Stirpes, Volume 11, Number 2, June 1971 Page: 45
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A 1971 LOOK AT SAN JACINTO
usually found a way for making them. One
time Mr. Van Zandt needed a saddle and he
made it, having only a drawing knife, from
a dead sassafras which he cut down for the
purpose. His shoes were gone and he could
get no others. He bought some red leather,
made a last, and manufactured some very
respectable shoes, which he wore to Memphis
t.
5) When the able bodied fathers and sons joined the forces
to fight Santa Anna, untold burdens were placed upon the womenfolk
and younger children of the frontier family. Except in
settlements, families were often miles from the nearest neighbor.
Smithwick recalls that Texas "was a heaven for men and dogs
but a hell for women and oxen."
6) When Santa Anna crossed the Rio Grande he announced there
would be no quarters given but death to all rebels. The shameful
slaughter at the Alamo and Goliad demonstrated the fate of any
Texans who were captured. The families fled eastward ahead of
the Mexican Army. The suffering and hardship attending the socalled
"runaway scrape" defies the imagination. The shortage of
wagons, teams, and the absence of the menfolk who had gone to
join the army compounded the problem. Probably the greatest
source of suffering was the unseasonable cold and rain. The
rivers and creeks were difficult to navigate and the roads were
nearly impassable. The near freezing weather took its toll.
There are many accounts of those who waited too late and were
forced to flee with their lives and only the clothes on their
backs.
There were a few, however, like the widow of James K. Brown,
who refused to leave their farms. She and her 13 year old son
defied Santa Anna himself. While he did take a fine horse left
in her care for his personal use there is a bit of irony in the
fact that as Santa Anna later fled from the San Jacinto battlefield,
he was confused and his horse, the one he had taken from
Mrs. Brown's son, instinctively headed home to Vinces Bridge which
had been burned by the incomparable Deaf Smith. This led to Santa
Anna's capture because if he had headed for the high ground he
probably could have escaped and returned to his army of 4,500 at
Mrs. Powell's ranch. It may well be said that this indominable
bravery of Mrs. Brown saved Texas.
In spite of all these problems which would seem to be insurmountable,
the Texans were victorious. In retrospect how can we
explain it? Some contend the difference was Sam Houston, his
superior leadership and his ability to hold the impatient and
independent frontiersmen together until the old Indian hunter found
the best time to strike. Criticism and outright defiance to fight
Santa Anna on their own terms was rampart all along the retreat
route. Probably no one in the Army was his equal in leadership.
Houston was a powerful man physically, 43 years old, 6 foot
2 inches in height, and a trim 235 pounds with a reputed 34 inch
waist. His deep, rich and sincere voice had been respected and
heeded in the councils of the State of Tennessee, in our national
capital at Washington, D. C., the Cherokee nation and Texas'
Washington on the Brazos. Sam Houston was a natural leader of men.45
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Texas State Genealogical Society. Stirpes, Volume 11, Number 2, June 1971, periodical, June 1971; Fort Worth, TX. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29567/m1/7/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Genealogical Society.