Flushed with their Alamo victory, the Mexican forces were following the
colonists. Houston's scouts reported that General Ramirez y Sesma and
General Adrian Woll were on the west side of the Colorado with
approximately 725 troops and General Eugenio Tolsa with 600. By this
time recruits and reinforcements had increased Houston's army to a
strength estimated as high as 1200.
The chilling news of Fannin's defeat, reaching the Texas forces on March
25, impelled many to leave the ranks, to remove their families beyond
the Sabine. Those remaining clamored for action, but Houston decided to
continue his retreat. On the 26th, keeping his own counsel, he marched
his army five miles. On the 27th the column reached the timbers of the
Brazos River bottoms, and on the 28th arrived at San Felipe de Austin,
on the west bank of the Brazos. On the 29th the army marched six miles
up the river in a driving rain, and camped on Mill Creek. On the 30th
after a fatiguing tramp of nine miles, the army reached a place across
the river from "Bernardo," on one of the plantations of the wealthy
Jared E. Groce, and there camped and drilled for nearly a fortnight.[1]
When the _ad interim_ Texas government at Washington-on-the-Brazos
learned of the Mexicans' approach, in mid-March, it fled to Harrisburg.
President David G. Burnet sent the commander-in-chief, a caustic note,
prodding him to stop his retreat and fight. Secretary of War Thomas J.
Rusk arrived at the camp April 4 at Burnet's direction, to urge Houston
to a more aggressive course.
Houston having shown no disposition to fight, Santa Anna decided to take
possession of the coast and seaports, as a step in his plan to round up
the revolutionists. Crossing the Brazos at Fort Bend (now called
Richmond) on the 11th, the Mexican general proceeded on April 14 on the
road to Harrisburg, taking with him about 700 men and one twelve-pounder
cannon. Urrea was at Matagorda with 1200 men; Gaona was somewhere
between Bastrop and San Felipe, with 725; Sesma, at Fort Bend, with
about 1,000, and Vicente Filisola between San Felipe and Fort Bend, with
nearly 1800 men.
[Illustration: Route of Sam Houston's army (line of crosses) from
San Felipe to San Jacinto, with stops at Groce's, Donoho's,
McCurley's, Burnett's, White Oak Bayou (Houston), and Harrisburg.]
Santa Anna arrived at Harrisburg on the 15th. There he learned that the
Burnet government had gone down Buffalo Bayou to New Washington (now
Morgan's Point), about eighteen miles southeast. Burning Harrisburg,
Santa Anna sped after them. On the 19th when he arrived at New
Washington he learned that the Texas government had fled to Galveston.
Santa Anna then set out for Anahuac, via Lynchburg.