General Sam Houston

At the time of the Battle of the Alamo, General Sam Houston was feverishly trying to make an army out of a rag-tag militia. Houston used the time bought by the defenders of the Alamo to train his troops. After Santa Anna took the Alamo, he set his sites on Houston and the remainder of the Texas Army. Houston knew that he was outgunned and out manned, and he could only beat Santa Anna if conditions were perfect. As such, he chose to retreat before Santa Anna's advancing army. This threw the citizens of Texas into a panic, known as the Runaway Scrape. During the Runaway Scrape, the general population ran, trying to stay ahead of Santa Anna, and the retreating Texas army. Santa Anna chased Houston half way across the state of Texas. Everyone thought Houston a coward. The government, the population, and Houston's own men demanded that he take a stand, and stop retreating. Houston ignored the pressure, and stood by his convictions, and kept retreating. He wanted a fight on his terms, and he knew that he would recognize it when the moment was perfect. That moment came on the grassy plains near San Jacinto. Houston caught the Mexican Army napping in the open in an area surrounded by trees and high grass, with a river running behind the Mexicans. Houston made the decision that this would be the moment for him to make his stand against Santa Anna. He sent Deaf Smith with a small team behind Santa Anna to destroy the only bridge that would allow Santa Anna to escape. The Texans then crept as close as possible to the Mexican Army, and then attacked to the furious cry of "Remember the Alamo". The Mexican Army panicked, and was routed in 18 minutes. Houston Captured Santa Anna, and made deal. He exchanged Santa Anna's life for Texas. The Republic of Texas was born. Houston overcame overwhelming odds, and was a man of historic vision, leadership, and wisdom. Sam Houston, the Father of Texas.