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Post by stough on Sept 26, 2010 10:54:03 GMT -5
What units were under Cos at the siege of Bejar and what happened to them and him after their surrender?
My info so far is that he had, perhaps, two battalions of infantry and one of cavalry. They retreated to Loredo, where they met up with Santa Anna's incoming army of operations.
I don't, so far, any corraboration between the units that were paroled with the units that participated at the Alamo or Golliad.
Is it possible that Cos did not honor his parole, but the troops did?
Also, I am curious as to what battalions or companies Cos led at the Alamo. I am unclear as to which units attacked the west and south walls. (some say 300 under Cos from the west, 150 under Morales form the South). I have a bunch more questions, but this will do for a start.
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Post by stuart on Sept 26, 2010 14:56:48 GMT -5
Not so much a question of honor as practicality. The core formation in Cos' army at Bexar was the Batallon Morelos. This was a well trained hard fighting infantry unit, but it was pretty well used up in the siege and in no condition to turn around and go back again without a period of rest and the chance to absorb reinforcements. Leaving aside the artillery and Bexar volunteers, most of the rest of his men belonged to the presidiale companies and a surprising number of them defected to the Federalistas towards the end of the siege, which was what finally induced Cos to surrender.
The troops he commanded at the Alamo three months later were an entirely different lot.
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Post by Herb on Sept 27, 2010 10:19:08 GMT -5
Check out the reference section, under the topic Mexican Units, you'll find an order of battle for the complete Mexican Army, as well as the Army of Operations, and the attack on March 6th.
Small point, Santa Anna did not advance intoTexas via Laredo, but followed the Camino Real and crossed the Rio Grande near present day Eagle Pass. He thus approached San Antonio from the West not the South. Cos linked up with Santa Anna's main body at Monclova on January 20th.
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Post by stough on Sept 27, 2010 20:38:10 GMT -5
thanks big
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Post by loucapitano on Sept 28, 2010 16:26:10 GMT -5
It seems the attacking East columns could have got bogged down in the huge puddles left by the heavy rain of the previous days, so they simply avoided them by swinging North. The guns on the church might have helped persuade them to swing North also. Cos's men faced a different dilemma. They certainly knew where the 18 pounder was, and I'm sure charging it directly from 200 yards was not high on their wish list. The gun in the center of the West Wall was probably firing waist high and one shot of grape from that 12 pounder was probably all they needed to convince them to swing around to the North, once they regrouped.
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Post by Chuck T on Sept 28, 2010 18:11:17 GMT -5
loucapitano: Don't know if you posted on the right thread or not but your point is certainly well taken. If they knew where the 18 pounder was, logic would tell you they knew where the 12 was too. Despite its limited ability to traverse, a frontal assault on that gun would have ruined many a man's day. Looking at the Sanchez plat it clearly shows, again if this plat can be relied upon, that Cos' two battalions assaulted slightly north of the 12. It just may be that our speculation about them being pushed north is wrong and they actually were exactly where they intended to be. If there was another gun between the 12 and the junction with the north wall it was in all probability mounted high, and they were counting on a quick rush in the darkness to get under it. Look at the Sanchez plat, and I think you will agree that the 12 doing some damage is possible. With the 18 the geometry is all wrong once Cos gets within a 100 feet or so from the northern third of the west wall.
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