page_title: Runaway Scrape
section_title: Burning of Harrisburg and the crucial crossroads
hierarchical_section_title: Runaway Scrape / Fall of the Alamo, and the runaway flight: March – April 1836 / Burning of Harrisburg and the crucial crossroads
caption_attribution_description: English: "Twin Sisters", cannons used in the Battle of San Jacinto, Texas, 1836
context_page_description: The Runaway Scrape events took place mainly between September 1835 and April 1836, and were the evacuations by Texas residents fleeing the Mexican Army of Operations during the Texas Revolution, from the Battle of the Alamo through the decisive Battle of San Jacinto. The ad interim government of the new Republic of Texas and much of the civilian population fled eastward ahead of the Mexican forces. The conflict arose after Antonio López de Santa Anna abrogated the 1824 constitution of Mexico and established martial law in Coahuila y Tejas. The Texians resisted and declared their independence. It was Sam Houston's responsibility, as the appointed commander-in-chief of the Provisional Army of Texas, to recruit and train a military force to defend the population against troops led by Santa Anna.
  Residents on the Gulf Coast and at San Antonio de Béxar began evacuating in January upon learning of the Mexican army's troop movements into their area, an event that was ultimately replayed across Texas. During early skirmishes, some Texian soldiers surrendered, believing that they would become prisoners of war — but Santa Anna demanded their executions.
context_section_description: The ad interim government departed Harrisburg on the steamboat Cayuga for New Washington ahead of Santa Anna's April 15 arrival, thwarting his plans to eliminate the entire government of the Republic of Texas. Three printers still at work on the Telegraph and Texas Register told the Mexican army that everyone in the government had already left, and  Santa Anna responded by having the printers arrested and the printing presses tossed into Buffalo Bayou. After days of looting and seeking out information about the government, Santa Anna ordered the town burned on April 18. He later tried to place the blame for the destruction on Houston.
  Before the Texian army left Bernardo Plantation, they welcomed the arrival of two cannons cast in November 1835 by Greenwood and Webb in Cincinnati, Ohio, funded entirely by the people of that city as a donation to the Texas Revolution. The idea had arisen as a suggestion from Robert F. Lytle, one of the businessmen who helped fund Sherman's Kentucky Riflemen. Arriving in New Orleans after a lengthy trip from Ohio on the Mississippi River, the cannons were transported to the Gulf Coast aboard the Pennsylvania schooner. The cannons were nicknamed the "Twin Sisters", perhaps in honor of the twins Elizabeth and Eleanor Rice traveling aboard the Pennsylvania, who were to present the cannons upon their arrival at Galveston in April 1836. At Galveston, Leander Smith had the responsibility of transporting the cannons from Harrisburg to Bernardo Plantation in Waller County. Along the way, Smith recruited 35 men into the army. Lieutenant Colonel James Neill was put in charge of the cannons once they arrived in camp.
  Martin and Baker abandoned the river crossings on April 14 and re-joined Houston's army which had marched from Bernardo to the Charles Donoho Plantation near present-day Hempstead in Waller County. As news spread of the Mexican army's movements, residents of Nacogdoches and San Augustine began to flee east towards the Sabine River.  After refusals to continue with the army, Martin was ordered by Houston to accompany displaced families on their flight eastward. Hundreds of soldiers left the army to help their families. The main army parted from the refugees at this point, and acting Secretary of War David Thomas advised Houston to move southward to secure Galveston Bay. Houston, however, was getting conflicting advice from the cabinet members. President Burnet had sent Secretary of State Carson to Louisiana in hopes of getting the United States army and individual state militias involved in the Texas fight for independence. While he attempted to secure such involvement, Carson sent a dispatch to Houston on April 14 advising him to retreat all the way to the Louisiana-Texas border on the Sabine River, and bide his time before engaging the Mexican army.
  The Texian army camped west of present-day Tomball on April 15, at Sam McCarley's homestead. They departed the next morning and 3 miles (4.8 km) east reached a crucial crossroads. One road led east to Nacogdoches and eventually the Sabine River and Louisiana, while the other road led southeast to Harrisburg. The army was concerned that Houston would continue the eastward retreat. Although Houston discussed his decision with no one, he led the army down the southeast road. Rusk ordered that a small group of volunteers be split from the army to secure Robbins's Ferry on the Trinity River. Houston's troops stopped overnight on April 16 at the home of Matthew Burnet, and the next morning continued marching towards Harrisburg, 25 miles (40 km) southeast.
  With the refugee families being accorded a military escort eastward and Houston marching southeast, the retreat of the Provisional Army of Texas was over.  On the march which would lead to San Jacinto, moving the heavy artillery across rain-soaked terrain slowed down the army's progress. The army had previously been assisted in moving the Twin Sisters with oxen borrowed from refugee Pamela Mann when she believed the army was fleeing towards Nacogdoches. When she learned the army was headed toward
caption: Replicas of the Twin Sisters cannons at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
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