Runaway Scrape
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| Runaway Scrape | |
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 Translated from File:Mexico_1835-1846_administrative_map-en.svg by User:JWB with · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source | |
| Name | Runaway Scrape |
| Settlement type | Historical event |
| Caption | Civilians fleeing east during the Texas Revolution |
| Country | Republic of Texas |
| State | Texas |
| Established title | Began |
| Established date | April 1836 |
| Abolished date | May 1836 |
Runaway Scrape The Runaway Scrape was the mass civilian and military evacuation of settlers and forces from eastern Texas in April–May 1836 during the Texas Revolution. Panic followed the defeats of Battle of the Alamo, Goliad massacre, and the approach of the Mexican Army under Antonio López de Santa Anna, prompting refugees to flee toward Louisiana, Houston, and Velasco. The refugee movement intersected with the evacuation orders of Sam Houston, the logistical struggles of Texas Rangers, and the political efforts of the Consultation (Texas), reshaping immediate wartime strategy.
Background
In early 1836, tensions between Mexico and settlers in Texas involved incidents like the Siege of Bexar and political measures by Antonio López de Santa Anna. The Convention of 1836 declared independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos while military actions such as the Siege of the Alamo and skirmishes at Refugio and Coleto Creek destabilized civilian life. Leaders including Sam Houston, William B. Travis, James Fannin, and Stephen F. Austin maneuvered amid troop movements from Matamoros and logistical constraints along rivers like the Brazos River and coastal ports including Galveston Island and Brazoria.
Timeline of Events
April 1836: After the fall of the Alamo and the Goliad massacre, refugees began leaving Gonzales, Bastrop, and Washington-on-the-Brazos toward Nacogdoches, Sabine Pass, and San Augustine. Orders from Sam Houston and statements from the Provisional Government of Texas accelerated departures. May 1836: Skirmishes around San Jacinto culminated in the capture of Santa Anna and a turning point that allowed many refugees to return to Harrisburg and Houston. Concurrent movements involved naval activities by Jean Laffite associates, riverine logistics at Velasco, and militia operations by Terry's Texas Rangers and volunteers from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio.
Causes and Motivations
Immediate causes included news of the Alamo and Goliad massacre, fear of retribution by Santa Anna and his forces, and directives by commanders like Sam Houston to consolidate forces near Gonzales and San Jacinto. Broader motivations came from political ruptures following the Treaty of Velasco proclamation and the collapse of public order in towns such as Bexar, Victoria, and Matagorda. Economic factors—loss of property around Brazoria and disruption of trade through Galveston Bay—and demographic patterns involving Anglo settlers from Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia, and Tennessee influenced routes toward Natchitoches, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans.
Impact and Consequences
The refugee crisis strained supplies for Sam Houston's army near Buffalo Bayou and complicated logistics at crossing points like the Colorado River (Texas) and Trinity River. Property abandonment altered land claims in Austin County, Washington County, Texas, and Brazoria County, Texas. The humanitarian emergency affected relations with neighboring jurisdictions including Louisiana and prompted involvement by civic institutions in New Orleans and Galveston. Politically, displacement hastened consolidation of the Republic of Texas leadership and influenced postwar policies toward veterans from units like the New Orleans Greys and militias under commanders such as James Fannin and James Bowie.
Key Figures and Participants
- Sam Houston — commander whose retreat orders and strategic withdrawals shaped evacuation routes. - Antonio López de Santa Anna — Mexican president and general whose campaigns triggered mass flight. - William B. Travis — commander at the Alamo whose stand influenced refugee panic. - James Fannin — his capture at Coleto Creek and subsequent execution at Goliad intensified fears. - Other participants: Stephen F. Austin, James Bowie, David Crockett, Mirabeau B. Lamar, George Hockley, Thomas J. Rusk, Sam Houston's Texas Army, Texas Rangers, New Orleans Greys, and civilian leaders from Brazoria, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, and Galveston.
Commemoration and Historical Interpretation
The Runaway Scrape appears in Texas historiography, commemorated at sites like the San Jacinto Battleground and interpreted in works by historians focusing on Republic of Texas formation, refugee studies, and frontier violence. Museums such as the Alamo Museum, Goliad State Park and Historic Site, and local historical societies in Bastrop and Washington-on-the-Brazos present exhibitions linking the Scrape to narratives in textbooks used by University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Historical Association. Scholars compare the episode to population movements in American Revolutionary War histories and antebellum migrations studied at institutions including Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress.