Terrebonne County Louisiana Archives News.....Fifty Years Ago No. 32 (again) May 9, 1896
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Savanna King savanna18king@gmail.com August 11, 2023, 1:37 am

The Thibodaux Sentinel May 9, 1896
In the early spring of 1846, one half a century ago, times were lively in the 
United States.

In February, at the close of President John Tyler’s administration a treaty had 
been effected between the republic of Texas and the government of the United 
States by which the former became incorporated into and formed one of the 
latter. 

In 1836, the Texans were in revolt against the parent government of Mexico. This 
was a natural result following the settlement of the wilds and prairies of Texas 
by citizens almost exclusively of the United States, whose ideas and language 
were radically different from those of the nation of which they formed part. The 
Mexican government sent a force of troops under command of Santa Ana, who was 
probably the greatest general that ever commanded a Mexican Army to subjugate 
the revolted Texans and establish her power over that disaffected State.

His army found a company of soldiers of Texas in Fort Alamo near San Antonio, 
among whom were the renowned David Crockett and the somewhat famous James Bowie, 
once a resident of the present Acadia plantation near Thibodaux.

This little band of heroes withstood the siege for several days and not until 
the last man was slaughtered was the Texan flag lowered.

After committing several other inhuman and treacherous acts Santa Ana caught up 
with the last armed force of the insurgents near the San Jacinto river, between 
Houston and Galveston.

Bivouacking at night with the expectation and intention of destroying the little 
band of patriots, far inferior to his own force in number, Santa Ana retired 
into his tent and was soon lost in pleasant dreams. But before the sun rose 
above the treetops, General Sam Houston, with his little army of heroic Texans, 
under the inspiring cry of “remember the Alamo” had wounded Santa Ana and 
captured him and his entire army. Acknowledging the independence of Texas, Santa 
Ana, leaving one leg buried in the Texas soil, with his command, were paroled 
and permitted to return to their own government. 

The treaty thus formed according to the Spanish idea was not respected by the 
Mexican government, although the new Republic remained unmolested until it was 
merged into that of this United States.

Santa Ana had become the President of Mexico, and imagining in his egotistical 
propensity, that if he could not subdue Texas alone he could easily whip her 
when entangled with any alliance of the Union of States.

Hence he began to mass all the troops that he had in the northern and eastern 
parts of his dominion, near the mouth of the Rio Grande.

Upon the provision of the treaty, joining the [?], the United States had sent 
Colonel Zachary Taylor, in those times known as “Old Rough and Ride,” and 
President of the United States, with a small force of infantry, artillery, and 
cavalry near the mouth of the Rio Grande, as an army of observation. Col. Taylor 
had erected a fort on the bank of the river and stationed a company of soldiers 
therein. As soon as the fact that the Mexican troops were advancing became 
known, great alarm was felt for the safety of his command, and under a call from 
President Polk for volunteers, the sound of the fife and drum was heard in every 
town whilst ten volunteers responded where one was summoned. 


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