Transcript Convention of 1836, Coleto Creek/Goliad, San Jacinto Notes PPT

 The Convention of 1836
 The Battle of Coleto Creek and
Goliad Massacre
 The Road to San Jacinto
 The Battle of San Jacinto and Texas
Independence
 While some Texans were besieged by Santa Anna’s forces at
the Alamo in February 1836, other Texas leaders met at
Washington-on-the-Brazos for a convention. 59 delegates
began work on March 1, 1836. 2 were native Texans, while
most were from the Southern U.S. Delegates elected
Richard Ellis as chairman (or person in charge) and asked
that a committee be formed to write a Declaration of
Independence. George Childress was elected as chairman
of the committee and is considered the primary author of
the document. The document declared the Mexican
government deprived Texans of certain rights—it was
adopted on March 2, 1836 by unanimous vote.
SAN ANTONIO de BEXAR
 The delegates spent the next 2 weeks writing
a constitution for a new republic. Both
documents (Declaration and Constitution)
were modeled after the U.S. The
constitution provided a government with 3
branches: executive, legislative, and judicial;
and contained a bill of rights. It also made
slavery a legal institution.
 Lastly, the Texans set up an ad interim
government (where people are selected to
serve as leaders until elections can be held):
David G. Burnet—President, Lorenzo de
Zavala—Vice President, Sam Houston—
Commander of Regular and Volunteer
armies. The meeting adjourned on March 17
as panic ensues when word reaches
delegates that the Alamo had fallen.
 While the Alamo battle raged, the second
unit of the Mexican army, under General
Jose Urrea, advanced throughout South
Texas. He defeated and killed Texan soldiers
in San Patricio, Refugio, and Victoria.
Colonel James Fannin, the commander of
Texas forces at Goliad, was ordered by
Houston to retreat from Goliad and head
towards Victoria. He delayed his retreat
which hurt the Texas cause.
 West Point drop-out
 Brave
 Intelligent
 Loyal
 Weakness was that
he could be
indecisive
 On March 19, while Fannin and his men rested
in an open field near Coleto Creek, 500 of
Urrea’s troops surrounded them. At first,
Fannin’s troops of 300 men fight back and have
success. But Mexican reinforcements arrive and
force Fannin to surrender. Urrea assured the
Texans that they would be treated fairly,
although the surrender agreement made no
such promises. The Texans were marched back
to Goliad and imprisoned in the old presidio.
 Now on private property
 Exact location is disputed
Key
Mexicans
Texans
 Urrea wrote to Santa Anna, asking that he be
allowed to spare the prisoners’ lives. Santa Anna
ordered their immediate execution, fearing that if he
let the Texans go they would join others in the
rebellion. Urrea wrote in his diary his regret for
killing the men, calling it a “cruel necessity”. On
Palm Sunday March 27, 350 prisoners were taken out
to a field and shot. A few men survived by
pretending to be dead. Senora Francita Alavez, the
wife of a Mexican army officer, set aside politics and
helped the wounded. The Texans called her the
“Angel of Goliad”.
 28 men escaped from the three
massacre sites (some Mexican soldiers
missed on purpose!)
 3 Fought in Battle of San Jacinto
 17 men's lives were spared. (they had
skills useful to Mexican army)
 It is from the accounts of the men who
escaped and were spared that we know
what happened at Presidio La Bahia.
 Francita Alavez,
the Angel of Goliad
saved of the lives of
many soldiers.
 Wife of Colonel
Telesforo Alavez, an
officer in General
Urrea's army.
 As did the wife of
General Urrea
 At the Alamo and Goliad Texas forces fought
bravely; but a lack of cooperation among
Texas leaders was revealed. Sam Houston
was convinced not to let his forces separate
into small groups. The Alamo and Goliad
became a point of inspiration at the Battle of
San Jacinto—“Remember the Alamo!
Remember Goliad!”.
 The defeats at the Alamo and in South Texas allowed
Santa Anna to move east into Texas. Houston arrived
at Gonzales on March 11 and found nearly 400 men
ready to join the fight. On March 13 he then
retreated east toward the Colorado River, picking up
additional men as the army grew to nearly 1,000
volunteers. He hoped to meet up with Fannin’s men
at Goliad—but soon learned of their fate. Houston’s
soldiers became resentful because their homes were
being destroyed and they wanted to fight! Houston
believed his forces were too weak and needed more
time to train.
 Fearing the Mexican army would move in and
harm them, hundreds of Texas families moved
east. Heavy rains and sickness made the
journey miserable—the movement became
known as the “Runaway Scrape”. On March 28,
Houston’s army reached the Brazos River and
moved north to Groce’s Plantation. There, he
trained his army for 2 weeks. Hendrick Arnold,
an African-American scout, posed as a runaway
slave and moved through the Mexican army
camps gathering information for Houston.
 Heavy rains and sickness made
the journey miserable
 Texas civilians and families feared
Santa Anna’s movement eastward
 As Houston continued eastward, he received
a gift from the people of Cincinnati, Ohio—
two cannons called the “Twin Sisters”.
Instead of heading east into Louisiana like
his soldiers and Santa Anna believed,
Houston turned south and headed towards
the San Jacinto River and prepared to fight
the Mexican Army.
 Houston received a gift from the people of Cincinnati,
Ohio.
 Two cannons called the “Twin Sisters”
 Having lost the Texas artillery at the Alamo, Goliad and
during the runaway scrape, this could not have come at a
better time
 On April 20, 1836, Texan troops camped on the
banks of Buffalo Bayou. Santa Anna’s army
moved to the edge of a prairie opposite the
Texans. Santa Anna was in a poor position but
believed the Texans would not attack. Juan
Seguin commanded 20-30 Tejanos; they wore a
piece of cardboard in their hats to distinguish
them from Mexican troops. Houston had over
1,000 men. Santa Anna had 850 troops and 540
more joined them.
 Captain in Sam Houston’s
army
 Veteran of Battle of San
Antonio
 Learns of deaths of Tejanos at
the Alamo
 Leads Tejanos at Battle of San
Jacinto
 Houston ordered Erastus “Deaf” Smith and
Henry Karnes to destroy the bridge across
Vince’s Bayou to cut off a retreat for both
armies. Houston called his officers to a council
of war, but they disagreed over whether to
attack directly or set up a defensive position.
On the afternoon of April 21, Houston ordered
the Texas army to advance on the Mexican
troops who were resting. The Texans seized the
Mexican artillery and their camp was in total
confusion as soldiers tried to fight and flee.
The battle lasted 18 minutes!
San Jacinto Battlefield – April 21, 1836
 The Mexican army suffered heavy losses at San
Jacinto. As estimated 650 Mexicans were killed
and 730 were taken prisoner, including Santa
Anna, who later surrendered. Santa Anna
signed 2 treaties at Velasco—one public and
one secret. The public treaty—Santa Anna
promises that Mexican forces would never fight
against Texans again and ordered all Mexican
forces out of Texas. The secret treaty—Santa
Anna promises to work for Mexican
recognition of Texas independence in exchange
for his release.
 Many Texans wanted to hang Santa Anna.
Burnet, determined to honor the treaty,
placed Santa Anna on a ship returned to
Mexico. News of the victory spread
throughout Texas and soldiers from both
sides returned to their homes. The Mexican
army left in defeat. Volunteers from the U.S.
arrived in Texas too late—the Texans had
already won the war. Texans were now
citizens of a NEW Republic of Texas!