With the defeat of the Mexican forces at San Jacinto on 21 April 1836, the Mexican army went into retreat with a Texian force following it. Were there any clashes of forces in the retreat, even possibly small elements engaging in brief fire-fights?

James D. Gray
Covina, CA

The Seguin, Filisola and Ampudia correspondence can be found in A Revolution Remembered: The Memoirs and Selected Correspondence of Juan N. Seguin(State House Press, Austin, 1991, pages 136-140). Dr. Greg Dimmick, who has been spearheading the archaeological studies of the Mexican Camp sites in the Wharton/Fort Bend County Area, suggests that the Mexican forces were not in retreat, but rather reorganizing in the wake of San Jacinto.

Remember, only one division was taken out at San Jacinto--but of course, that was the one with Santa Anna! Yet, the bulk of the Mexican forces was still intact and on the Brazos. Dimmick feels that what broke the army was their bogging down in the muddy fields around the San Bernard River. Yet, even when Filisola returned the army to Goliad, they were still able to hold a division review. This impressed even the Texians who were in attendance.

The real break up of the army was when Filisola, following the agreements between Santa Anna and the Texas Government, pulled the army back across the Nueces and to Matamoros. The Mexican Army did not recover from that forced march, although both Generals Urrea and Bravo tried to reorganize the force to reinvade Texas in the summer of 1836. Politics stopped it. Of course there were after-San-Jacinto scraps. They just took place in 1842, when the Mexican Army of the North took Goliad and San Antonio twice in one year. But, thats another story.

Kevin R. Young

Subject: Could there have been more soldiers at the Alamo?
Date: 04/05/2000
From:Tom Harmon

While doing family genealogy research, I discovered an affidavit given in 1885 by David Harman in Orange county. It may indicate some names of men who where at the Alamo that are not listed in the record. Could there have been men at the Alamo who have not been accounted for?

Tom Harmon
Dallas, Texas

A excerpt from the affidavit:

At the first call for Volunteers in the Municipality of Jefferson in 1835, I volunteered in Capt. David Garner's Company. The Company was mustered at Claiborne West's House on Cow Bayou in the municipality of Jefferson (now in Orange Co.). We were ordered (as I understood) to San Antonio, and on our way to San Antonio we went by San Felipe. There being dissensions in the Council, then in session, we were detained sometime I can't remember how long, awaiting the results of the council (my neighbor Claiborne West being a member).

After the Council called a general convention to hold an election on Feb. 1st 1836, our command immediately left for San Antonio and joined the Army under General Burleson (I think was in Command). A day or two after our arrival at San Antonio, one morning, in company with Peyton Bland, David Crockett and George Evans (afterward Maj. Evans, killed in the Alamo, Maj. Evans was a member of David Garner's company when we left Jefferson).

When we went out to look after our horses that were staked out on the high ground, on second bank, we met up with two soldiers (I can't remember their names) who asked Col. Crockett if he thought there was any chance for a fight, if not they were going home. Col. Crockett said there had been plenty of men there to take the town, but that the men were going away as fast as they came, and remarked that if he (Crockett) was in command he would have given them "shut" long ago, meaning that he would whip them out and said that they needed some one to carry orders back to hurry up the drafted men and all soldiers at home. Peyton Bland told David Crockett, that I would go, and I proposed to go. As I was but a stripling of a boy (only weighing about 100 lbs) Col. David Crockett asked me if I was a soldier, I told him I was a member of Capt. David Garner's Company. When we returned to camps, Col. Crockett told Col. Bowie, here was a man who would undertake to go back for reinforcements. Col. Bowie remarked that I looked very young to be a soldier. (Peyton Bland said to Col. Bowie I was like the Irishmans pig "little but ould") and asked me if I thought I could make it back. I told him I thought I could, as I came, I could certainly go back. Col. Bowie at once prepared the necessary papers directed to the enrolling officers at San Felipe Liberty, and Jefferson, to order all enrolled men at once to San Antonio.

After delivering these papers, I started back, with but little delay, in company with the reinforcements, a few joining at each place, Cow Bayou, Beaumont, Liberty, and San Felipe. When leaving San Felipe the Company composed about 75 or 100 men. We had no leader until our arrival at San Felipe where we fell in with the men from this locality, commanded by Capt. Crane. (I don't remember his given name) when we proceeded West, and camped the first night after leaving San Felipe at a point of timber in sight of San Felipe, the next night we camped on a hill in the prairie, from which we discovered camp fires in the distance, to the west.

Capt. Crane, William H. Evans, and another man (I can't remember his name) went to reconnoiter and find out what the fires were, and report to the company. William H. Evans and the other man, returned that night and reported that it was General Houston's army. Capt. Crane did not return that night but remained with Genl. Houston and returned the next morning, saying that Genl. Houston had ordered him to take the men that were with him, and go at once to Washington on the Brazos river and see if the Mexicans had crossed at that point, and to take his company across the Brazos river, and go down the East side to the road leading to San Felipe, and there await orders by courier from him. After waiting (as well as I can remember) about five or six days, the courier came, with orders to move down the river to a ferry across the Brazos below San Felipe, and if no forces had crossed there, to come back to the camp on the San Felipe road where we were before. We went to the ferry as ordered, but saw no sign of any force having crossed, and returned to our former camp, where we were ordered to remain 'till further orders.

I don't remember just how long we remained in camp here. When we did receive orders, it was to go to the Old Spanish Trace on Tuskacete (Buggy) crossing on the San Jacinto river. We crossed the river and camped in an island on the prairie, called Sassafras Island, about one mile from the crossing. We were here three or four days, when we got out of supplies we went to West Liberty and got supplies and returned to our post, where we were ordered to remain until further orders. Not receiving orders, and learning of the rout and capture of the Mexican forces.(we heard the guns during the battle)

Capt. Crane with our command came to West Liberty and remained one night, and crossed the Trinity river to East Liberty and the company disbanded and went to their respective homes. I had contracted the measles, and on my way home, on Cow Bayou, I was taken very sick, and on arriving at home, found that my father and family had gone to Louisiana. They returned very shortly after my return, and I was in a critical condition for a long time afterwards and during this disability I was called back to the army, and I hired (Isaac Garner) as I said before, to take my place until I was able to fill my own place.

When Garner returned, I paid him $50.00 dollars more, as he said he had served three months. It will be seen from the above detailed statement, to all of which I do most solemnly swear to be true, and that I served over six months. consecutively and faithfully (independent of the three months that I hired Isaac Garner as my substitute) the State of Texas, paying all of my expenses while in the service, furnishing my own horses, and I never have received one cent in land or otherwise from the State of Texas in remuneration for all this hard service and expense besides hiring and paying a substitute (Isaac Garner) as above stated.

[signed] David Harman

Sworn to and subscribed before me this the eighteenth (18th) day of February AD 1885, and I hereby certify that David Harmon is one of our oldest citizens and has always conducted himself as an upright and creditable man. Witness my hand and seal of office, this the day and date last above written. J. G. Burton

Attest C.L. Goodman County Clerk
County Judge Orange Co. Texas"

Subject: Attempted Alamo Relief
Date: 04/11/2000
From: James D. Gray

My research is beginning to show there (maybe) were other attempts to get to the Alamo besides the Gonzales Rangers. A small group from Bastrop made it on 4 March but couldn't get through the Mexican lines so they returned to Gonzales and joined Capt J. Billingsly's Militia Co. Can anyone confirm other attempts at relief of the besieged Alamo?

James D. Gray
Covina Calif.

There is evidence of several attempts to reinforce the Alamo garrison, and a high probability that some actually made it through. If so, these reinforments would bolster the Mexican's estimated body count of 250.

In his book Blood of Noble Men, Alan Huffines features an account by Almonte of a sortie around Zambrano's mill, but there doesn't seem to be any reason for the Alamo defenders to have been in that area. Alan suggests it may have been an outside attempt to reinforce the garrison.

There is also the odd account by Susanna Dickinson of Crockett leaving the compound to bring back reinforcements from the Cibolo.

While it may not be a popular theory, more than likely some reinforcements other than the Gonzales contingent made it through. This would have probably been on the evening of March 5. This may have been the advance group from Goliad. Whoever they were, we will need more research to establish their identities.

Subject: The Twin Sisters Cannon
Date: 04/13/2000
From: Dora Guerra

Congratulations on an excellent web site, and on the quality of the responses.

I'm back working at the DRT Library at The Alamo and there was a recent question about the calibre of the "Twin Sisters"ö the cannon of course.

I was able to learn that they were 5 feet five inches long, weighed approximately 400 lbs each, but found NOTHING about the caliber.

Dora Guerra
DRT Library, The ALAMO

According to the Handbook of Texas, the guns were a gift of the citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio and were referred to as "hollow ware." They were manufactured by the firm of Greenwood and Webb and arrived in Galveston at the beginning of April 1836. They were named after Dr. Charles Rice's twin daughters who were on board the Schooner Pennsylvaniawith the guns.

The two tubes were probably 6-pounders, but some historians suggest that they may have been as large as 8-pounders.