Mexican order of battle at San Jacinto

[fede]

Mexican order of battle at San Jacinto ?

[dimbo33]

I am not a military historian and I am not sure that I know exactly what you are asking but I think I have a good idea. I have researched the battle at length and have done a great deal of archeology at the site. I have recently been involved in the Almonte surrender site that was discovered 1 1/2 miles from the battle site. I personally found four of the bayonets that have been featured in the articles about Dr. Roger Moore and his work at the Almonte site. That all being said, it is my impression that there was no "order" on the Mexican side of the battle. We know which units were involved, we know the general area where they were camped and we have a general idea about where the flight lead. We still have not found the Mexican breastworks but we are closing in. The only rumor of any type of order in the battle on the Mexican side was Santa Anna's claim to have formed a column of the Guerrero and another battalion to mount a counterattack. I do not want to go into all the problems with this claim but it just does not hold water. I do think that some of the Mexican forces mounted a short-lived resistance at or near the breastworks but the action was primarily a chaotic flight by the Mexicans and bloodletting by the Texans. Gregg Dimmick

[stuart]

I think what Fede is actually after is a roster of the units present

[Herb]

There's a lot of conflicting information about the Mexican order of battle (we know pretty much who was there, but how exactly they were deployed is somewhat debatable). Here's the best I can come up with:

On the left flank (pretty much west) were the Mexican Cavalry, then the Aldama Battalion, the Golden Standard, then the Matamoros Battalion, then the Guerrero Battalion on the right flank (east). In front of the Guerrero Battalion were some cazadores (some say a battalion of 3 companies commanded by Almonte). These cazadores were the first Mexican unit hit by Sherman's 2d Texas Regiment. While almost simualtaneously Lamar's Texas cavalry hit the left (west) flank. The Texas Regulars, and Burleson's 1st Regiment and the twin sisters slightly later hit the Mexican Center.

The Mexican Army had a reserve behind and slightly west of the Golden Standard (some accounts say this was a battalion of Grenadiers and the remaining cazadores).

Also present was the Toluca Battalion, the Jimenez Battalion, and a detachment of the Guadalajara Battalion. I haven't found any specific locations for these units.

[devilyack]

The Mexican Order of Battle at San Jacinto included elements of

Permanente Aldama Battalion
Permanente Guerrero Battalion
Permanente Matamoros Battalion
Activo Guadalajara Battalion
Activo Toluca Battalion
Activo Primero Mexico Battalion

Dolores Cavalry Regiment
Tampico Cavalry Regiment

One 6lb Cannon (sometimes called the "Golden Standard" by historians)

I say elements because some of the units were split and marched piece-meal to the battle. Santa Anna took the choice (grenadier) companies of several units (Guerrero, Mexico, Toluca) and the Matamoros Btn. and the field piece when he went ahead to capture the Texan government. He was later joined by Cos bringing the rest of Guerrero and Toluca, Aldama, and two companies from Guadalajara.

This order of battle is supported by the fact that Guerrero entered Texas with 400 troops and left with 15. Aldama had 390 in January, but only 83 in May. Toluca took 320 into Texas and only brought out 72 (losing at most 90 men at the Alamo: 20 KIA, 74 WIA - Andrade) Guadalajara lost about 115 men during the campaign. Matamoros lost over 200.

Also present were elements of the Tampico and Dolores Cavalry Regiments, and probably other small detachments of cavalry.

[sloanrodgers]

May 7, 2010 11:13:37 GMT -5 devilyack said:

One 6lb Cannon (sometimes called the "Golden Standard" by historians)

Congrats on getting the size correct. One San Jacinto veteran called it the Golden Standard for some
reason and then others jumped on the cannon wagon and started doing the same. In reality the field
piece probably had a Latin name like, oh lets say like El Vulcan.

[ajdrake4]

I have always been curious about the Mexican order of Battle for the entire campaign. I'm interested in the Texas order of battle too, but I know that was a lot more of a loose assortment of independent companies. I'm interested partly because I love military history, and partly because I'm trying to make a simulation of the Texas campaign in the computer game "Lee, Grant, Sherman: Civil War Generals II." It's a very old game, but I still play it on occasion, and it has a battlefield editor included with the game.

[Kevin Young]

On this Alamo Studies Forum :: go to Reference :: Miscellaneous Reference Aids :: Mexican Army Units, 1835-36

[Allen Wiener]

I also just added that thread to the FAQ under "Mexican Units and Casualties at the Alamo"

Allen

[ajdrake4]

Thanks, I've looked everywhere online for one, and it was here the whole time.

[alamonorth]

A good Mexican order of Battle 1835-36 also appears as Appendix B in Silent Witness To Texas History: Archaeology and Artifacts of Goliad's Presidio La Bahia (2009) by Anne Fox , Samuel Nesmith and Daniel Fox

[garyzaboly]

There's been a misconception that the Mexicans were caught completely unawares and were mostly disorganzied at their breastwork. But at least one Texian account speaks of them "firing by platoons" at Houston's oncoming lines, while other Texians agree that when they were descending the slope prior to ascending the final rise upon which the enemy breastworks sat, the Mexican muskets, which generally fired high, did the most damage. So there was some organized resistance, and it was arranged even while Houston's men were still scores of yards away. But the ferocious impetus of the Texian attack, once it reached the top of that final slope, could not be stopped.

[Allen Wiener]

Gary, I forget the officer's name, but I've read that Mexican intel was quite good and they knew both where the Texians were and the size of their force. This officer (whose name escapes me) road into the Mexican camp with a clear warning that the Texians were near and ready to attack. This always seemed at odds with the idea of the Mexicans being taken by surprise and actually at siesta when the attack came, as well as the old saw about Santa Anna in the sack with Emily at that time.

Allen

[Kevin Young]

Aug 29, 2010 19:30:38 GMT -5 Allen Wiener said:

Gary, I forget the officer's name, but I've read that Mexican intel was quite good and they knew both where the Texians were and the size of their force. This officer (whose name escapes me) road into the Mexican camp with a clear warning that the Texians were near and ready to attack. This always seemed at odds with the idea of the Mexicans being taken by surprise and actually at siesta when the attack came, as well as the old saw about Santa Anna in the sack with Emily at that time.

Allen

I think that some of the siesta problem may be that Cos had forced march in with "recruits" and they were at rest while the cavalry had unsaddled and were walking their mounts down and back to water.

[garyzaboly]

Aug 29, 2010 19:30:38 GMT -5 Allen Wiener said:

Gary, I forget the officer's name, but I've read that Mexican intel was quite good and they knew both where the Texians were and the size of their force. This officer (whose name escapes me) road into the Mexican camp with a clear warning that the Texians were near and ready to attack. This always seemed at odds with the idea of the Mexicans being taken by surprise and actually at siesta when the attack came, as well as the old saw about Santa Anna in the sack with Emily at that time.

Allen

Allen, the original accounts are edifying to read. One says the Mexican cannon fired only twice, another says five times.

It is confusing when popular versions such as motion pictures show most of the Mexicans in siesta and being completely surprised, maybe a few here and there taking pot shots at the Texians and then fleeing, but after reading the narratives of the veterans you get a completely different picture.

Colonel Pedro Delgado left one of the rare Mexican accounts, and in it he describes how a Mexican bugler announced the approach of the Texians, and how he observed them advancing in a long line with their flag in the center.

One Texian account tells that the Mexican cannon was loaded for a sixth round but all the gunners were picked off by Texian rifles. Assuming that at least 2 rounds were loaded per minute, that means there were about three minutes of overall Mexican fire at the onrushing Texians. Not much, but in battle a minute lasted a long time, by most accounts.