Hardly noticed by the politically-correct news media nowadays (don’t want to make the Hispanics mad, etc.), this anniversary of the Texian victory over the Mexican army of dictator Santa Anna, and his capture, still resonates with lovers of Texas history.
After all, as they say, “the modern destiny of Texas began” 174 years ago today. Meanwhile, part of the old battleground, ever crowded by the Houston Ship Channel and the petrochemical industry, is being threatened by development.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
LMAO – we posted our SJD posts within 10 minutes of each other.
Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! YEEEEHAWWWW!
That’s the cool part of the blogospheroid, alright..
Here is my very favorite story from the whole campaign. It is the narrative of Robert Hancock Hunter and is copied directly, with his misspellings and everything. It regards a Mrs. Mann, some oxen that she loaned to Sam Houston, and what happened after she came to get them back.
Confrontation with Mrs. Mann over her oxen.
We were all day a crossing the river with our waggons, horses & oxen. Then we moved on out. Mr Dunahoes, & Mrs Mann, with her two waggons & teams was at Mr Groces. General Houston, got a yoke of oxen from Mrs Mann to help the cannon along. There had bin a great deal of rain & the roads was very bad. Mrs Mann said to general Houston, general, if you are going on the Nacogdoches road you can have my oxen because they will be safe, but if you go the other to Harrisburg you can’t have them, for I want them myself. Houston said well I am going on the Nacogdoches road but he did not say how far he would go on it. Any how the oxen come, & we started. A bout 6 miles on the road they forked, & the Harrisburg road turned to the right, all most right angle down east & we got a bout 10 or 12 miles down the road, and Mrs Mann over took us, out on the big prairie wallow & full of water, & a very hot day. She rode up to the general & said, “general you tole me a damn lie, you said that was going on the Nacogdoches road. Sir I want my oxen.” “Well Mrs Mann, we cant spare them. We cant git our cannon a long with out them,” General Houston said. “I dont care a damn for your cannon, I want my oxen.” She had a pare of holster pistols on her saddle pummel & a very large kinfe on her saddle. She turned a round to the oxen, & jumpt down with knife & cut the raw hide tug that the chane was tide with. The long chane hook was broke & it was tide with raw hide. No body said a word. She jumpt on her horse with whipin hand, & away she went in a lope with her oxen. Capt Rover rode up to general Houston, & said “general we cant git a long with out them oxen, the cannon is done boged down.” “Well we have to get a long the best we can, the general said.” “Well general I will go and bring them back.” He said well. The Capt & a nother man started back for the oxen. The Capt got a hundred yeard or so, & the general up in his saddle, & hollowed, “Capt Rover that woman will fite.” The Capt said “damm her fiteing.”
Houston jumpt down off his horse and said “come Boys, les git this cannon out of the mud.” The mud was very near over his boot top. He put his shoulder to wheel, and 8 or 10 men more lade holt, & out she come, & on we went, & got down a bout 6 miles & campt at big mot of timber. A bout 9 or 10 o’clock Capt Rover came in to camp, & he did not bring any oxen with him. Boys hollowed out, “hai Capt where is your oxen.” “She would not let me have them.” “How come yore shirt tore so,” & some of the Boys would say how come your shirt tore so, & some of the boys would say “Mrs Mann tore it off him. What was that for? She wanted it for baby rags.”
Capt Rover was our waggon master.
Good story. I like your web site, too. Thanks for stopping by. Come back and see us again some time.
Re the misspellings. We think that’s what they were. In those days there was little standardized spelling. That came much later, when public schools became common.