to flee from that army. Later, after the battle of the Alamo, Sam Houston decided to flee east and ordered all inhabitants to flee as well. Citizens of Gonzales fled, and the town was burned to the ground by the Texian army to not leave anything for the enemy. Citizens of Mina (Bastrop) fled east, and part of the Mexican army ransacked Mina for supplies and food. Soon afterward, Mina was burnt to the ground by a group of Comanches trailing the Mexican military.

Citizens from all the Tejas communities fled, leaving many precious items that could not be carried by hand or in a cart. It is estimated as many as 5,000 people participated in the Runaway Scrape, where many lives were lost due to disease, starvation, drowning, and attacks by robbers. These people were heading east to Louisiana, now an American territory. When word reached those fleeing that the Texian army had defeated the Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto, many turned around and headed home, often to find their homes and towns burned down.

In April 1836, General Sam Houston continued to lead his army northeast away from the main strength of the Mexican army. This caused Santa Anna to spend valuable time, money, effort, supplies, and frustration chasing him down. This also physically wore down the Mexican troops, who marched hundreds of miles chasing the elusive Texian army. In the meantime, the Texian army was gaining strength, mainly from freshly arriving Americans itching for a fight. They were also gaining much-needed drilling and other military training.

In mid-April of 1836, Sam Houston’s Texian army and Santa Anna’s Mexican army approached Lynch’s Ferry on the San Jacinto River from different roads. After a day of setting camp opposite of each other, Santa Anna was sure that Houston would not attack him at the current location and relaxed his troops and the monitoring of the enemy troops. This was a fatal mistake, as the Texians attacked on the afternoon of April 21. The Texians had roughly 900 soldiers, and the Mexican army, which had recently been reinforced, had approximately 1,300 troops. The battle lasted only 18 minutes as the Mexicans were routed by the Texians who yelled “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember Goliad” while vengefully striking down any Mexican soldiers in their way.

Houston listed 630 Mexican soldiers killed and over 700 captured.  The Texian casualty list was nine lost lives in the battle. Santa Anna himself was captured on April 22 and made to order his army to retreat to Mexico. While still a prisoner, he signed the Treaty of Velasco, recognizing Texas as an independent nation and ending the war and the Texas Revolution.

The Mexican government deposed Santa Anna and refused to recognize Texas until after the Mexican-American War 10 years later. Still, Texas forged forward after the San Jacinto battle as a new Republic.

Map of Mexican and Texian Army movements during the Texian Revolution

More Reading

11 Days on the Colorado: The Standoff Between the Texian and Mexican Armies and the Pivotal Battle Unfought
By James E. Brasher
https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781625110770/eleven-days-on-the-colorado
Winner of the 2025 Summerfield G. Roberts Award, Sponsored by the Sons of the Republic of Texas