"Second Texas Revolution" Topic

Hello,
Has anyone wargamed a scenario pertaining to a second Texas Revolution circa late 1830's – 1840's?

I was thinking a regular Texan force that has to impede Santa Anna's attempt to take bake Texas.

No, but that's an interesting idea. I think the Texans could count on help from the U.S. Army.

This could turn into a conflict consisting of Texan/American forces vs Mexico pre- 1840's Mexican War.

An early Filibuster operation was dispatched from Texas to aid a Mexican force in a Civil War.

Notice this is before the 1830s revolution.

Early Filibuster Efforts in the Texas Region

The "First Republic of Texas" effort occurred at the same time as the Hidalego Mexican independence effort to gain freedom from Spain. At the time the United States was involved in the War of 1812 with Great Britain. The ‘First Republic of Texas' even flew an emerald green flag which may have reflected the Irish background of some of the Anglo officers or may have been the basic flag used by Mexican independence forces. Americans or Anglos were among the officer and enlisted ranks. The Army also included Mexicans with Lippan and Tonkawa Indians from the coast.

While the official USA position concerning Anglo involvement in the revolts was one of disapproval. The ‘Republican Army of the North' established a headquarters in the Neutral Ground between Louisiana and Texas which allowed its commander, Col MaGee to recruit from Louisiana for the army. Volunteers were offered forty dollars a month and a league of land.

The character of the Republican Army of Texas varied as the revolt progressed. During the initial Rosilla phase, the small companies were integrated units with a mix of Mexican Creoles, Indians and Americans. They did not wear a formal uniform but there is some evidence that they wore green armbands (similar to flag) and ‘field signs' in their hats. By the later Medina phase, the Army had been reorganized into racial units of Indians, Mexicans or Creoles and Americans or Anglos. This seems to be based on the Spanish Louisiana manner of unit organization in the 1700s. However the change resulted in rivalry and distrust between units and weakened the Army's cohesion.

On August 12 1812, the Republican Army of the North of about 150 men crossed the Sabine River and captured undefended Nacogdoches. Republican sentiment was high and the local Royalist officers were unable to recruit any militia to support the Royalist. In addition many Royalist troops who tended to be creoles deserted to support the Republican cause. By late fall the Republican Army of the North controlled the area between the Sabine and Guadalupe Rivers and had grown to nearly eight hundred men in strength.

Royalist General Salcedo and Provincial Lt. Governor Echavarria deployed along the Guadalupe River east of San Antonio with almost 1,400 troops to block the invading Republican Army. The Republican Army turned south to avoid the Royalist force and advanced down the Guadalupe River valley. The Republican Army captured La Bahia on November 14, 1812 which had a garrison of only a hundred and sixty men. The Republicans had gained sixteen artillery guns which had been in the armory at La Bahia along with other important supplies. The Republicans quickly erected a bastion of earth on each side of the fort, upon which they mounted the guns they found in the fort, and also the three six-pounders they had brought with them.

The main Royalist command shortly arrived and besieged La Bahia. Salcedo's forces were supported by fourteen pieces of different calibers. On the day of their arrival, the Royalist launched an assault upon the walls of the military compound but was repulsed by a preemptive sortie by some of the defenders. The small size of the opponents resulted in a stalemate developed with neither side gaining an advantage during the many sorties and skirmishes that occurred during the siege. During the siege, the Royalist received frequent reinforcements and was able to assault the Republican positions on three additional occasions.

As the siege was in progress, In December, Col. Magee became ill during December and soon died in February of 1813. Some speculate that the Royalist believed that the Republican army would disintegrate because of the death of their commander. After one last assault that almost breached the walls but failed. After the assault, the Royalist ended the siege of La Bahia on March 12, 1813 and returned to San Antonio. Instead of dissolving the Republicans grew stronger as common soldiers from the Royalist command deserted to join the rebels as well as more recruits, at least one hundred and seventy men, from the Neutral Ground and another three hundred warriors from the coastal Lipan and Tonkawa Indian tribes.

Now commanded by Virginian Colonel Kemper, the Republican Army began to advance along the San Antonio River toward San Antonio. Governor Salcedo also received reinforcements from Mexico. By this time the Royalist command under Colonel Herrera numbered over one thousand and five hundred Regular troops with another one thousand militia troops in support.

These are excerpts from my book on Filibuster operations. here are three battles of the campaign.

Battle of ROSILLA (or Salado Creek) , March 1813.
The Republican Army consisted of eight hundred Anglo under Colonel Kemper; one hundred and eighty Mexicans from Nacogdoches under Colonel James Gaines and Manchaca plus another three hundred and twenty-five Indians. The Republicans began their advance in their deployment order for the battle. The left wing was under the command of Major Ross who placed himself in the lead element. The right wing was under Colonel Kemper who placed himself in the rear to better observe the entire command. A company of marksmen armed with rifles were deployed along the flank of the right wing. The riflemen were commanded by Captain Luckett. The American left wing was secured by the San Antonio River, along the bank of which they marched.

The Royalist had established positions along a ridge which separated the Salado and San Antonio Rivers. The road along which the Republicans advanced ran between the ridge and the San Antonio River. The slope of the ridge that faced the San Antonio River was relatively clear but as you neared the crest thick chaparral dotted the top. On the Salado side of the ridge the chaparral was more dominant. It was among the protective chaparral that the Royalist deployed their forces in hope of an ambush. The Royalist positions stretched for three quarters of a mile and contained twelve pieces of artillery.

The flanking company of riflemen did their duty and spotted the Royalist and immediately initiated combat and warned the main body of the Republican army.
The Royalist returned fire and engaged the Republicans who were still four hundred yards distant.

The Indian warriors had been deployed in the vanguard to absorb initial casualties and lessen the impact of an expected Royalist cavalry charge. The Royalist volleys caused many of the Indian warriors to break ranks and seek shelter. The Cooshatties tribe and a few others held their ground and repulsed Royalist probing attacks.

The stand by the Indians and the flanking riflemen had allowed the main body of the Republican had formed at the foot of the ridge. A pre-determined tactic had been arranged for the Republicans to advance to within thirty yards of the Royalist line and fire three rounds. After loading a fourth round, the Republicans would then charge along the whole line. The pre-arranged tactic was followed without a mistake and worked. While the Republicans advanced uphill, most of the Royalist volleys were fired too high and inflicted little damage upon the exposed Republicans.

As the Republicans closed with the Royalist positions, most of the Royalist retreated rather than face the assault. Colonel Herrera was killed among the guns while he tried to fight hand to hand with first major Ross and then Colonel Kemper. The Royalist lost many troops during the rout as the Indians swept among their fleeing ranks. This resulted in the killed being disproportionate to the captured with an estimated one thousand casualties being suffered by the Royalist.

The next day the Americans pursued their march to the borders of the town of San Antonio, Governor Salcedo was faced with an undependable position and surrendered his command. A large body of Royalist troops along with military stores, arms, and pay chests were all surrendered. The spoils were distributed to every soldier in the force. The Indians received a smaller share including presents and were dismissed from service.

Royalist numbers were listed by some sources as few as six hundred men with those same sources listing the Republican forces as three hundred men. Based upon some reports which list Republican forces as closer to thirteen hundred and the losses, the Royalist Army could have numbered between three thousand and four thousand men.

The Royalist prisoners were freed with some joining the Republicans, and other simply returning home. Salcedo and his staff were permitted a limited amount of freedom but were soon executed by the Creole General Bernardo Gutierres. Upset by the executions the main Anglo officers including Colonel Kemper, Major Ross, and others, left the army and returned home. However the news of the victory in Texas encouraged other Anglos to join the effort.

Battle of Alazan, June 4-5, 1813
A new Royalist army was gathered and dispatched by the viceroy. It was commanded by Don Elisondo, who betrayed Hidalgo to the Royalists. The Royalist army consisted of about fifteen hundred regulars, and another fifteen hundred volunteers from the heavily Royalist internal provinces. Of the American officers who remained, Captain Perry was highest in rank, and in operational command of the mostly Anglo force with General Gutierres acting as a co-commander for morale reasons.

Elisondo halted his advance and established camp about half a mile from the town's graveyard. The Royalist reinforced their position by building two bastions at each end of their position. This placed them about four hundred yards apart. . This hasty emplacement was placed on top of the ridge's summit which sloped gently down to the Alazan River, a branch of the San Pedro, behind which the Republicans were encamped.

The Republicans fearing a hasty retreat spiked all the artillery that they could not effectively man except four small field cannon. The Republicans then conducted a silent night march late on the night of June 4th. They assumed initial deployment positions as close to the Spanish fortifications as possible.

Once the signal was given the Republicans quickly captured the defensive positions without much trouble. They lowered the Spanish flag and raised the tricolor flag that they had been using in San Antonio. At dawn the situation became clear to the Royalist who launched a ferocious counterattack from their main camp. The Royalist charge regained all of the lost ground in the fortifications.

The Republicans rallied to assault the emplacements. For a second time, they captured the fortifications and advanced toward the main Royalist positions in the camp. By now the limited amount of ammunition with which the Republicans had started had been depleted. As a result the fight progressed with them using mainly the bayonet, knives and spears. The fight proved to be a long an bitter struggle. After several hours, the Royalist had been forced into positions which were hard to defend and they broke ranks and fled.

The Royalist casualties were estimated at a thousand dead, wounded, and prisoners. While the Republicans reported only forty-seven killed, many of the wounded died of their wounds. The Royalist fled to the Rio Grande before they regrouped. The Republicans returned to San Antonio and relieved General Gutierres who returned to the Natchitoches area.

Battle of MEDINA, 18 August 1813
Don Jose Toledo was a Creole from a distinguished Spanish family. He had formerly been a member of the Spanish Cortes in Mexico, but was banished on account of his Republican sympathies. He had been forwarding recruits and supplies from Louisiana to San Antonio. In July, 1813, he set out for San Antonio. He was welcomed with much ceremony, and immediately elected commander-in-chief of the Republican army of the North.

General Arredondo, commandant of the northeastern provinces combined his troops with any of Elisondo's army which he could rally. His command numbered nearly two thousand men according to Royalist reports but almost four thousand men according to the few Republican accounts of the battle. Once he reached the Medina River, Arredondo constructed a V shaped breastwork. The apex of the breastwork as set the road, and the open end in the direction of San Antonio. Six hundred troops were deployed in the upper part of the open V at about four hundred yards in front of the breastwork. The breastwork was concealed by an artificial chaparral to appear as natural growth. It contained the bulk of the Royalist Army.

Toledo advanced to engage the Royalist force. His force by this time had been reorganized according to the Spanish tradition of ethnic units with companies of Americans (Anglos), Indians and Mexican (Creoles). The force totaled 1,550 men and consisted of eight hundred and fifty Anglos, under Perry and about seventeen hundred Mexicans commanded by Manchaca. Manchaca was regarded by some to have been insubordinate toward Toledo during the battle due to being passed over for Command of the Army. Toledo placed his trust on his Mexican troops and weakened the American contingent by dividing them on the two wings, with the Mexicans deployed in the center.

The exposed Advance Guard of the Royalists fired an initial round of artillery and musketry. At this point they withdrew into the breastworks and assumed new firing positions. The Mexican command holding the center rushed forward to pursue what they thought was the retreating main body of the Royalist. The center ground lacked any obstacles and soon the Mexicans out-raced the Anglos holding each wing. As the Anglos became tied up with fortifications facing them, the Mexicans continued to advance until they were exposed and receiving musketry and artillery fire to the front and on both flanks.

Once Toledo saw the trap, he ordered a retreat with only the Left wing following the orders. The Right Wing refused to admit defeat and continued to fight. As a result the entire Republican Army was destroyed in piecemeal by the Royalist. The Anglos on the right made several assaults on the breastworks but were repulsed on each attempt. Only the Anglos of the left Wing and a few Mexicans of the reserve center were able to get away from the field of battle.

The fugitives continued their retreat with the Royalist cavalry in close pursuit. At Spanish Bluff, on the Trinity River, the enemy took seventy or eighty prisoners which were soon executed. Only ninety-three Americans succeeded in reaching Natchitoches. Among them were Colonel Perry, Captain Joseph Taylor (badly wounded), and Captain Bullard, who had acted as aid to Toledo during the battle.

Two days after the battle of the Medina, which was fought on the 18th of August, 1813, General Arredondo marched in triumph into San Antonio and imprisoned both sympathizers and less ardent supporters of the Crown. Many died or were executed during the captivity. The property of the Republican supporters was confiscated. This ended the filibuster effort of 1812 and 1813.

Between 1813 and the Texas Revolution, several filibuster attempts were made by different adventurers and organizations. While the levels of success for these different groups varied, one of these attempts led to a serious battle. The Texas Revolution and their period of Independence as a Republic are treated as a separate issue from filibuster operations.

This may be a good one to base your scenario.
The Filibuster Operations of Jose Maria Jesus Carbajal

The actions of Jose Carbajal, is one of several filibuster operations that were prompted by non-Americans with the support of Americans. While most of the rank and file troops and many of the officers would be Anglo-Americans, many of the leaders were Hispanic.

By the 1830s, Carbajal had become a leader among the Mexican Federalist and supported many rebellions against the Centralist party located in Mexico City. In 1835 he was elected a legislative deputy from Bexar to the legislature of Coahuila and Texas, where he became one of the leaders. In the spring of 1835 the legislature authorized him to publish the laws and decrees of the state in English and Spanish.

In 1839 Carbajal, in command of a group of Mexicans with some American volunteers, defeated a Mexican Centralist army at Alcantra.. He was wounded in the engagement and lost the use of his left arm.

The battle of Alcantra was began on October 3 and continued the next day in 1839. Mexico was plagued with civil wars sometimes known as the Federalist Wars. As a result the opposing forces were both Mexican, as The Federalist forces were commanded by Gen. Antonio Canales and included 231 Texans. The Texans were a company of Frontier Guards commanded by Reuben Ross. Colonel Ross had been authorized by the Texas government with the mission to ‘ pursue frontier security' decided that it was in his loosely defined orders to support the Federalist. Colonel Rodd with his command crossed to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and joined with the Federalists forces. Initially Ross's command flew the Texas Lone Star flag. The governmental Centralist troops were under the command of Col. Francisco G. Pavón and had occupied the Mexican Rio Grande border town of Mier.

On the morning of October 3, 1839, Pavón left Mier with 500 regular troops and four pieces of artillery. They moved to the southwest toward the Alamo River. The Federalist force attempted to catch the Centralist command. Pavón located good defensive position along the high ground. The mounted Texas command was closing in on the Centralist forces. However, once in position the Centralist began a counter-attack by bombarding the Texan positions with artillery fire. Feeling that they had disordered the Texas command, the Centralist assaulted them.

The first charge faltered under heavy fire from the Texas forces. A second charge was also repulsed by the Texans. By now the Federalist main body had arrived and deployed to support the Texas positions. After a third attack failed, a fierce Federalist counterattack made little head way and a stalemate ensued. Soon both armies withdrew into their own lines and reformed during the night.

Unfortunately for the Centralist, their positions may have been located on an elevated ridge but lacked an adequate water supply. The following morning the thirsty Centralist forces attempted to maneuver toward a source of water. However their movement on foot was swiftly countered by an effort by the mounted Texans a battalion of Federalist cavalry. After a brief skirmish, Pavón surrendered. Only two Texans were killed during the battle but as was common in that era, five men died later from their wounds. In addition the Federalist lost an undisclosed number. The Centralists lost 150 killed plus 350 taken captured. Pavón and his officers were paroled. The Federalist forces returned to Mier to regroup.

This is another situation of the era as was the Merchants War. Other Filibuster operations were post Mexican-American War.

Republic of the Rio Grande

The period immediately following the Texas Revolution of 1836 saw much turmoil along the Texas and Mexican border. The Mexican government had not given up on regaining their lost territory nor had the thought of expansion left the minds of the Texans. Both parties were also involved in internal turmoil. The Mexicans always seemed to be putting down an Indian or peasant revolt and the Texans were engaged in a bitter struggle with the great Comanche raid of that time.

One of the areas where the Mexicans had been forced to quell a revolt was in the area along the Texas border. This revolt produced the short lived Republic of the Rio Grande. The local soldiers behind that revolt included Mexican peasants and vaqueros along the Rio Grande plus Cane Indian tribes of the Rio Grande Valley. These were supplemented by Texans and other Americans who saw a chance to gain additional land. In the autumn of 1839 the Mexican forces under General Mariano Arista had forced the ring leaders of the revolt including Canales to withdraw into Texas. Republic of the Rio Grande had a flag with three six-pointed white stars on a red field canton with included one third of the staff end of the flag. The other two-thirds of the fly end had two horizontal stripes of white over black.

Canales forces numbered a little over one thousand men with four cannon. The one are where the force was short was in horses. As his force approached Laredo, representatives of the three Mexican states along the Rio Grande (Tamaulipas, Nuevo León and Coahuila) met on the east bank of the river, outside Laredo. Here on January 18, 1840 the representatives merged the three states into the independent Republic of the Rio Grand. The northern border of the new country was the Nueces River which was the former border between Texas and Mexico. Laredo was declared to be the capital of the new republic. A flag with three white stars on a red field with two stripes was raised over the town.

To secure the independence of the new country, the army of the Rio Grande Republic proceeded toward Presidio del Rio Grande. They arrived at their objective on March 3 1840 and faced a sizable enemy. The Mexican army in the area was now commanded by General Valentín Canalizo, with fifteen hundred regular troops and eighteen cannons. In addition General Arista was centrally located with another command of almost two thousand troops.

While the Rio Grande army as encamped and reforming, a foraging mission was conducted by Zapata, who was a key leader, with about thirty men to the town of Santa Rita de Morelos. Morales was located only a few miles from the army's camp so problems with the mission was not expected. However, Zapata and his men were surrounded at Morelos by a force of almost two hundred Centralist soldiers. Zapata's men occupied several buildings and held off the larger force for over three hours. By this time Zapata was out of ammunition and Arista had arrived with the main body of troops, over eighteen hundred men, as reinforcements. At that point Zapata surrendered and was later executed.

By June 1 1840 the Army of the Republic of the Rio Grande had been reorganized and re-supplied. It was now commanded by Colonel Samuel W. Jordan. The army of the Rio Grande numbered over three hundred Mexicans, eighty Cane tribe warriors and over four hundred Texans. Jordan had been combined with troops of Colonel Juan Molano, who secretly had changed loyalties to support Arista. A mixed force of Texan, Mexican and Cane warriors numbering 350 men set out to raid Mexican land with the objective to obtain as many horses as possible.

The raiding party crossed the Rio Grande and struck off for the interior, capturing Ciudad Victoria and sacking it. Though some speculate that Molano had already changed sides, he would later claim that it was the sacking of that city that caused him to turn on his Texan allies. Jordan's command moved to join with another Rio Grande force operating in the area. It was commanded by Colonel Lopez who was senior to Jordan.

Molano's original plan was to guide the Texans to San Luis Potosi, where a Mexican army had gathered. However, Jordan being cautious about using direct routes-of-march, changed direction, and moved his command toward Saltillo. Even at Saltillo a Mexican force under General Montoya had been stationed. Montoya had been warned by Molano of the Texans approach. Montoya and Molano devised a plan to allow the Centralist troops to ambush and destroy the army of the Rio Grande Republic.

The Centralist Mexican army occupied trenches on a hilltop south of Saltillo. The combined Rio Grande forces under the overall command of Colonel Lopez occupied a nearby hill. There is much speculation that Lopez like Molano now sided with Montoya. In any case, Lopez ordered Jordan to take a mainly Texan contingent into a gorge and conduct a flanking maneuver against the Centralist troops who had began a slow advance upon the Rio Grande lines. Jordan advanced with his command but was advised by a junior Texas officer that a trap was likely.

Jordan realized the danger and gave new orders for his units stop their advance and assumed cover at a nearby walled hacienda which though near the Centralist trenches had been left abandoned. It became mainly a Texan versus Mexican situation with most of Rio Grande's Mexicans watching the action. However a number of vaqueros who had been loyal to Zapata arrived to support Jordan.

Texans and vaqueros dug in behind the walls of the hacienda and were bombarded for more than two hours by Mexican cannon and musketry. General Montoya feeling that the Texans had been softened decided to charge the hacienda. The Texans engaged the Centralists with three close range volleys before the Mexicans were repulsed. Then at 4 p.m. the Mexican army charged the position. Jordan waited until the enemy was within 30 yards before ordering three savage volleys in rapid succession. At least four hundred Mexicans were casualties and the rest retreated to Satillo in order to reform. Jordan seeing that his position was very weak decided not to pursue but elected to withdraw toward their home bases near the Texas border. General Montoya attempted to catch the Rio Grande force but stalemated in several skirmishes by a rearguard of Texans and vaqueros until they were able to cross the Rio Grande.

Despite the victory, Canales realized that the Republic of the Rio Grande was doomed. It could not survive being located between two hungry wolves. With Texas to the east and Mexico to the south, it would be only a matter of time before the Republic of the Rio Grande was conquered. Being a staunch Creole, Canales elected to surrender to General Arista. On November 6, 1840, Canales crossed the Rio Grande and surrendered at Camargo. Canales even accepted an officer's commission in Santa Anna's army whom he served faithfully. The Republic of the Rio Grande came to an abrupt end. s an advocate of an independent republic in northern Mexico, he commanded a division of the Mexican army against the United States in 1846.