Battle of San Patricio

The Battle of San Patricio was fought on February 27, 1836,

Battle of San Patricio
between Mexican troops and rebellious immigrants to the Mexican
province of Texas, known as Texians. The battle marked the start of Part of the Texas Revolution
the Goliad Campaign, the Mexican offensive to retake the Texas Gulf Date February 27, 1836
Coast. It took place in and around San Patricio. Location near San Patricio, Texas

By the end of 1835, all Mexican troops had been driven from Texas.
27.9592°N 97.7730°W
Frank W. Johnson, the commander of the volunteer army in Texas,
and James Grant gathered volunteers for a planned invasion of the Result Mexican victory
Mexican port town of Matamoros. After spending several weeks Belligerents
gathering horses for the Matamoros Expedition, in late February
Mexico Texian Rebels
Johnson and about 40 men led the herd to San Patricio. Johnson
assigned some of his troops to a ranch 4 miles (6.4 km) outside town Commanders and leaders
to guard the horses, while the rest of his men garrisoned in three José de Urrea Frank W. Johnson
different locations in town. Strength
Unbeknownst to the Texians, on February 18, Mexican General José 200 men 43 men
de Urrea led a large contingent of troops from Matamoros into Casualties and losses
Texas. Their goal was to neutralize the Texian soldiers gathered 16 killed
1 killed
along the coast. Urrea's men easily followed the trail left by 21 captured
4 wounded
Johnson's herd of horses. Mexican soldiers surprised the sleeping
Texians in San Patricio in the early hours of February 27. After a
fifteen-minute battle, all but six Texians had been killed or
imprisoned. One Mexican soldier was killed and four injured.

Contents
Background
Prelude
Battle
approximate
Aftermath location of
the battle
See also
References
Location within Texas
Sources

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 Army quickly put down revolts in the
Mexican interior, including a brutal suppression of militias in Oaxaca and Zacatecas.[1][2] Unrest continued in the Mexican
state of Coahuila y Tejas. The area that bordered the United States, known as Texas, was populated primarily by English-
speaking settlers, known as Texians. In October, the Texians took up arms in what became known as the Texas
Revolution.[3] The following month, Texians declared themselves part of a state independent from Coahuila and created a
provisional state government based on the principles of the Constitution of 1824.[4] By the end of the year, all Mexican
troops had been expelled from Texas.[5]

Leading federalists in Mexico advocated a plan to attack centralist troops in Matamoros.[6] 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 Texas.[7] 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 James Grant took the bulk of the army and almost
all of the supplies to Goliad to prepare for the expedition.[8]

Determined to quash the rebellion, Santa Anna began assembling a large force to restore order; by the end of 1835, his
army numbered 6,019 soldiers.[9] In late December, at his behest, Congress passed the Tornel Decree, declaring that any
foreigners 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 the early nineteenth century, captured
pirates were executed immediately. The resolution thus gave the Mexican Army permission to take no prisoners in the war
against the Texians.[10] Santa Anna personally led the bulk of his troops inland to San Antonio de Béxar and ordered
General José de Urrea to lead 550 troops along the Atascocita Road toward Goliad. Urrea's efforts to quell the rebellion
along the Texas Gulf Coast have become known as the Goliad Campaign.[11]

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.[12] The provisional governor, Henry Smith, opposed the
Matamoros Expedition and ordered Houston to find a way to disband it.[13] 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.[14] Most of these volunteers were Americans or Europeans who had arrived in
Texas after the Texas Revolution had commenced.[15]

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.[16] Urrea's force crossed into Texas on February 18.[17]

Meanwhile, Mexican double agents continued to assure Johnson and Grant that they
would be able to take Matamoros easily.[18] Despite hearing rumors that the Mexican
army was approaching, Grant and Johnson chose to take their men south of the Nueces
River, into territory belonging to the state of Tamaulipas, to search for horses to buy,
steal, or otherwise gather. About February 21, Johnson and part of the group began
herding about 100 horses 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 General José de Urrea
against the Mexican army.[19]
Johnson's men arrived on February 24 in San Patricio, an Irish settlement about 100 miles (160 km) north of
Matamoros.[20][21] Many of the San Patricio residents were centralists, loyal to the Mexican government.[20] Johnson sent
twelve men to guard the horses at the ranch of Julian de la Garza, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) outside the town, while
the rest garrisoned in San Patricio.[21] The weather was frigid, and the men's clothes were threadbare. Confident that
Grant would alert him if Mexican troops were in the area, Johnson chose not to appoint sentries, instead allowing all of
the men to take shelter.[22]

The Mexican troops easily followed the trail left by Johnson's herd. On February 25, Urrea led 100 dragoons and 100
infantry to corner the Texians. By 10 p.m., scouts reported that Texian troops were established in San Patricio. The
Mexican soldiers continued marching through the cold night; six of the troops died of exposure.[23]

Battle
Urrea instructed three officers to go to San Patricio dressed as civilians and warn the centralists that the Mexican army
was approaching. In an effort to reduce casualties and property damage, centralists were asked to declare their loyalties by
leaving lanterns burning in their windows.[24] Locals also gave the officers precise information on which buildings housed
Texian soldiers.[24] Urrea sent 30 men under Captain Rafael Pretalia to de la Garza's ranch to surprise the Texians camped
there. At 3:30 a.m. on February 26, the remaining Mexican soldiers entered San Patricio.[25]

One group of Texians surrendered immediately when they awoke to find themselves surrounded by Mexican troops. When
another party of Texians was asked to surrender, they instead opened fire, killing a Mexican officer and wounding two
other soldiers. Determined to prevent more casualties, Mexican dragoons prepared to set the house on fire to force the
Texians out. At this point, several Texians called that they were surrendering. As they left the house, they were shot or
lanced.[25]

By chance, Johnson and three of his men, Lieutenant Daniel Toler and Sergeants Love and Miller, were still awake and
discussing tactics. Mexican troops had been told that the house where Johnson was quartered was one of their targets, yet
a lamp burned in the window, signaling that this was the home of a loyalist. Out of an abundance of caution, a group of
troops knocked on the door. Before the Texians could open the door, they heard the gunfire from the town square. Toler
looked out a window and saw uniformed troops on the porch. Without opening the door, he told the soldiers, in Spanish,
that there were no troops there, but he would open the door momentarily. The fighting moved into the street, and soldiers
who had been guarding the back door of the house rushed around to the front. Johnson, Toler, Love, and Miller dashed
out the back door and escaped.[26]

At the de la Garza ranch, the Texians had been taking turns standing sentry. In the cold, all of the sentries had fallen
asleep. Pretalia's soldiers opened fire on the sleeping men, injuring two Texians. In the subsequent fight, four Texians
died, eight men (three Americans and five Tejanos, Mexican-born citizens) were taken prisoner, and several escaped.[27]

The fighting ended within fifteen minutes.[26]

Aftermath
Six Texians escaped, including Johnson, Toler, Miller, Love, and John F. Beck.[21] They made their way on foot to Refugio,
where they sent a messenger to Fannin at Goliad, 75 miles (121 km) north, to let him know that Urrea's army was
close.[28][29] The survivors reached Goliad on February 29. After filling out an official report on the battle, Johnson, Toler,
and Love left the army and went to San Felipe. The remaining survivors joined Fannin's troops and were later killed in the
Goliad Massacre.[28]
Eleven Texians were killed outright, five suffered mortal wounds, and 21 others were taken prisoner. Six local men were
also arrested for aiding the rebellion. Some historians report that most were executed immediately in the town square.[29]
According to reports by Johnson and another Texian, Urrea questioned several of the prisoners, and there were reports
that the men were tortured. Within 72 hours all of the prisoners were dead.[30] One Mexican soldier was killed and four
were wounded.[30]

Urrea's official records state that the battle was fought at Fort Lipantitlán, on the other side of the Nueces River. Texian
accounts are consistent that the fighting occurred in town and at the de la Garza ranch.[27] While Urrea waited for
reinforcements before beginning his march towards Goliad, his advance party searched for Grant and the remaining
Texians.[31] After learning of Grant's whereabouts from local spies, on March 2 Mexican dragoons ambushed the Texians
at Agua Dulce Creek.[32]

See also
List of Texas Revolution battles
Timeline of the Texas Revolution

References
1. Davis (2006), p. 121. 17. Stuart (2008), p. 71.
2. Hardin (1994), p. 7. 18. Reid (2007), p. 131.
3. Davis (2006), p. 142. 19. Reid (2007), pp. 130–3.
4. Davis (2006), p. 168. 20. Lack (1992), p. 157.
5. Davis (2006), p. 183. 21. Stuart (2008), p. 84.
6. Davis (2006), pp. 187–9. 22. Scott (2000), p. 114.
7. Stuart (2008), p. 60. 23. Reid (2007), p. 134.
8. Hardin (1994), pp. 107–8. 24. Scott (2000), p. 109.
9. Hardin (1994), p. 102. 25. Reid (2007), p. 135.
10. Scott (2000), p. 71. 26. Scott (2000), p. 110.
11. Hardin (1994), pp. 120–1. 27. Reid (2007), p. 137.
12. Davis (2006), p. 171. 28. Reid (2007), pp. 138–40.
13. Davis (2006), p. 191. 29. Scott (2000), p. 113.
14. Hardin (1994), p. 111. 30. Scott (2000), pp. 111–3.
15. Reid (2007), p. 107. 31. Reid (2007), p. 140.
16. Reid (2007), pp. 122, 128. 32. Reid (2007), p. 142.

Sources
Davis, William C. (2006). Lone Star Rising. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 978-1-58544-
532-5. originally published 2004 by New York: Free Press
Hardin, Stephen L. (1994). Texian Iliad – A Military History of the Texas Revolution. Austin, TX: University of Texas
Press. ISBN 978-0-292-73086-1. OCLC 29704011 (https://www.worldcat.org/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 978-0-89096-497-2.
Reid, Stuart (2007). The Secret War for Texas. Elma Dill Russell Spencer Series in the West and Southwest. College
Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 978-1-58544-565-3.
Scott, Robert (2000). After the Alamo. Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-55622-691-5.
 Stuart, Jay (2008). Slaughter at Goliad: The Mexican Massacre of 400 Texas Volunteers. Annapolis, MD: Naval
Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-843-2.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_San_Patricio&oldid=885301895"

This page was last edited on 27 February 2019, at 05:12 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.