March 2nd, 1836, James Grant falls under Mexican lances at Agua Dulce. March 3rd, 1836, 200 miles to the northeast, Independence is declared at Washington-on-the-Brazos. The leading Federalist on the Texian side been killed and his Matamoras Expedition wiped out. It was now a War of Independence.
100 miles to the north, the Alamo fell on March 6th. Over the next five days a sort of hiatus with respect to the Mexican Army occurs, at least with regards to offensive operations. Meanwhile five more Mexican generals and their troops and artillery join Santa Anna in San Antonio, and south of Goliad General Jose de Urrea's forces swell from 500 to 1,500 effectives.
The Tejano irregulars were active during that time. Loyalist vaquero Carlos de la Garza advanced against Refugio with as many as 100 men and plunders the town amid its terrified inhabitants. The fear among the American settlers in and around Refugio was that if they stayed, capture by the Mexican Army was inevitable, but if they attempted to flee they would have to run a gauntlet of Loyalist Tejanos along the road.
In context it becomes understandable why Placido Benavides actually took his family and left Texas for Louisiana. Benavides' Tejano band of followers had been decimated in the ambush at Augua Dulce, his enemy and former neighbor Carlos de la Garza now had the upper hand.
Birdwatcher
