Date: 12 Aug 1997
From: David Folds
Snazzy dresser, he was. A little overly obsessive, too. Brilliant diplomat, it seems, considering the United States got to fight him again.
David Folds
Date: 14 Aug 1997
From: Charles M. Yates
I ran across this little ditty in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly Vol 21, pg 173. It was apparently written in 1836 by someone with the initials J.R.W.
Back, back to thy covert, thou blood hound of death, There is woe in thy step, and guilt in thy breath; Thou warrest with women, thou curse of the brave, Thy pity is blood, and thy mercy the grave.Kinda sums it up, wouldn't you say?But soon the dread hour of avenging shall come When thy cheek shall be blanched, and thy utterance dumb, When thy arm shall be palsied, crimsoned with gore, And the cold sweat of terror escape from each pore.
Did you fight for the wolf or the tiger so wild? Was your cruelty sttange to the forest's red child? Did the blood of the whites ever quicken your veins? Are you human in form, thou monster in brains?
Back, back, to thy lair where the red wolf shall yell, Where thy name shall be spoken in forest and dell; Sink down in your grave, or bid mortals adieu, Thou scorn of the wise and the brave and the true.
Long ages shall roll, but thy shame shall remain, The pirate shall shun thee again and again; The mountain cat flee from the presence away, And the truant boy over thy lowly mound play.
The aged shall curse thee, thou thirster for gore, The worm shall be sickened with gnawing thy core, The tombstone shall blush that points to thy grave, Thou scorn of the wise and the brave and the true.
Charles M. Yates
Date: 20 Aug 1997
From: Kevin R. Young
Santa Anna may have styled himself the Napoleon of the West, but he certainly fell short of that mark. He is best described as an opportunist who used social, political and military situations to advance what was a mediocre military career. He was good at exciting nationalism in the Mexican people, the one reason he was put in an out of power so often.
In his military campaigns, Santa Anna exhibits a great ability to organize, but then to abandon his army to its own frailties as the campaign develops. Never in any campaign did Santa Anna give any consideration to logistics. The Quartermaster system in both 1836 and in 1847 was completely lacking and both armies had extended themselves beyond their resources. If you consider Santa Anna's greatest military battles (or at least the ones he is remembered for) you would be looking at Tampico in 1828, the Alamo in 1836, San Jacinto, 1836: and Angostura (Buena Vista) in 1847. The defeat of the Spanish at Tampico had already been achieved when he arrived to take command of the Mexican forces in 1828. The Alamo, while a classically executed column assault, would never have happened had Sesma not surprised the garrison on February 22 or had Santa Anna waited a few more days for the larger artillery to arrive. San Jacinto demonstrates a completely overconfident commander, who placed his camp on the wrong side of a reverse sloop, only advanced his sentries out, and completely ignored a large hostile force to his front (despite the hot skirmish that took place the day before). Angostura, which was perhaps his best chance at a real military victory was doomed because he had overtaxed his army by a force march with little food and no water and let the Americans pick the ground! The remarkable Mexican success in the early stages of the battle had more to do with the division and regimental commanders of the Mexican army than Santa Anna's leadership.
Once the Americans defeated his forces, or at best, were able to hold their ground south of Saltillo, it became apparent that the Americans could defeat Santa Anna by careful planning. At Cerro Gordo, the Americans exploited the flank and the Mexico City Campaign proved that. It should be noted that the hardest fights of the war were at Churubusco and Molinio del Rey. Santa Anna was not in direct command of the Mexican troops there. It would have been different had Santa Anna sent the reinforcements that General Bravo begged for at Chapultepec but to make things worse, he also ordered the troops dispersed during the American bombardment.
Santa Anna is a remarkable figure-- perhaps because he dominates Mexican military and political history of the mid-19th century. Even more remarkable, he died in his own bed of old age! However, compared to more capable military commanders, such as de la Vega, Torrejon and Urrea, he was not the best Mexican general. How could soldados continue to follow him, especially after he "left them hanging" at not only the Alamo, but at Tomme and Cerro Gordo! As a Mexican historian friend of mine said, "Santa Anna did not create the Mexico of this period---it created him."
Kevin R. Young