Juan Seguin

by Robert E. Hollmann

  I’m afraid all of our friends are gone. I should have gone back, as I promised them I would.”

  “No, Juan,” I said. “If you had gone back, you would have been killed with them. Now you can still fight Santa Anna to make Texas free.”

  Juan nodded. “I’ll do all I can to make sure that their sacrifice won’t be wasted.”

  Juan and I waited for word from Deaf Smith. We watched the road to San Antonio for a sign that he was returning. Finally some small figures appeared on the horizon. We watched as the figures became larger. We were able to identify Deaf Smith, but he had other people with him. As the group got nearer, we could tell that the person on the small horse was a woman holding a baby in her arms. We finally recognized her as Susannah Dickinson.

  Juan and I rode out to meet the small party. As we got near we could see that Susannah’s eyes were red from crying. Tears ran through the dirt and powder smoke that covered her face. As we watched the riders approach us, we knew that the story was true. The Alamo had fallen. Juan patted his horse’s neck. This horse had belonged to his good friend Jim Bowie, who now lay dead with all the others in the Alamo.

  Soon Susannah was standing in front of Sam Houston, telling the story of what had happened. Houston listened carefully. I saw tears come to his eyes as she told of the last fight and the courage of the defenders. When she had finished her tale, some of the women from Gonzales took her to let her rest from her trip. Houston pounded the table.

  “We must never let our army be trapped in a fort again. We don’t have the strength to fight like that. From now on we must fight Santa Anna in a place that we choose.”

  He turned to Juan. “Send one of your men to Colonel Fannin at Goliad. Tell him to bring his army to join us right away. Now that he has taken the Alamo, Santa Anna will come for us. We have to move east to give us time to raise more men and get ready to fight him.”

  “What about the people of Gonzales?” Juan asked.

  “Tell them to get ready to leave. They can only take a few possessions with them. We’ll have to move fast. Juan, send some of your men to find out if Santa Anna is coming this way yet. You’ll be the rear guard. I need for you to keep me advised about what the enemy is doing.”

  As Juan and I walked out of the tent, it started to rain. I looked at the dark skies and then at the dusty road that was already turning into mud. I knew the mud would slow us down and maybe give Santa Anna a chance to catch us before we were ready to fight him. I pulled my hat low on my head and followed Juan to find our men. We could not afford to waste time if we hoped to keep ahead of Santa Anna’s army.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The next few weeks were hard on the Texan army. The rain turned the road into a muddy mess. Men slipped and fell, griping as they struggled on, covered in the stinking mud. Men began to talk among themselves. They said that Houston was afraid of Santa Anna and that he was running away to the border with Louisiana, where he would cross into the United States.

  Juan and his company guarded the rear of the army. We spent many days looking for signs of Santa Anna’s army. One day we surprised one of Santa Anna’s messengers. We found letters to his other generals telling them to search for other Texan armies and destroy them. We took the letters to General Houston. The general was sitting in his tent reading when we walked in.

  “Juan,” Houston said as he stood up. “Good to see you. What news have you brought me?”

  Juan handed the letters to Houston and watched as he read them. When he had finished he looked at us.

  “I thought he would send out orders like this. It means his army is separated. That gives us a better chance of beating him. I’ve ordered Colonel Fannin to leave Goliad and join us with his men. He has about four hundred soldiers. That will give us enough men to fight Santa Anna. I want you to keep an eye out for Fannin. Let me know when you see him coming.”

  Juan nodded. “When did you tell him to leave Goliad?”

  Houston scratched his head. “I sent the message several days ago. He should have received it by now. I think he will be here in a few more days. Have you seen any sign of Santa Anna?”

  “No, just the messenger. I think the rain’s slowing him down. He has a lot of baggage to move along with his army.”

  Houston sat down. “See if you can find him. It’ll be a great help if I know exactly where he is.”

  “I’ll find him, General.”

  We walked out of the tent into the rain. We pulled our hats low across our faces to keep the water out of our eyes. We mounted our horses and rode out of the camp. We found our men and rode off to find the enemy army.

  Several days later we saw the enemy army camped beside a river. The rain had swollen the river so much that the army could not cross it. We lay under some trees on the riverbank and watched the enemy camp. Most of the soldiers lay under the cover of their tents. The soldiers on guard tried to find some shelter from the rain. In the center of the camp was a large tent. We knew that must be Santa Anna’s tent. Men were coming in and out of the tent all the time we lay there watching. We never saw Santa Anna come outside. Finally we crawled back further into the trees where we were sure the enemy could not see us.

  “What do you want to do, Juan?” I asked.

  Juan looked back toward the enemy camp. “I’d like to sneak into that camp and get Santa Anna. With the weather like this and the guards not paying attention we might be able to do it.”

  The men listened carefully. I could tell they didn’t think it was a good idea to sneak into the large enemy camp.

  Juan turned back toward the men. “But we need to tell General Houston that we’ve found Santa Anna. He was anxious to know where he was.” Juan looked at the enemy camp one more time. “Let’s go. We need to get back to Houston.”

  We walked back to where we had left our horses. We were getting ready to mount when we heard a shout. We looked around and saw a troop of enemy cavalry riding toward us.

  “Mount up,” Juan yelled.

  The men climbed into their saddles and we raced across the rain-soaked prairie. Juan and I rode at the rear of the company. I heard something whiz by my head and then I heard the sound of the pistol going off. The enemy was shooting at us. I looked around and saw that the enemy soldiers were gaining on us. Some of them carried lances and I saw the raindrops glistening on their metal tips as they pointed them at us. I could almost feel the sharp lance between my shoulders as I urged my horse to run faster.

  Water and mud from the horse’s hooves hit me in the face. I blinked my eyes to try to clear them. Suddenly my horse stumbled in the mud. I rolled from the saddle and lay in the mud. One of the enemy soldiers was riding toward me. He had his lance pointed right at my chest. I pointed my pistol at him and pulled the trigger, but the rain had made the powder too wet to fire. I threw the gun at the soldier and ducked as the lance passed over my head. The enemy soldier slid his horse to a stop and turned to ride at me again. Juan rode his horse into the enemy’s from behind. This caused his horse to fall, and the soldier rolled off the horse into the mud. Juan rode over to me. I swung up behind him and we raced after the rest of our company.

  After several miles the enemy quit chasing us. We rode on until we found the Texan camp. Soon we were standing in front of Houston.

  “General,” Juan said. “We found Santa Anna. He has split his army. As soon as Colonel Fannin gets here we can attack him.”

  Houston looked up. His eyes were sad. He slowly shook his head.

  “I just received word. Fannin’s not coming. He and his men were massacred at Goliad.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The news of the massacre of Fannin’s men swept through the army like a strong wind. Several men left the army to take care of their families. They were convinced that Santa Anna would win the war, and they wanted to get their families to safety. The men who stayed followed Houston as he continued to head east. The roads were still muddy, and the men began to complain about running from the enem
y.

  One day Juan and I returned from a scout and went to report to Houston. He was sitting in his tent reading when we entered.

  “Juan. Pablo. What news do you bring me?”

  Juan took off his hat and rubbed his eyes. “Santa Anna has split his army again. He is riding ahead of the main group with about a thousand men. Now would be the time to attack him. We can defeat him if we act soon. Before he brings his army together again.”

  Houston shook his head and sighed. “Juan, I get plenty of people advising me to attack. Look at this letter from President Burnet.” He read a few lines from the letter. “You must fight. The enemy is laughing you to scorn.” Houston threw the letter on his bed.

  “If I wanted to answer this letter, I couldn’t because I don’t know where the government is. They’re running away so fast I can’t keep up with them.”

  Juan picked up the letter and read it.

  “He’s right, General. We need to fight Santa Anna. If we keep running, all the men will leave.”

  Houston stood up and walked to a map spread on a small table.

  “Juan, this army has one fight in them. I must pick the time and the place for that fight. If we lose that battle, Texas is lost.” He walked back and sat on his bed. “I know I can count on you and your men. You have done everything I’ve asked you to do. Bear with me a while longer. Watch Santa Anna. Let me know what he’s doing. When the time is right, we will attack him.”

  I followed Juan out of the tent. We stood and looked at the cloudy skies. We watched the men sitting around the camp in small groups. I knew they were talking about Houston. They were beginning to think he would not fight.

  “What do you think, Juan?” I asked.

  “I think Houston is right. We can beat Santa Anna, but we must choose when and where. After the battles of the Alamo and Goliad, Texas can’t afford to lose another army. Come on. We need to find Santa Anna and see what he’s doing.”

  We gathered up our men and rode away from the camp. As the miles passed by, I began to wonder if the Texans could beat Santa Anna. I rode behind Juan and watched him. There was something in the way he rode that made me think that yes, we could win. Juan believed in Texas. He was willing to keep fighting, and so was I.

  The weeks passed by and the army was down to less than one thousand men. Those who were left continued to gripe, but they also continued to follow Houston. One day we received two cannons. They were a gift from the citizens of Cincinnati. The men named them the Twin Sisters. Having some cannons made the men feel like they were in a real army.

  One day we were riding next to General Houston. We crossed a bridge and entered an area nearly surrounded by water. We rode a little further and Houston stopped and ordered the men to make camp in a group of trees. Juan and I were sitting next to a small fire when one of our men came riding up. He jumped from his horse and ran to us.

  “What’s wrong, Antonio?” Juan asked.

  The man gasped for breath. “Santa Anna and his army are not far away. They’ll be here very soon.”

  Juan and I went to Houston’s tent. We told him what the messenger had said. Houston stared at the floor and said nothing. I began to wonder if he had heard us. Finally he looked up.

  “All right. Thank you.”

  He walked out of the tent. Juan and I walked with him. Deaf Smith saw us walking and joined us. We stopped at the edge of the trees and looked out over the open plain. Houston didn’t say anything for a while. He just stared across the prairie. Finally he turned to Deaf Smith.

  “What’s the name of this place, Deaf?”

  “It’s called San Jacinto.” Deaf said.

  Houston looked back at the open area. “San Jacinto,” he said softly. “I think we’ve found our battle ground.”

  Not long after, Santa Anna’s army entered the prairie. We watched them march in and make their camp. Everyone was eager to charge them, but Houston sat in his tent and gave no orders. Soon the sun began to set and the men knew there would be no battle that day.

  The next day more enemy soldiers joined Santa Anna. The men said Houston had waited too long. Now we had no chance of beating Santa Anna’s army. The morning passed and the men were afraid Houston would let another day go by without attacking the enemy. At last Houston called his officers together. Juan and I stood with the others as Houston told us we would attack the enemy that afternoon. He told Deaf Smith to chop down Vince’s Bridge. I was surprised at this, since that was our way out of San Jacinto. I also realized it was the way for more enemy troops to join Santa Anna. Now we had no choice. We must win or we would all be killed. Houston gave his officers their orders. When they left, Juan walked up to Houston.

  “General, you didn’t tell me where my men would be,” he said.

  Houston looked at Juan. I couldn’t believe it when I heard Houston say. “You and your men will not be in the attack. You will guard the camp.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Juan stared at General Houston with shock on his face.

  “You can’t mean that, General,” he said.

  Houston put his hand on Juan’s shoulder. “Juan, you and your men have done a great service for me and for Texas. But now we’re going to attack Santa Anna’s army. You know how the men feel. They’re angry at what has happened at the Alamo and Goliad. I’m afraid that in the battle, the men might mistake you for the enemy and shoot you.”

  Juan looked into Houston’s eyes. “General, I led some of my best friends into the Alamo. I left them there because Colonel Travis asked me to try and get reinforcements to come to the Alamo. I promised my men I would come back. You told me to stay here and I did. I have done everything you have asked me to do, but my men and I will not stay out of this fight. We have earned the right to be in the attack.”

  Houston studied Juan’s face and saw the determination there. “You’re right, Juan. You and your men should be in the attack. Put something on their hats so the others won’t mistake them for the enemy. Now go take your place. We’ll be moving soon.”

  Juan called his men together. He told them about the coming attack. He took some white cards and wrote “Remember the Alamo” on the cards. He gave them to the men and told them to put them on their hats. When they had done this, Juan led us to our place in line.

  I stood next to Juan and looked down the line of men. They were all looking across the field at the enemy camp. It was the middle of the afternoon and the enemy camp seemed quiet. I smiled as I realized that most of the enemies were taking siestas. They must think we would not attack them today. The Twin Sisters were in the middle of the line. A group with fifes and drums stood next to them. We watched as Houston rode his big horse, Saracen, to the middle of the line of men. He spoke to us briefly, then turned his horse and pointed his sword at the enemy camp.

  “Forward!” he yelled.

  The fife and drum group began to play a song called “Will You Come to My Bower?” The men began to move forward. They walked with their rifles held in front of them, ready to shoot. I watched as Houston led us across the field, his sword still pointed at the enemy camp. No one said a word as we walked toward the quiet enemy camp.

  As we got into the middle of the field, Deaf Smith came riding down the line. “Vince’s Bridge is down,” he yelled. “Fight for your lives.”

  Houston stopped his horse. He turned to the line of men and yelled. “Halt! Fire! Charge! Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”

  The Twin Sisters fired at the enemy camp. This was followed by a volley from the Texans. Before the smoke had drifted away, the Texans were running toward the enemy camp. I ran as fast as I could. Soon we were inside the enemy camp. Everything around me was a blur of activity. I heard shots and men yelling. I saw enemy soldiers running or falling to their knees. Some of them cried out, “Me no Alamo. Me no Goliad.”

  I saw Houston on his big horse, waving his sword and yelling at the men. I fired my rifle and reloaded. I saw Juan leading us through the enemy camp. He was yelli
ng, “Remember the Alamo!” as loud as he could. Suddenly we were on the other side of the enemy camp. There were no more enemy soldiers in front of us. I turned and saw many enemies with their hands in the air, surrendering to the Texans.

  Juan and I walked back through the enemy camp. It had been destroyed. We found General Houston lying under a tree. He had been shot in the ankle, and his wound was very painful. We walked over to him.

  “We did it, General,” Juan said. “We beat Santa Anna.”

  Houston clenched his teeth in pain. “Santa Anna’s escaped. If we don’t find him, the war will go on. I wanted this to be the last battle, but if he gets away there will be more.”

  The doctor gave Houston something to ease his pain. We stood by him as he lay under the tree. Houston was right. If Santa Anna escaped, the war would continue. We watched as the Texans gathered the enemy soldiers that had surrendered and placed them under guard.

  Suddenly there was a stir among the men. A group of Texans led a man dressed in the uniform of a private to where Houston lay. As they came nearer, I saw that the enemy soldier wore a silk shirt under his uniform. This was clearly no private soldier. The group stopped in front of Houston. The soldier stepped forward and looked at Houston.

  “General Houston,” he said. “I am Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The president of Mexico and the general of its armies.”

  The men looked at Santa Anna with hatred. Several called out that he should be hung. Santa Anna began to tremble as the men got louder. Houston raised his hand and the men quieted down. He told Santa Anna to send an order to the rest of his army telling them to leave Texas. Santa Anna agreed, and the order was sent by a messenger. Houston waved to Juan to come next to him.

  “Juan, take your men and follow the army. Make sure they leave Texas. If they don’t, send word at once.”

  We followed the enemy messenger as he delivered the message to the army. We could see the officers discussing the message. Finally one of them waved his arm and the army turned around and began to walk the other way. We followed them for several days until they crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico. As we watched the last of the enemy soldiers cross the river, Juan and I looked at each other and smiled. Texas was now a free and independent country.