Chapter 11, Section 1 Notes

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Chapter 11, Section 1 Notes

• Title The Road to San Jacinto
• Main Idea Sam Houston ordered the Texas army to
  retreat, and panic spread as the Mexican troops
  moved deeper into Texas.
• Key Terms massacre

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I. Santa Anna Remains in Texas

• The Texas cause seemed hopeless in March of 1836.
  The Mexican army was all over Texas.
• Santa Anna ordered his troops to burn all towns.
• He refused to return to Mexico until the Texas
  rebellion was crushed.
• He placed General Filisola in charge of occupying
  Central and East Texas.

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II. Houston Builds the Texas Army

• Houston arrives in Gonzales on March 11 and finds
  370 volunteers (many untrained) who had responded
  to Traviss letter for help. He also found out
  the Alamo had fallen from scout Deaf Smith.
• Result? Houston plans a retreat east to join
  Fannins troops from Goliad in Victoria.

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III. Houstons Army Retreats

• On March 13, Houstons troops begin its
  withdrawal from Gonzales. Juan Seguin is ordered
  to stay behind and burn the town and its
  provisions.
• The army moved east and crossed the Colorado
  River at Burnhams Crossing, which was flooded by
  heavy rains.
• Delayed, Houston spent 9 days training his troops
  while more volunteers arrived from the USA.

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III. Houstons Army Retreats

• D. After learning about the massacre at Goliad
  and Santa Annas army moving towards him, he
  ordered another retreat east towards the Brazos
  River .
• E. Result? Anger and resentment towards
  Houstonthe Texans wanted to fight NOW!

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III. Houstons Army Retreats

• (3) Reasons Why Houston Retreated
• He believed his forces were still too weak they
  were untrained and outnumbered.
• The farther east the Mexican army went their
  supply lines would be stretched.
• In East Texas, the Texans might get help (i.e.
  reinforcements) from the USA.

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IV. Panic Causes the Runaway Scrape

• A. Hundreds of civilian Texans feared for their
  lives so they packed up everything they could
  and headed east towards the Sabine Riverthis
  became known as the Runaway Scrape
• (3) Reasons Why This Journey Was Miserable!
• Heavy spring rains
• Lack of food
• Sickness

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V. Houston Trains His Army

• Houston led his army to Groces Plantation near
  present-day Hempstead, to train, march, and
  drill.
• Bad weather fueled bad tempers, as some grew
  impatient with Houston.
• Ad-interim President David G. Burnet sent Houston
  a letter urging him to attack Santa Anna.
• Houston refused but relied on scouting reports
  from Hendrick Arnold who gathered information as
  he posed as a runaway slave in the Mexican camps.
  

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VI. The Mexican Army Moves East

• By April 7, Santa Anna had crossed over the
  Colorado and Brazos Rivers at San Felipe leaving
  slower units behind.
• When Santa Anna learned that President Burnet and
  his cabinet (or advisors) were at Harrisburg, the
  Mexican leader sent troops to the city.
• But when they arrived there April 15, they
  learned Texas officials had already fled to New
  Washington on Galveston Bay.

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VI. The Mexican Army Moves East

• D. As Houston moved his army towards the San
  Jacinto River, he received 2 six-pound cannons
  called the Twin Sisters as a gift from the
  people of Cincinnati, Ohio.
• On April 18, Houston set his army along the banks
  of Buffalo Bayou to confront the Mexican Army.
• Tomorrow we will learn how Sam Houston and the
  Texas Army soundly defeated the Mexican Army at
  San Jacinto!

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Assignments for Today

• 11-1 Guided Reading/Section Quiz.
• Read 11-2, pp. 252-259.
• Study Ch. 11 Vocabulary for Quiz Friday.
• Wednesday/Thursday
• 11-2 Power Notes
• Sam Houston Acrostic
• 11-2 GR/SQ