Battle of Agua Dulce

Battle of Agua Dulce Part of the Texas Revolution Date March 2, 1836 Location 25 miles (40 km) southwest of San Patricio, Texas 27°50′51″N 97°50′59″W / 27.84750°N 97.84972°W / 27.84750; -97.84972Coordinates: 27°50′51″N 97°50′59″W / 27.84750°N 97.84972°W / 27.84750; -97.84972 Result Mexican victory Belligerents  Mexico Republic of Texas Commanders and leaders José de Urrea James Grant  † Strength 150 men 53 men Casualties and losses 1 killed unknown wounded 12–15 killed 6 captured approximate location of the battle Location within Texas

Texas Revolution Gonzales Goliad Lipantitlán Concepción Grass Fight Béxar San Patricio Agua Dulce The Alamo Refugio Coleto San Jacinto

The Battle of Agua Dulce Creek occurred on March 2, 1836, approximately 26 miles (42 km) south of San Patricio. In this second battle in the Goliad Campaign of the Texas Revolution, troops of the Republic of Mexico ambushed rebellious immigrants to the province of Texas.

When Mexico transitioned to a centralized government in 1835, supporters of federalism took up arms. Colonists in Texas, primarily immigrants from the United States, revolted in October 1835 and by the end of the year had expelled all Mexican troops from their province. With hostilities temporarily suspended, Frank W. Johnson, the commander of the volunteer army in Texas, and James Grant gathered volunteers for the Matamoros Expedition. Sam Houston convinced most of the volunteers to abandon the planned invasion of Matamoros in mid-January 1836. Approximately 70 men remained with Johnson and Grant, assigned to gather a large herd of horses for use during the invasion. In late February, while Johnson led the herd to San Patricio, Grant took the remaining men to gather more horses and to attempt contact with federalist sympathizers near Matamoros.

Unbeknownst to the Texians, on February 18, Mexican General José de Urrea led a large contingent of troops from Matamoros into Texas. His campaign was to neutralize the Texian (rebel) soldiers gathered along the coast, and his troops easily defeated Johnson's small force on February 26. Several days later, informants revealed Grant's location, and on the morning of March 2, Urrea sent 150 troops to ambush the rebels. After a brief battle, the main body of the Texian and Tejano troops were defeated. Grant and two others escaped the battle and were pursued for 7 miles (11 km). Grant was killed, as were 11 other men under his command. Six Texians were taken prisoner; contrary to Santa Anna's orders, Urrea did not execute the prisoners, but instead sent them to a jail in Matamoros. An additional six Texians escaped; five of them later died in the Goliad Massacre.

Background

Under President Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican government began to shift away from a federalist model to a more centralized government. His increasingly dictatorial policies, including the revocation of the Constitution of 1824 in early 1835, incited federalists throughout the nation to revolt.^[1] The Mexican border region of Texas was largely populated by immigrants from the United States. These were accustomed to a federalist government and to extensive individual rights, and they were quite vocal in their displeasure at Mexico's shift towards centralism.^[2] In October, Texians, or English-speaking settlers, engaged Mexican troops in the first official battle of the Texas Revolution.^[3] By the end of 1835, all of the Mexican troops had been expelled from Texas.^[4]

Leading federalists in Mexico, including former governor Agustín Viesca and José Antonio Mexía, advocated a plan to attack centralist troops in Matamoros.^[5] Members of the General Council, the interim Texas governing body, were enamored with the idea of a Matamoros Expedition. They hoped it would inspire other federalist states to revolt and keep the bored Texian troops from deserting the army. Most importantly, it would move the war zone outside of Texas.^[6] The Council officially approved the plan on December 25, and on December 30 Frank W. Johnson, the commander of the volunteer army, and his aide Dr. James Grant took the bulk of the army and almost all of the supplies to Goliad to prepare for the expedition.^[7] Historian Stuart Reid posits that Grant was a British secret agent, and that his efforts were an unofficial scheme to advance British interest in the region. Britain did not welcome the idea of an independent Texas, and the invasion of Matamoros was a way to tie Texas more tightly to Mexico.^[8]

Determined to quash the rebellion, Santa Anna began assembling a large force, the Army of Operations in Texas, to restore order; by the end of 1835 his army numbered 6,019 soldiers.^[9] In late December, at Santa Anna's behest, the Mexican Congress passed the Tornel Decree, declaring that any foreigner fighting against Mexican troops "will be deemed pirates and dealt with as such, being citizens of no nation presently at war with the Republic and fighting under no recognized flag."^[10] In this time period, captured pirates were executed immediately. The resolution thus gave the Mexican Army permission to take no prisoners in the war against the Texians.^[10] While Santa Anna personally led the bulk of his troops inland to San Antonio de Béxar (Béxar), he ordered General José de Urrea to lead 550 troops along the Atascocita Road toward Goliad, an effort that would become known as the Goliad Campaign.^[11][12]

Prelude

The Texas provisional government had named Sam Houston the commander of a new regular army in Texas, but without authority over the volunteers who reported to Johnson.^[13] The provisional governor, Henry Smith, was opposed to the Matamoros Expedition and ordered Houston to find a way to disband it.^[14] In a rousing speech to the volunteers, Houston dissuaded the bulk of the men from continuing their mission. Many left the army. Others joined the troops stationed under Houston's second-in-command, James Fannin, at Presidio La Bahia in Goliad. By the end of January 1836, only 70 men remained with Johnson and Grant.^[15] Most of these volunteers were Americans or Europeans who had arrived in Texas after fighting had commenced.^[16]

Urrea reached Matamoros on January 31. A committed federalist himself, he soon convinced other federalists in the area that the Texians' ultimate goal was secession and their attempt to spark a federalist revolt in Matamoros was just a method of diverting attention from themselves.^[17] Meanwhile, Mexican double agents continued to assure Johnson and Grant that they would be able to take Matamoros easily.^[18] Urrea's force crossed into Texas on February 18.^[19]

Despite hearing rumors that the Mexican army was approaching, Grant and Johnson chose to take their men south of the Nueces River, into territory officially part of the state of Tamaulipas, to search for horses to buy, steal, or otherwise gather. About February 21, Johnson and a small group began herding approximately 100 horses Grant had purchased back into Texas. The rest of the men remained with Grant, ostensibly to look for more horses. In actuality, he was attempting to rendezvous with his allies near Matamoros to determine whether federalists were still willing to rise up against the Mexican army.^[20]

Mexican troops arrived in San Patricio in the early hours of February 26. After a fifteen-minute battle, Johnson's men were defeated; six Texians, including Johnson, escaped, and the remainder were killed or captured.^[21][22] While Urrea waited for reinforcements before beginning his march towards Goliad, his advance party searched for Grant and the remaining Texians.^[23] Unaware of Johnson's fate, on February 27 Grant and his party began their march northward to San Patricio, driving a herd of several hundred horses he had purchased.^[24] The men camped along San Fernando Creek on March 1. Local ranchers welcomed them, but that night sent a messenger to Urrea with Grant's location and plans.^[25]

Battle

Mexican troops marched overnight towards El Puerto de los Cuates de Agua Dulce, a well-known crossing point on Agua Dulce Creek.^[25] Approximately 26 miles (42 km) south of San Patricio,^[26] about 1 mile (1.6 km) from Banquete,^[27] and just north of modern-day Kingsville,^[28] Mexican soldiers took cover in two groves of trees.^[26] Urrea had approximately 150 troops, including 80 dragoons.^[25]

Grant's company comprised about 53 men, including a large contingent of Tejanos (Mexican-born residents of Texas) under the command of Plácido Benavides. The men were in good spirits, and rode leisurely towards San Patricio.^[29] Grant, Benavides, and Ruben Brown rode .5 miles (0.80 km) ahead of the main body of Texians and saw no signs of the Mexican soldiers.^[26]

Between 10 and 11 am,^[30] as the bulk of the Texians reached the trees, the Mexican cavalry attacked.^[26] Taken completely unaware, many of the Texians were shot before they were able to raise their guns.^[28] Many Texians tried to flee, but dragoons chased them down and lanced them off their horses.^[29] Five Texians dismounted and ran for a nearby small village, hoping to gain cover so they could use their rifles. Urrea sent the infantry after them. Two of those Texians were captured and the rest escaped.^[31]

Grant, Benavides, and Brown turned back to join the other Texians. Once in the melee, Brown dismounted, either to reload his rifle or because his horse was killed. Seeing that the battle was lost, Grant pulled Brown onto another horse, and the two of them and Benavides turned to flee. Mexican cavalry attempted to stop them; Grant shot one officer and he and Benavides then galloped past that officer's horse. At this point, the herd stampeded, forcing the Mexican cavalry aside. The Texians followed the horses.^[32] Mexican soldiers promptly gave chase.^[26] According to Brown's later recollection, both his and Grant's horses were wounded as Mexican soldiers fired after them.^[33]

The three Texians ran for 6–7 miles (9.7–11.3 km), occasionally using their pistols to force Mexican dragoons to stay back. Mexican soldiers yelled that the men would be spared if they surrendered, but none of the Texians believed them.^[34] Benavides had the strongest mount, and Grant ordered him to go ahead to warn Fannin that the Mexican army was close to Goliad.^[35][26] Grant and Brown were surrounded and forced to stop. Grant killed a Mexican soldier who drove a lance through Brown's arm. This made him the target of the other soldiers, and he died after being pierced multiple times.^[26] Brown threw his empty pistol at one Mexican officer, then grabbed the lance from the man Grant had shot and used it to defend himself.^[35] After soldiers lassoed him, Brown surrendered and was taken captive.^[26]

Brown was then brought back to the site of the ambush. He recalled that one severely injured Texian, Joseph Carpenter, was lying in the dirt, begging for his life. Brown then saw a Mexican soldier shot him.^[36]

Aftermath

Although Urrea reported that 42 Texians were killed,^[37] historians believe that only 12 Texians died.^[38] Six Texians were taken prisoner. In defiance of the Tornel Decree, Urrea spared those who surrendered. The men were escorted to a prison in Matamoros.^[39] Reports indicated that Urrea offered clemency after the intervention of Francita Alavez, the mistress of one of Urea's soldiers.^[30] It is likely that these numbers do not include the Tejanos under Benavides.^[29]

Six Texians escaped. Five of these joined Fannin's garrison at Goliad and were later killed in the Goliad Massacre. No reports of Mexican losses have been found, although at least one Mexican soldier is thought to have died. After the battle, Mexican soldiers rounded up the horses that the Texians had been herding and kept them.^[40]

The battle marked the end of the Matamoros Expedition.^[41] Although it occurred on the same day that Texas declared independence, Grant and his men did not know that they were fighting for the new Republic of Texas.^[42]

According to historian Stephen Hardin, this battle proved that the Texians did not fight well on open prairies. News of the imminent arrival of Urrea worried Fannin, who feared that Santa Anna would lead his troops from San Antonio de Béxar towards Goliad, essentially trapping Fannin and his men between the two branches of the Mexican Army.^[43] Fannin wrote to the Acting Governor, James Robinson, "I am a better judge of my military abilities than others, and if I am qualified to command an Army, I have not found it out."^[44] The acting Texas government named Sam Houston the new commander-in-chief on March 4,^[45] but instructed Fannin to "use your own discretion to remain where you are or to retreat as you may think best for the safety of the brave volunteers under your command, and the regulars in the militia".^[46]

See also

• List of Texas Revolution battles
• Timeline of the Texas Revolution

References

Bibliography

• Davis, William C. (2006), Lone Star Rising, College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, ISBN 9781585445325  originally published 2004 by New York: Free Press
• Groneman, Bill (1998). Battlefields of Texas. Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-55622-571-0. OCLC 37935129. .
• Hardin, Stephen L. (1994). Texian Iliad – A Military History of the Texas Revolution. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-73086-1. OCLC 29704011. .
• Lack, Paul D. (1992), The Texas Revolutionary Experience: A Political and Social History 1835–1836, College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, ISBN 0-89096-497-1 
• Reid, Stuart (2007). The Secret War for Texas. Elma Dill Russell Spencer Series in the West and Southwest (28). College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 978-1-58544-565-3. 
• Roell, Craig H (2013). Matamoros and the Texas Revolution. Denton, TX: Texas State Historical Association. ISBN 978-0-87611-260-1 – via Questia. 
• Scott, Robert (2000), After the Alamo, Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press, ISBN 9781556226915 
• Stuart, Jay (2008). Slaughter at Goliad: The Mexican Massacre of 400 Texas Volunteers. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-843-2.