It was not just the army that was running---the Government was is high gear also.
Lay of the land:
From Washington on the Brazos in Central Texas there are 4 major North to South Rivers that must be transverssed.
Central Texas is high ground, scrub oaks and dry.
In a few days the lay of the land will change for all participants.
It's gonna be a harsh march for all.
Blessings

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TEXAS, by GOD

What'd I miss here?
(excuse my ignorance, please)
TACC1

You didn't miss anything, I think that williamlayton just thought that everyone knew that yesterday was Texas Independence Day. The "Runaway Scrape" was a famous event in that part of the history down here. Google it.

Bob

Not to mention being pursued all the way by the Mexican Army under the personal command of the mericless scumbag Santa Anna...or the attacks by indians....the list was just about endless.

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The Last Standing Knight

I googled "Running Scrape Facs" and all that came up is op's post.

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God spelled backwards is dog.

The name to Google is "Runaway Scrape".

Bob

Thanks for the link. It looks like I'll need more history
lessons before I move south.
TACC1

No one, even in Texas, knows much about the events leading up to San Jacinto. It was once covered pretty thoroughly in elementary school. Hard to believe now, but Texas Independence Day was a school holiday in most of the state.

The last time I saw an elementary school history text. The whole question of Texas Independence was treated as part of an on going pattern of American aggression against Mexico. The actual events were given short shift. The Alamo and San Jacinto got a few sentences, the people, where mentioned, were largely reduced to stereotypes.

This was several years ago so perhaps things have improved. That happens sometimes.

Well it was my bad---I had just read the entry concerning Texas Independance day and do as I normally do, assume.
There will be a series of post on the Runaway scrape, tracing the line retreat.
I invite all who have facts or lore to add to the discussion---I don't know everything.
Blessings
Bill

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TEXAS, by GOD

I think the action of a "scorched earth" policy of the Texans helped slow down the Mexican army a lot. When you rely on foraging for supplies it takes a lot of time to find food to feed the army. Washington on the Brazos never really came back afterwards. Heck I am a Born and Bred Texan and I can not even point to it on the map!

Wikipedia has an excellent article about the Runaway Scrape. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_Scrape

Actually it was a scorched earth policy on both sides, leave nothing behind to help the Mexican Army and leave nothing behind for the settlers to come back to.

I'm quite familiar with Washington on the Brazos. It is not too far west of Navasota, TX where the Brazos River merges with the Navasota River. There is a TX State Park there. Eighty percent of my duck, deer, and hog hunting over the last 25 years has been in Navasota River bottom land about 30 miles upstream from the park. The Navasoto is a creek compared to the Brazos River.

The Brazos River is a formidable obstacle to cross. Taking a heavily armed force across it, then on to Buffalo Bayou where Harrisburg was burned by the Mexican Army, and then to the San Jacinto River would have not been easy. There is no wonder why the Mexican Army was resting when Sam Houston ordered the attack.

I hope the MODS don't mind, I saw this in the San Antonio News about the "Travis Letter"
Showing more of past may be Alamo's future - San Antonio Express-News

This is the actual letter that Travis sent plus a typed copy because the original is hard to read.
http://extras.mysanantonio.com/pdf/TravisLetter.pdf

It is evident that the war was fought by normal people in extremely hazardous times and were willing to sacifice everything they owned for freedom.

Get an original, un-edited copy of "Texas History Movies".

It's a fun read.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

In elementary school we had a course in SC history, a lot about Francis Marion 'The Swamp Fox', Fort Moultrie and the like. Of course we learned along the line in US history about Texas Independence but not a lot of detail about events like 'The Running Scrape' which I know more from my own reading.