The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906 Page: 258
ix, 294 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
hundred at Goliad. The fate of the first two has been noted, and
of the last it is only necessary to say, in brief, that Fannin began,
on March 19 his retreat from Goliad, surrendered to Urrea on the
20th, and was murdered with most of his men on the 27th.1 It
now remains to trace the story of the citizen army that won the
battle of San Jacinto.
The San Jacinto Army.-Drawn by the repeated calls of Travis
for aid, a handful of citizens began early in March to gather at
Gonzales. On the 8th there were 275 of them, and when General
Houston, who had left the convention on the 6th, took command
on the 11th, there were 374. But many were without arms, and
others were without ammunition. The force, increased to more
than 400, was formed into a regiment on the 13th. Edward Bur-
leson was elected colonel, Sidney Sherman lieutenant colonel, and
Alexander Somervell major. At midnight of the 13th, after hav-
ing the news of Travis's defeat confirmed, the army began a retreat
to the Colorado. There were some twenty desertions immediately
-so Houston reported,-the men probably going to look after their
families. As the army marched it received numerous reinforce-
ments, some in companies and others arriving singly. Many of
the latter left again, which, as one of the veterans of the campaign
wrote, "they could do with impunity, as they were careful not
to attach themselves to any organized company." By the 26th
the number of Texans had increased to between 1200 and 1400,
but when in the afternoon of that day the retreat was resumed
from the Colorado to the Brazos many withdrew from the ranks
-presumably to care for their families. On the 31st General Hous-
volunteers were subject to the governor and general council, and so were
Johnson's volunteers, therefore your committee "advise that Colonel John-
son have the approbation of this Government to conduct the volunteers"
under his command "as the officer of the Government" (Proceedings of
the General Council, 316). It appears, then, that this was an independ-
ent force subject only to Johnson and the government. When Houston
was elected by the convention (March 5 ) to command all the forces to
be called into service it had perished.
1The most satisfactory account of Fannin's movements and plans from
February 7 to the massacre is to be found in Foote's Texas and the
Texans, II 201-18, 224-60, where many of Fannin's letters are printed.
Read also the letters of John Sowers Brooks, in the QUARTERLY, IX 169-
195.258
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906, periodical, 1906; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101036/m1/262/: accessed March 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.