by Dr. Bruce Winders
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The opening line of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, a novel set in the middle of the French Revolution, aptly describes the situation in Texas in December 1835. The war, ignited on October 2 at Gonzales by the colonists’ refusal to give up a cannon on loan to them from the Mexican government, had proceeded quickly. By late October General Stephen F. Austin had led the Federal Army of Texas, the name of the armed force chosen by the rebels to represent their political difference with Santa Anna’s centralist administration, to the outskirts of San Antonio de Béxar. Austin’s men scored several victories over General Martín Perfecto de Cos’ garrison holding the town. Although Austin was called away and had to turn over command to Ed Burleson, the arrival of volunteers from the United States bolstered the Texans’ numbers and spirit. Inspired by Ben Milam’s offer to lead an attack on San Antonio, the Texans and American volunteers fought their way into the town and succeeded in capturing it after five days of hard street fighting. Cos surrendered and marched away. By mid-December, the rebels had driven all government troops from Texas. Times were good.
In warfare, however, victory can sometimes be disruptive to the victor and vanquished alike. The euphoria created by Béxar’s capture quickly dissolved into discord as the Texans argued over what to do next. Everyone expected the Centralists to return in the spring so what should be done to prepare? Sam Houston, the newly appointed commander of the yet to be raised Texas Army, wanted to evacuate Béxar and establish a training camp at Gonzalez. James C. Neill, the post commander at Béxar, thought it was important to defend the town since it was seen by many as the key to controlling Texas. Frank W. Johnson, who had assumed command of the volunteers from General Burleson, planned to lead an expedition to Matamoros, contending that taking the war deeper into Mexico would keep the Centralist forces out of Texas. Although all three plans had merit, the Texans’ inability to choose one over the others put the revolution at risk.
On December 30, Johnson — largely on his own initiative — launched his campaign against Matamoros, taking most of the men, supplies, and horses with him when he left San Antonio. He informed the General Council, “I have left in the garrison at Béxar 100 men under the command of Lt. col. James Neill. This force I consider to be barely sufficient to hold the post and it will require at least fifty additional troops to place it in a strong defensive position. I have ordered all of the guns from the town into the Alamo and the fortifications in the town to be destroyed.” Several days later, Neill lamented to the same council, “It will be appalling to you to learn, and see herewith inclosed [in this letter] our alarming weakness, . . .” The stage had been set for the heartbreaking loss of Béxar, better known as the Battle of the Alamo.
