Susanna Dickinson Rides in on Her Not-So-Mighty Steed (Spoiler Alert: It Wasn't a Steed)
Howdy, history buffs and lovers of Texan lore! Today we're saddling up to chat about Susanna Dickinson, a woman who brought news to General Sam Houston that would make a lesser man spit out his Lone Star chew.
The Alamo? More Like "Adios, Alamo!"
Susanna, bless her heart, was one of the few folks to escape the Alamo after things went south for the Texan defenders. Now, by "south," I don't mean they waltzed down to Mexico for a fiesta. Let's just say the Alamo experience wasn't exactly a five-star review on TripAdvisor.
Santa Anna, the Mexican general, wasn't exactly known for his tea parties, and the Alamo defenders, well, let's just say they weren't coming home to a victory parade.
Breaking the News: Hold My Bonnet!
So, Susanna, along with a few others, hightailed it out of there, eventually reaching Sam Houston with news that could curdle milk at a rodeo. Now, you gotta picture this: Sam Houston, a war hero with a mane of hair that would make a lion jealous, is strategizing with his troops when BAM! Susanna Dickinson rolls up, not on a majestic stallion, mind you, but probably on a borrowed mule or maybe even by foot (girl power!).
She spills the beans about the Alamo, the Texan losses, and the ferocity of Santa Anna's army. Let me tell you, the mood probably went lighter than a ten-gallon hat full of lead.
The "Runaway Scrape": Houston Does the Tactical Boogaloo
Here's where things get interesting. Instead of the usual "hold the line" bravado, Houston does something unexpected. He pulls a tactical boogaloo and orders a full retreat – a mass exodus known as the "Runaway Scrape."
Texans, along with their cattle and chickens (because, priorities!), hightailed it east faster than a jackrabbit on a hot tin roof. Imagine the scene: families piled high in wagons, livestock stampeding, all because a brave woman brought news that hit harder than a rattlesnake strike.
Houston's Master Plan (Spoiler Alert: It Worked)
Now, some folks might have called Houston a yellowbelly for retreating. But hold your horses! Here's the thing: Susanna's news wasn't just bad, it was strategic intel. Houston knew a head-on fight with Santa Anna then would be a disaster. By retreating, he kept his army alive to fight another day.
And fight they did! A few months later, at the Battle of San Jacinto, Houston and his scrappy Texans crushed Santa Anna's army, yelling "Remember the Alamo!" So, you see, Susanna's news, while scary as a sidewinder in your chaps, ended up being a crucial turning point in the Texas Revolution.
So next time you're in Texas, raise a glass to Susanna Dickinson, the woman who brought the bad news that ultimately led to the good kind of victory. She might not have ridden in on a white horse, but she sure did change the course of Texan history!
