Quote:

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A collateral matter how did they feed and water "20 or 30" cows?

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Not much documentation on feeding the Alamo cattle but you've got to assume the compound didn't have adequate foodstuffs (if any) for the cattle or horses. Col Travis mentions finding the additional cattle and corn after the enemy appeared.

One of Chief Engineer Green Jameson's maps shows a water well within the compound walls. Not sure if this was proposed, under construction or in use There was mention that some of the defenders foraged for fire wood and water from nearby buildings on day 3 of the siege. The water could have originated from irrigation ditches (acequias) near the Alamo.

Can I propose you don't make a thread for every day of the siege, but consolidate one thread with your daily updates

Roger that.

These are great. Keep 'em coming!

Day Eight Tuesday March 1, 1836

Thirty-two reinforcements from Gonzales, led by George Kimball, (and calling themselves the Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers), arrive at the Alamo at 3 am. General Sesma advances towards Goliad to seek out Texian reinforcements coming to the aid of the Alamo. Finding none, he returns to Bexar. Even though ammo is low, Travis authorizes the firing of one of the 12 pounders to celebrate the arrival of the men from Gonzales. Two shots are fired, one of them hitting Santa Anna's headquarters. He is elsewhere at the time, left alive to suffer his ignominious fate another day.

Day Eleven Friday March 4, 1836

In the early evening Santa Anna calls a meeting of his officers for a council of war to discuss whether the time has come to take the Alamo by force. It is decided that when the final assault takes place, they will take no prisoners. The time for the assault will be determined the following day. Having been consolidated into two batteries, the Mexican artillery is brought to within 200 yards of the compound. The prolonged artillery attack continues. More Texian reinforcements arrive in the late hours.

Also, on this date at the convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos, a resolution naming Sam Houston as "commander in chief of the land forces of the Texian army both Regular, Volunteer, and Militia." was passed.




William Barrett Travis

I mentioned in the day 10 report that John W. Smith left the Alamo in the evening with a dispatch from Travis and letters from the men, including Travis. I probably should have included the text of Travis's last message to the Texas Independence Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos. It's worth reading when you consider what will happen just two days hence:

On the night of March 3, 1836, the courier John W. Smith penetrated enemy lines with the message from Travis. It describes the situation at the Alamo in detail:

In the present confusion of the political authorities of the country, and in the absence of the commander in chief, I beg leave to communicate to you the situation of this garrison. You have doubtless already seen my official report of the action of the twenty fifth ult. made on that day to Gen. Sam Houston, together with the various communications heretofore sent by express. I shall therefore confine myself to what has transpired since that date. From the twenty-fifth to the present date the enemy has kept up a bombardment from two howitzersone a five and a half inch, and the other an eight inch and a heavy cannonade from two long nine-pounders mounted on a battery on the opposite side of the river at a distance of four hundred yards from our wall. During this period the enemy have been busily employed in encircling us with entrenched encampments on all sides, at the following distance, to wit: In Bexar, four hundred yards west; in Lavileta[sic], three hundred yards south; at the powder house, one thousand yards east of south; at the ditch, eight hundred yards northeast, and at the old mill, eight hundred yards north. Notwithstanding all this, a company of thirty-two men from Gonzales made their way in to us on the morning of the first inst. at three o'clock, and Colonel J. B. Bonham (a courier from Gonzales) got in this morning at eleven o'clock without molestation. I have fortified this place, so that the walls are generally proof against cannon balls and I will continue to entrench on the inside, and strengthen walls by throwing up the dirt. At least two hundred shells have fallen inside our works without having injured a single man; indeed we have been so fortunate as not to lose a man from any cause, and we have killed many of the enemy. The spirits of my men are still high although they have had much to depress them. We have contended for ten days against an enemy whose numbers are variously estimated at from fifteen hundred to six thousand men, with General Ramirez Sesma and Colonel Batres, the aides-de-camp of Santa Anna, at their head. A report was circulated that Santa Anna himself was with the enemy, but I think it was false. A reinforcement of about one thousand men is now entering Bexar, from the west, and I think it more than probable that Santa Anna is now in town, from the rejoicing we hear. Col. Fannin is said to be on the march to this place with reinforcements, but I fear it is not true, as I have repeatedly sent to him for aid without receiving any. Colonel Bonham, my special messenger, arrived at La Bahia fourteen days ago, with a request for aide and on the arrival of the enemy in Bexar, ten days ago, I sent an express to Colonel F. which arrived at Goliad on the next day, urging him to send us reinforcements; none have yet arrived. I look to the colonies alone for aid; unless it arrives soon, I shall have to fight the enemy on his own terms. I will, however, do the best I can under the circumstances; and I feel confident that the determined valor and desperate courage heretofore exhibited by my men will not fail them in the last struggle; and although they may be sacrificed to the vengeance of a Gothic enemy, the victory will cost the enemy so dear, that it will be worse to him than a defeat. I hope your honorable body will hasten on reinforcements ammunition, and provisions to our aid as soon as possible. We have provisions for twenty days for the men we have. Our supply of ammunition is limited. At least five hundred pounds of cannon powder, and two hundred rounds of six., nine, twelve and eighteen pound balls, ten kegs of rifle powder and a supply of lead, should be sent to the place without delay under a sufficient guard. If these things are promptly sent, and large reinforcements are hastened to this frontier, this neighborhood will be the great and decisive ground. The power of Santa Anna is to be met here, or in the colonies; we had better meet them here than to suffer a war of devastation to rage in our settlements. A blood red banner waves from the church of Bexar, and in the camp above us, in token that the war is one of vengeance against rebels; they have declared us as such; demanded, that we should surrender at discretion, or that this garrison should be put to the sword. Their threats have had no influence on me or my men, but to make all fight with desperation, and that high souled courage which characterizes the patriot, who is willing to die in defense of his country's liberty and his own honor. The citizens of this municipality are all our enemies, except those who have joined us heretofore. We have but three Mexicans now in the fort; those who have not joined us, in this extremity, should be declared public enemies, and their property should aid in paying the expenses of the war. The bearer of this will give your honorable body a statement more in detail, should he escape through the enemy's lines.

God and TexasVictory or Death.

[signed] W.B. Travis

P.S. The enemy's troops are still arriving, and the reinforcements will probably amount to two or three thousand.

Day Twelve March 5, 1836

By 2 pm Santa Anna completes his plan to attack the Alamo at 4 am on Sunday, March 6. Santa Anna issues orders for the assault to begin on the following day utilizing four assault columns and one reserve column. Santa Anna calls for reconnaissance to determine Mexican attack positions and approaches. At midnight the Mexicans begin moving into attack position. A copy in Spanish of the orders to be followed by the Mexican troops and an English translation are attached (hat tip to Charlie Barnes).

Quote:

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Army of Operations.

General Orders of the 5th of March, 1836

Only for the Generals, Chiefs of Sections, and Commanding Officers:

The time has come to strike a decisive blow upon the enemy occupying the Fortress Alamo. Consequently, His Excellency, the General-in-chief, has decided that, tomorrow, at 4 o'clock A.M., the columns of attack shall be stationed at musket-shot distance from the first entrenchments, reach for the charge, which shall commence, at a signal to be given with the bugle, from the North Battery.

The first column, will be commanded by General Don Martin Perfecto Cos, and, in his absence, by myself. The Permanent Battalion of Aldama (except the company of Grenadiers) and the three right centre companies of the Active Battalion of San Luis, will compose this first column.

The second column will be commanded by Colonel Don Francisco Duque, and, in his absence, by General Don Manuel Fernandez Castrillon; it will be composed of the Active Battalion of Toluca (except the company of Grenadiers) and the three remaining companies of the Active Battalion of San Luis.

The third column will be commanded by Colonel Jose Maria Romero, and his in absence , by Colonel Mariano Salas; it will be composed of the Permanent Battalions of Matamoros and Jimenes.
The fourth column will be commanded by Colonel Juan Morales, and, in his absence, by Colonel Jose Minon; it will be composed of the light companies of the Battalions of Matamoros and Jimemes, and of the Active Battalion of San Luis.

His Excellency the General-in-chief will, in due time, designate the points of attack, and give his instructions to the Commanding Officers.

The reserve will be composed of the Battalion of Engineers and five companies of Grenadiers of the Permanent Battalion of Matamoros, Jimenens and Aldama, and the Active Battalion of Toluca and San Luis.

This reserve will be commanded by the General-in-chief, in person, during the attack; but Colonel Agustin Arnat [Amat] will assemble this party, which will report to him, this evening, at 5 o'clock, to be marched to the designated station.

The first column will carry ten ladders, two crowbars, and two axes; the second, ten ladders; the third, six ladders; and the fourth, two ladders.

The men [with ladders] will sling their guns on their shoulders, to be enabled to place the ladders where ever they may be required.

The companies of Grenadiers will be supplied with six packages of cartridges to every man, and the centre companies with two packages and two spare flints. The men will wear neither overcoats or blankets, or anything that may impede the rapidity of their motions. The Commanding Officers will see that the men have the chin-straps of their caps down, and that they wear either shoes or sandals.

The troops composing the columns of attack will turn in to sleep at dark, to be in readiness to move at 12 o'clock at night.

Recruits deficient in instruction will remain in their quarters. The arms, principally the bayonets, should be in perfect order. As soon as the moon rises, the centre companies of the Active Battalion of San Luis will abandon the points they are now occupying in the line, in order to have time to prepare.
The Cavalry, under Colonel Joaquin Ramirez y Sesma, will be stationed at the Alameda, saddling up at 3 o'clock A.M. It shall be its duty to scout the country, to prevent the possibility of escape.

The honor of the nation being interested in this engagement against bold and lawless foreigners who are opposing us, His Excellency expects that every man will do his duty, and exert himself to give a day of glory to the country, and of the gratification of the Supreme Government, who will know how to reward the distinguished deeds of the brave soldiers of the Army of Operations.=Amador

It is a copy
Juan V. Amador

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A messenger arrives at the compound with the grim news that reinforcements aren't coming. Mexican fire breaks off about 5 pm and several columns of Mexican troops are seen leaving town. Travis gathers his men and informs them of their options. It is on this afternoon that Travis is said to have drawn his line in the sand, according to Susanna Dickinson, Alamo survivor and wife of Alamo defender Almaron Dickinson.

Tradition holds that on the morning of March 6, 1836, General Santa Anna ordered his band to play a song called El Degello during the assault on the Alamo. In addition to being the title of one of ZZ Top's best albums, the song supposedly meant "throat cutting" in Spanish and was played in situations where no quarter was to be given to the enemy. According to author Walter Lord, the song was "a hymn of hate and merciless death, played to spur the Mexican troops forward in their final assault on the Alamo."

As in the case of many Alamo "facts," not all historians agree that El Deguello was actually played at the Alamo. Writing in 1860, early Alamo historian Rueben M. Potter contended "The guns of the fortress soon opened up on them [the Mexican soldiers], and then the bands at the South battery struck up the assassin note of degello!". But modern historians, as example by Dr. Stephen L. Hardin, omit the song from their descriptions of the battle.

Assuming it was played at some point before the final assault on the old mission, this is what the defenders would have heard.

El Deguello at The Alamo, ft. Ron Lawrence Trumpet - YouTube

And if you want to romanticize it just a bit, you can listen to this Alamo tune:

No one better than Marty!

Thanks for posting everything….makes me remember hearing Henry Guerra on WOAI…

Day Thirteen March 6, 1836



At Midnight on March 5, 1836, Santa Anna's troops began moving into position for their planned attack of the Alamo compound. For several hours, the soldiers lay on the ground in complete darkness. About 5:30 A.M., they received the order to begin the assault.

The massed troops moved quietly, encountering the Texian sentinels first. They killed them as they slept. No longer able to contain the nervous energy gripping them, cries of "Viva la Republica" and "Viva Santa Anna" broke the stillness. The Mexican soldiers' shouts spoiled the moment of surprise.

Inside the compound, Adjutant John Baugh had just begun his morning rounds when he heard the cries. He hurriedly ran to the quarters of Colonel Travis. He awakened him with: "Colonel Travis, the Mexicans are coming!" Travis and his slave Joe quickly scrambled from their cots. The two men grabbed their weapons and headed for the north wall battery. Travis yelled "Come on boys, the Mexicans are on us and we'll give them Hell! "Unable to see the advancing troops for the darkness, the Texian gunners blindly opened fire; they had packed their cannon with jagged pieces of scrap metal, shot, and chain. The muzzle flash briefly illuminated the landscape and it was with horror that the Texians understood their predicament. The enemy had nearly reached the walls of the compound.

The Mexican soldiers had immediate and terrible losses. That first cannon blast ripped a huge gap in their column. Colonel Jos Enrique de la Peña would later write "...a single cannon volley did away with half the company of Chasseurs from Toluca." The screams and moans of the dying and wounded only heightened the fear and chaos of those first few moments of the assault.

Travis hastily climbed to the top of the north wall battery and readied himself to fire; discharging both barrels of his shotgun into the massed troops below. As he turned to reload, a single lead ball struck him in the forehead sending him rolling down the ramp where he came to rest in a sitting position. Travis was dead. Joe saw his master go down and so retreated to one of the rooms along the west wall to hide.

There was no safe position on the walls of the compound. Each time the Texian riflemen fired at the troops below, they exposed themselves to deadly Mexican fire. On the south end of the compound, Colonel Juan Morales and about 100 riflemen attacked what they perceived was the weak palisade area. They met heavy fire from Crockett's riflemen and a single cannon. Morales's men quickly moved toward the southwest corner and the comparative safety of cover behind an old stone building and the burned ruins of scattered jacales.

On the north wall, exploding Texian canister shredded but did not halt the advance of Mexican soldiers. Cos's and Duque's companies, now greatly reduced in number, found themselves at the base of the north wall. Romero's men joined them after his column had wheeled to the right to avoid deadly grapeshot from the guns of the Alamo church. General Castrilln took command from the wounded Colonel Duque and began the difficult task of getting his men over the wall. As the Mexican army reached the walls, their advance halted. Santa Anna saw this lag and so committed his reserve of 400 men to the assault bringing the total force to around 1400 men.

Amid the Texian cannon fire tearing through their ranks, General Cos's troops performed a right oblique to begin an assault on the west wall. The Mexicans used axes and crowbars to break through the barricaded windows and openings. They climbed through the gun ports and over the wall to enter the compound. General Amador and his men entered the compound by climbing up the rough-faced repairs made on the north wall by the Texians. They successfully breached the wall and in a flood of fury, the Mexican army poured through.

The Texians turned their cannon northward to check this new onslaught. With cannon fire shifted, Colonel Morales recognized a momentary advantage. His men stormed the walls and took the southwest corner, the 18-pounder, and the main gate. The Mexican army was now able to enter from almost every direction.

In one room near the main gate, the Mexican soldiers found Colonel James Bowie. Bowie was critically ill and confined to bed when the fighting began. The soldiers showed little mercy as they silenced him with their bayonets.

The Texians continued to pour gunfire into the advancing Mexican soldiers devastating their ranks. Still they came. When they saw the enemy rush into the compound from all sides, the Texians fell back to their defenses in the Long Barracks. Crockett's men in the palisade area retreated into the church. The rooms of the north barrack and the Long Barracks had been prepared well in advance in the event the Mexicans gained entry. The Texians made the rooms formidable by trenching and barricading them with raw cowhides filled with earth. For a short time, the Texians held their ground. The Mexicans turned the abandoned Texian cannon on the barricaded rooms. With cannon blast followed by a musket volley, the Mexican soldiers stormed the rooms to finish the defenders inside the barrack. Mexican soldiers rushed the darkened rooms. With sword, bayonet, knife, and fist the adversaries clashed. In the darkened rooms of the north barrack, it was hard to tell friend from foe. The Mexicans systematically took room after room; finally, the only resistance came from within the church itself.
Once more, the Mexicans employed the Texians' cannon to blast apart the defenses of the entrance. Bonham, Dickinson and Esparza died by their cannon at the rear of the church. An act of war became a slaughter. It was over in minutes.

According to one of Santa Anna's officers, the Mexican army overwhelmed and captured a small group of defenders. According to this officer, Crockett was among them. The prisoners were brought before Santa Anna where General Castrilln asked for mercy on their behalf. Santa Anna instead answered with a "gesture of indignation" and ordered their execution. Nearby officers who had not taken part in the assault fell upon the helpless men with their swords. One Mexican officer noted in his journal that: "Though tortured before they were killed, these unfortunates died without complaining and without humiliating themselves before their torturers."

Santa Anna ordered Alcalde Francisco Ruiz to gather firewood from the surrounding countryside and in alternating layers of wood and bodies the dead were stacked.
At 5:00 O'clock in the evening the pyres were lit. In this final act, Santa Anna's "small affair" ended.

God bless Texas!

PS - If you have 9 minutes to spare, this graphic depiction of the Alamo transposed over the images of the same area today is very helpful in understanding what you are seeing when you visit "The Alamo" today.



Finally, this is worth a look:

http://www.texasescapes.com/Cemeteries/Alamo-Defenders-Mass-Grave.htm

With the fall of the Alamo, the race was on among Texian and Tejano settlers who were in the path of the Mexican Army to get away from the inevitable onslaught of that army as it moved to the east: the Runaway Scrape. The Mexican army was chasing the Texian army as it moved east, trying to kill it. It was a harrowing experience for those who lived through it, and many died during the process. Many of the events took place not very far from where I am sitting today (Katy, TX).

There were many in the Texas "Army" who wanted to stand and fight the Mexican Army as they marched from a smoldering pyre of almost 200 bodies at the Alamo, but General Sam Houston knew that the so-called Texas Army was an army in name only. It lacked discipline and training if it was going to be able to make a stand against the much larger and better trained Mexican Army. As they began a general retreat, General Houston was mocked and criticized by some Texas leaders and some of his own men as being afraid to turn and fight the Mexicans. Some of those mocking and criticizing him would later become political adversaries in the young Republic of Texas. Santa Anna considered himself to be the "Napoleon of the West" and much like the real Napoleon, Santa Anna was heading down a path where he would meet the Texas version of Wellington at the Texas version of Waterloo, known as San Jacinto.

An interesting side note: Sam Houston was born on March 2, 1793 in Virginia, the same state that gave us George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and unfortunately Woodrow Wilson. March the 2nd also happens to be the birth date of Texas, as this is the date in 1836 when Texas declared independence from Mexico. If you have any interest in learning more about Sam Houston and what an amazing person he was, I highly recommend reading this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Sam-Houston-James-L-Haley/dp/0806136448/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y/175-9933131-9732214


Here is a little background on the Runaway Scrape:


The path of the Texian Army to San Jacinto from Gonzalez.


The first communities to be affected were those in the south central portions of Texas around San Patricio, Refugio, and San Antonio. The people began to leave that area as early as January 14, 1836, when the Mexicans were reported gathering on the Rio Grande. Sam Houston arrived in Gonzales on March 11 and two days later learned of the March 6 fall of the Alamo through the reports of Susanna Dickinson, after she had been released by the Mexican Army in San Antonio. Deaf (pronounced "deef") Smith, Henry Wax Karnes and R. E. Handy had found Mrs. Dickinson and Karnes and other Texan family survivors of Santa Anna's campaign. With their reports in hand, the group hurried back to tell Houston of the news.

Upon hearing of the news and with subsequent reports of fleeing Texan families entering the camp, Houston decided to retreat, advising all settlers to follow. Henry Karnes was asked to burn Gonzales to prevent the Mexicans from gathering anything useful for their campaign. Although most Texian families had begun making preparation for leaving, substantial numbers decided to remain. As troops would march away from Gonzales, the remaining remnants lost their protectors. Salvador Flores along with a group of volunteers formed the rear guard that would protect the fleeing families. The Flores company proceeded westward to secure the lower ranches of San Antonio. Flores maintained this position offering protection from Mexican and Indian attack. On March 14, the caravan had reached the Lavaca River.

Washington-on-the-Brazos was deserted by March 17, and about April 1, Richmond near Fort Bend on the Brazos River (~10 miles south of Katy and ~25 miles west of present day Houston) was evacuated, as were the settlements on both sides of the Brazos River.

On March 29, just the next day after arriving, Houston burned and abandoned San Felipe de Austin (about 15 miles west of Katy on I-10). This retreat of Houston and the Texian Army left more settlements unprotected. General Santa Anna had condoned the confiscation of food and the burning of towns along his route through Texas. Thus, his treatment toward rebelling Anglos, the "No Quarter" orders and proven history of massacre proved sufficient to cause thousands of settlers to flee his wrath. The refugee trains soon became a flood, as more settlers heard of the fall of the Alamo and the retreat of Houston. The flight was marked by lack of preparation and by panic caused by fear of both the Mexican Army and of Indians who might ally themselves with the Mexicans and crush the fledgling Texan nation. While the fear of Indian alliance with Santa Anna was real, it did not materialize. By April 1 most settlements around the Brazos River were evacuated.

The further retreat of Houston toward the Sabine left all of the settlements between the Colorado and the Brazos unprotected, and the settlers in that area at once began making their way toward Louisiana or Galveston Island. The section of East Texas around Nacogdoches and San Augustine was abandoned a little prior to April 13. The people used any means of transportation or none at all. Added to the discomforts of travel were all kinds of diseases, intensified by cold, rain, and hunger. Many persons died and were buried where they fell. The flight continued until news came of the victory in the battle of San Jacinto on April 21st. At first no credence was put in this news because so many false rumors had been circulated, but gradually the refugees began to reverse their steps and turn back toward home, many toward homes that no longer existed. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/pfr01

On April 2, Santa Anna reached Gonzales, following the military road he proceeded to take the Atascosito Crossing of the Colorado on April 5, and on April 7, he had reached San Felipe de Austin. While in San Felipe, Santa Anna did not know that Houston and his army were camped in a pasture across the Brazos River from Groce's Plantation, only fifteen miles above the main Mexican forces. For almost two weeks, the Texians would remain undetected, allowing time for their numbers to increase and training to progress. At the Brazos, the eager fighters were put to work. Captain Moseley Baker's company with Juan Seguin's company, would hinder the advance of Santa Anna for several days by blocking the Mexican army from crossing the Brazos river, thereby preventing them from rapidly overtaking the Texians. Wyly Martin was given the same task, but with a limited guard was flanked out of his position when the Mexicans crossed near Old Fort.

The spring of 1836 was wet, and many roads were washed away. The rain, cold, and lack of food and shelter made the settlers susceptible to many diseases such as cholera, whooping cough, measles and dysentery. They were buried where they died. Rumor had it that the Trinity River was rising, so this led to much haste in getting there for fear that if they rested, the river would be too high when they arrived and would prohibit their crossing. They also faced Mexican partisans and renegade looters who wanted what little the settlers may have fled with. Many were picked off by bands of Mexican scouts and partisans as well as hostile Indians. With the rivers flooded, the refugees were forced to make crude rafts to cross the swollen waterways, sinking them afterwards to delay their pursuers. The banks of the Trinity River overflowed and many families waited hours standing in running water just to get to the boat, only to realize that over five hundred others were still waiting on the opposite bank after they had crossed. Those that had not gotten across had to wait until the next morning when more rafts could be built before they could get across. During the night, they feared they may drown or be eaten by panthers, alligators, or bears. It took four days to get everyone and all the supplies across. The wagons and carts had to be taken apart to cross, then reassembled.

Houston stayed ahead of the Mexican army by crossing the Brazos beginning on the April 12 and marching east from Groce's Plantation (1.5 miles south of Hempstead on SH 159, between Brookshire and Hempstead) on April 14. Santa Anna had learned of the Texian's President, David G. Burnet and other officials presence in Harrisburg (slightly east of downtown Houston) and divided his army into three units. One detachment he sent on to Harrisburg to capture them. The second detachment he left behind to protect his supply lines. He continued his march with the third detachment. The Texians had also learned of the Mexican's plan and hurried to parallel the Mexican march. Harrisburg would be torched by the Mexican Army. On April 16, Houston's army ended the retreat by turning southeast to march toward the imminent confrontation on the San Jacinto River.

After pushing the defiant population before him in three primary pincer movements, Santa Anna presumed he had finally cornered the settlers and their protecting Texian soldiers and American volunteers under Sam Houston at San Jacinto. Because of this, he decided to let his army rest and not to attack until two days later. General Sam Houston took advantage of this and decided to mount his own attack.

The Runaway Scrape consisted of three major columns. The largest of these columns was protected by Houston's army. When Houston turned his army around he began collecting the refugee train behind his army. On April 21, in the subsequent battle of San Jacinto, this large group of settlers awaited their fate to the sounds of the battle before learning of Texas victory and their own safety. The remainder of the refugee columns continued for about six weeks until news spread of Houston's victory in the Battle of San Jacinto.

The Runaway Scrape had caused many families to incur substantial property losses, and upon their return home found their property had been ravaged and their livestock missing. Thus many ended up nearly destitute. Estimates of civilian casualties range from dozens to perhaps hundreds dead. Combined with military losses, the entire nation of Texas lost anywhere from a minimum of ten percent to upwards of twenty percent of its population. That would equate with well over 2,000,000 Texans in today's Texas.

If you have the time and the inclination to learn more about this, I recommend checking out the "dispatches" at this site. They are historically accurate works of fiction. They will give you a flavor for what Houston's army was doing after the Alamo fell.

http://earlytexashistory.com/Tx1836/dispatch1.html

you may enjoy reviewing this thread from 2016 about the events of 1836:

https://texags.com/forums/49/topics/2724470

good stuff