February 1836 under orders from President Santa Anna Mexican General Urrea's column crossed the Rio Grand at Metamoros entering the Provence of Texas. His orders were to secure the whole of its coastline which would isolate the Texian Revolutionaries ensuring their defeat! After a rapid advance and a series of victories beginning at San Patricio and with the latest being the Battle of Refugio Urrea sent out foraging parties before pressing onto Goliad, supplies were crucial to continue the advance!
Captain Del Toro and his Soldados from the San Luis Battalion were told by locals of a broken down wagon train filled with supplies nearby and he quickly followed up their information.
Short on 'everything' as he amassed his forces at Goliad, Texian Colonel James Fannin who had been tasked by Sam Houston with halting or at least delaying the Mexican advance there decided to send out parties to scourge the surrounds and gather all the supplies that could be located. He asked for volunteers to carry out this detail and was swamped by enthusiastic and eager men! One foraging party led by Nathaniel R. Brister of the New Orleans Greys was led to believe there was an abundance of supplies along a remote road to the north west of Refugio, he ordered his men to find it unaware that Soldados from General Urrea's San Luis Battalion were in the area…
It was early in the day and the sun was rising into clear skies when Del Toros and Bristers forces stumbled across each other in their search for supplies. The Mexicans got the hop on their foes and Banderas Cazadores quickly got to the broken down wagon train and started to gather its vital contents. They then opened up an accurate fire on the approaching Texians!
The Texians were poorly co-ordinated and reached the road in dribs and drabs putting them at a disadvantage and their fire was poorly directed. As they approached the Cazadores the men of the New Orleans Greys were surprised when the Mexicans ceased fire and leapt into close combat with them. In the short sharp melee the Mexicans gained the advantage and pushed the Greys back with Privates Burke and Holmes being wounded, these casualties along with several taken by the Alabama boys led by Corporal Moore led to a general withdrawal by the Texians (read here that they failed many of their Force Morale checks)!
A Mexican Victory ensued as the Texian Leader Brister decided not to try and reengage with Del Toros Soldados and continued to retire northward taking their wounded with them!
Some Pictures…
The Alabama Boys reach the road…
Sergeant Banderas (at left) orders his men to gather supplies…
Cazadore Private José from the San Luis Battalion leaps across the broken down wagon to get to grips with the Texians!
The Mexicans prove their metal with the bayonet!
The Mexicans prevail gathering ample supplies for General Urrea's column!
The full AAR with OOBs more history and pictures is on the TSOG Blog here…
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