on the approach of santa anna’s army, president burnet and his cabinet retired from harrisburg to galveston island. they were closely pressed by the advance of the mexican cavalry under almonte. as the president stepped upon the flatboat which was to take him to the schooner flash, at the mouth of the san jacinto, he was for several moments a target for mexican guns. but he reached the flash in safety, and the boat sailed across the bay to the almost deserted island. there, while the government officials waited in great anxiety and suspense for news from the army, they were joined by a large number of fugitives who had fled from their homes in the general panic. the steamboat yellowstone—which had conveyed houston’s army across the brazos at groce’s ferry—came down loaded with refugees from the brazos and colorado. at fort bend it had passed the mexican army under a hot fire. the smokestacks were riddled with bullet holes. the mexican cavalrymen had tried at several points to lasso the boat from the bank as it steamed by, but fortunately their ropes were too short.
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the yellowstone brought news that houston’s army was on the road to harrisburg. burnet knew, therefore, that the long-delayed fight would take place soon or never. very few people had any faith left in houston’s ability to defeat the mexican army. santa anna was looked for in galveston at any moment. nearly all the women and children had already been placed on board the flash, and the captain of the boat had orders to sail for new orleans, where they would be safe.
general houston’s first duty, after settling affairs in his somewhat disordered camp, was to send an express to the president with news of the victory, and to request him to come and treat in person with santa anna.
at the battle of concepcion captain robert calder, then a private posted in the mission tower, had given notice of the enemy’s approach. this young officer, who had also fought most gallantly in the battle of san jacinto, volunteered to bear the general’s dispatches to president burnet. it is not to the young captain’s discredit that the presence on the island of the beautiful girl whom he afterward married had something to do with his eagerness to perform this service.
thomas j. rusk.
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he started on the morning of the 23d accompanied by b. c. franklin and two soldiers detailed for the expedition. no boat was to be had except an open and weather-stained skiff with two pairs of oars. no provisions could be procured; the country around had been swept clean by the mexicans. but the little party paddled away cheerily down the bayou. late at night they found some food in a deserted cabin on the bank. the next day they entered the bay. the waves were rough; it was hard rowing and the boat leaked badly. captain calder had most of the work to do, the others having given out completely. much of the way they coasted close to the shore, calder wading and shoving or pulling the skiff along. they saw but one living human being on their trip. this was a wild african negro who had perhaps escaped from some slave-ship on the coast. on the fifth day they crossed from virginia point to the war-schooner invincible, which was lying in the bay off galveston. as they approached, captain brown hailed them through his speaking trumpet: “what news?”
the unexpected reply, “houston has defeated santa anna and captured his whole army,” caused an instant outburst of wild excitement. the wet, weary, and hungry messengers were dragged on board and questioned by everybody at once. captain brown cried to his gunners: “turn loose old tom.” old tom, the cannon, was fired three times before captain brown remembered that it was the business of the commodore to order a salute. “hold on there, boys,” he said, “or old hawkins will have me in irons.”
he sent captain calder and his men over to the flag-ship independence, where commodore hawkins received them with enthusiasm and ordered a salute of thirteen guns.
the news spread among the ships and through the fleet of small boats that swarmed up to hear the story. it passed on to the land, where people were running about in a wild state of alarm at the sound of the commodore’s guns. alarm was changed to joy. the refugees hugged each other, weeping tears of gladness, and fairly beside themselves with delight. president burnet received captain calder in his tent and heard the story of the battle with deep emotion.
the young captain, “having changed his clothes,” as he relates, went in search of the bright-eyed girl whom he had not seen since the war began. as he passed, unknown, through the groups of men, he heard one man exclaim: “what! the whole mexican army defeated and santa anna taken prisoner? no, gentlemen; these fellows are scoundrels and deserters. it is too big a story, and they ought to be taken into custody at once!”
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president burnet and his suite boarded the yellowstone the same day (april 27) and steamed up to the new camp near harrisburg, whither houston had removed his army. there he met santa anna and arranged the basis of a treaty which the mexican general signed on the part of his country.
by the terms of the treaty the mexican army was to withdraw from texas soil; hostilities were to cease; american prisoners were to be released; and all property seized during the invasion was to be returned to the owners. santa anna was to be liberated at the discretion of the congress.
on the 3d day of may the mexican prisoners were placed on board the yellowstone and carried to galveston island, where they were kept under close guard.
president burnet accompanied santa anna to the coast, whence it was intended to embark the mexican general at once for vera cruz.
soon after the battle of san jacinto, general houston, leaving rusk, who had recently been appointed brigadier-general, in command of the army, went to new orleans to have his shattered ankle treated by his own physician.
filisola had heard of the defeat and capture of his commander-in-chief and was already in full retreat when santa anna’s order reached him. he arrived at goliad about the 20th of may.
here, on the 26th, commissioners benjamin fort smith and henry teal found him. they had been sent by president burnet with a copy of the treaty between santa anna and the texan congress for filisola’s signature. he signed it, and continued his march westward to the rio grande.
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on june 4 general rusk—who had followed with the texan army to see that the mexicans retreated in good faith—stopped at goliad to fulfill a sacred duty. this was to collect and bury the remains of the victims of the palm sunday massacre.
the charred and sun-dried skeletons scattered about the ground were gathered together and reverently laid in a pit dug for the purpose. the army was paraded inside the fort, and from thence, slowly and with reversed arms, to the beat of muffled drums, the soldiers marched to the chosen spot. with the procession walked several of fannin’s men who had escaped death on that fatal sunday.
map of texas at the close of the war of independence.
red river
trinity r.
brazos r.
colorado r.
nacogdoches
san augustine
old san antonio road
guadaloupe r.
san antonio
nueces r.
rio grande del norte
presidio of san juan bautista
sabine r.
neches r.
washington
san felipe de gonzales
austin
anahuac
harrisburg
columbia
brazoria
la vaca r.
golita cr.
victoria
goliad
refugio
san patricio
matamoros
galveston i.
velasco
gulf of mexico
matamoros
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general rusk began an address, the troops standing around him. “but in truth he did not finish what he intended to say, for he was overpowered by his feelings, and the tears rolled down his cheeks, and he had to stop speaking. there were but few dry eyes on that occasion.”[28]
so powerful was the impression produced on the men who assisted in this mournful ceremony that general andrade (an-dra′dā), who was bringing up the rear of the mexican army, was advised by rusk that it would not be safe for him to attempt to pass through goliad, as he could not answer for what his own men might do. andrade was therefore obliged to cut a crossing seven or eight miles long through the chapparal thickets, in order to reach the main road. the mexican army marched slowly westward with trailing banners. san antonio and other places held by mexican garrisons were given up. at length the rio grande was reached and crossed.
the independence of texas was achieved.
