The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959 Page: 496
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
generally so scarce during the Texas campaign that its lack was
usually taken for granted.
As soon as he had filled his army to the desired strength and had
distributed the available funds, Santa Anna set about to clear up
the other loose ends, or at least to order them cleared up. After
ordering food supplies purchased, he notified Filisola to make
about oo,ooo pounds of hardtack, which was "very, very neces-
sary." Furthermore, Santa Anna ordered the purchase of "five
hundred fat saddle-broken horses" as needed cavalry replacements.
Payment for these horses was to be made when Santa Anna
arrived.2 The people and the farms in that region of northern
Mexico were also in want, and Filisola often found it impossible
to comply with the commander in chief's directions. He failed to
provide the desired amount of hardtack, but he managed to sup-
plement these provisions with grain to some extent as the troops
headed north.
Two roads spread out from Saltillo, the "low" road via Laredo
and the "high" road via the presidio of Rio Grande to the north.
Both were used. Although it was near the middle of winter and
the army was poorly supplied, Santa Anna selected the route by
Rio Grande, deciding that his force should leave at once. The
caudillo apparently feared the consequence of having such a large
gathering of troops and no enemy in the field. Revolution was
always near by, especially at that period of Mexican history.
Santa Anna's decision to march on B6xar via Monclova and
Rio Grande was strongly criticized by some of his officers, includ-
ing Filisola, who pointed out the inconvenience of crossing the
desert between Saltillo and Bexar. Filisola further indicated the
advantages of marching on the Texans by way of Mier and Goliad
to the south, which would extend the added possibility of naval
communication and supply.30 On the other hand, such a coastal
Revolution, 98, for comment on the 400,000 peso loan secured by Santa Anna from
the commercial house of Rubio and Errazu, on extremely unfavorable terms.
Congress at first rejected the loan but later reconsidered and approved it, after
Santa Anna had proceeded with negotiations anyway. Cf. Hanighen, Santa Anna,
81-82. Concerning the lack of money, see also Carlos Sdnchez-Navarro, La Guerra
de Tejas, Memorias de un Soldado (Mexico, 1938), 127.
29Santa Anna to Filisola, January 14, 1836, in Filizola, Correspondence of Santa
Anna (Master's thesis, University of Texas, 1939), 41-42.
soCarlos Pereyra, Tejas, la primera desmembracidn de Mdjico (Madrid, 1917[?]),
80. Pereyra blames Santa Anna's failure to listen to Filisola on the dictator's stu-496
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959, periodical, 1959; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101173/m1/593/: accessed March 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.