A Pictorial History of Texas, From the Earliest Visits of European Adventurers, to A.D. 1879. Page: 261 of 859

                                
HOUSTON'S RETREAT.

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at Burnham's, on the 17th, where the river was crossed;
the army now numbering about six hundred men. Descending
the stream, they encamped on the west bank, opposite
Columbus, until the 25th. In the mean time, the Mexican
advance, under Sesma, had reached the right bank of the
river.  By the 26th, Houston's army had increased to
between twelve hundred and fifteen hundred men.
Houston has been severely censured for not making a
stand at that place. The river offered a good line of defence;
and as soon as he resumed his retrograde movement, many
men, whose families would be exposed, had to leave the
army to secure their safety. In his last speech in the Senate,
he gives the reason for his retreat. When encamped
on the Lavaca river, going west, he had dispatched Col.
Wm. T. Austin to Velasco for artillery. The guns were
shipped up to Columbia, but owing to excessive rains, it
was found impossible to transport them to army headquarters.
Without artillery, and the soldiers depressed by the
sad fate of Travis and of Fannin, Houston thought it best
to fall back to the Brazos.  When he reached the river at
San Felipe, instead of crossing the stream and establishing
a line of defense, he turned up across Mill creek, and
encamped, from the 29th of fM arch until the 12th of April,
in the bottom.
Mosely Baker, with a company of about one hundred
. men, was stationed on the east bank of the river, opposite
San Felipe, to protect the ferry, and prevent the enemy from
passing the stream. At Richmond, Wylie Martin, with fortysix
men, was guarding the two ferries. On the day that
Houston encamped on the west bank of the Brazos, Santa
Anna started the bulk of his army from San Antonio; the
central division following Sesma, and Gaona marching for
Bastrop. The General himself did not leave the city until
the last day of March, and arrived at Columbus on the 5th
of April. Leaving his heavy guns and most of the infantry
to follow, the President, with a division of cavalry, reached