Chapter Seven: French Ambitions

Page 1 of 3

The Texas American immigrant separatists, known simply as the Separatist Army, were the newspapers’ new designation for the Texas rebellion—and the world’s media quickly adopted it.

François Guizot and Adolphe Thiers, two giants of French politics, both believed that this was an excellent opportunity for France to return to North America.

After all, the Mexicans were desperately poor and probably could not repay their interest. France could exploit Mexico’s debts, demand Texas in settlement, establish a base in the Gulf of Mexico, and build a second France overseas. It was no impossible dream.

They did not consider the idea fanciful. They understood perfectly well that Mexico lacked the national strength to sustain Santa Anna’s military campaign.

Mexico was a vast country, yet its annual revenue amounted to only eighteen million pesos—less than a tenth of France’s.

By French estimates, Mexico’s funds would be exhausted within three months at most, and that was assuming the country did not increase its military expenditure.

Intelligence reports also indicated that the Texas Separatist Army had received American support.

Mexican training and weaponry were both woefully backward. A small, well-organized force of American troops entering Texas would be enough to rout the Mexicans completely.

As for opposition to the Americans, the British might make the loudest protests, but they would never send troops directly to Texas. Sooner or later, the war’s opposing sides would become the United States and Mexico.

And the United States was vastly stronger than Mexico. Mexican defeat was only a matter of time.

If the Mexicans did not wish to accept that fate, they would have no choice but to borrow from France—and France was more than willing to help the unfortunate people.

After all, they were all Catholic brothers. Surely France’s reputation as the foremost devoted son of the Catholic faith had not been earned for nothing.

Once the war ended, France would use the matter of Mexico’s debts as a pretext to demand Texas.

Mexico would thereby clear its debts and gain French protection: a perfect arrangement for everyone.

As long as France held Texas, the United States would be unable to continue its westward expansion. The Mexicans could then sleep soundly.

Guizot and Thiers were still dreaming of France’s glorious future in North America when a clerk on duty at the cabinet came to rouse them.

“Mr. Rothschild and the others have arrived...”

To carry out their charitable work, France needed the most professional bankers available.

On a plain north of San Antonio, a massacre was taking place.

Page 2 of 3

The combatants were fifteen hundred Mexican cavalrymen under Santa Anna and the two hundred and seventy battered survivors of Colonel Manning’s Separatist force.

From the moment the battle began, its outcome had already been decided.

At first, Manning and his men failed to realize that the approaching force was Mexican. They mistook it for reinforcements from Houston and allowed the cavalry to close to within less than a hundred yards.

By then, it was too late to form a hollow square—or to flee.

At that moment, Colonel Manning abandoned all thought and simply let the cavalry crush his formation like dead branches beneath an axe.

Scattered fugitives could not escape a cavalry pursuit. The battle was over in no time.

Santa Anna took enormous pleasure in watching the cavalry hunt down the fleeing soldiers. He loved the sight of blood spraying in every direction and shouted excitedly:

“Kill them all! That’s it, lads! God is with us!”

Gabrentz and Stadion, however, had no interest in such a one-sided engagement. Santa Anna’s adjutant reminded him:

“The two military observers are still here. We ought to observe the etiquette expected of gentlemen.”

Only then did Santa Anna realize that if he continued slaughtering the enemy, he would surely be regarded as a barbarian. He hurriedly gave an order.

“Do not harm those who surrender! Quickly—stop them! No more killing!”

Several officers spurred their horses into the fray. The soldiers had already been seized by bloodlust, and anyone would become excited while riding down fleeing prey.

By the time the officers managed to restrain the frenzied cavalrymen, only a dozen or so members of the Separatist Army remained alive. Colonel Manning, who had already abandoned all thought, was among them.

Standing motionless in his officer’s uniform, Colonel Manning was simply ignored by the cavalry. It was the fleeing soldiers and volunteers who had aroused their brutality.

A Mexican general hurried to Santa Anna’s horse, removed his hat, and bowed.

“General, this is your victory—a magnificent victory. We have captured seventeen men, including a colonel who appears to be their commander, as well as three hundred rifles.”

Colonel Manning was the highest-ranking officer captured by the Mexican army since the war began.

Santa Anna was immensely pleased. He had intended to humiliate the Separatist officer, but the sight before him proved deeply disappointing. The man seemed to have gone mad.

Page 3 of 3

The fighting in the direction of the town had also ended. Santa Anna ordered his men to put out the fires and gather the displaced refugees, then placed all the blame for the arson squarely on the Separatist Army.

Hundreds of townspeople stared at their homes, now reduced to ruins. Many wept so bitterly that they could not speak. None of them had the slightest interest in Santa Anna’s speech shifting the blame.

“Your Excellency, you ought to show mercy.”

Inwardly, Gabrentz was already cursing. How had this man ever become Mexico’s ruler? Did he possess not the slightest political talent?

In fact, Santa Anna was the first man in the Americas to fire artillery at a presidential palace. He had also founded an entire school of thought known as the “house-demolition school”—that is, every coup had to include the bombing of the presidential palace, forcing the president to build himself a new residence again and again.

The school had spread far and wide, and all of Latin America counted itself among its followers.

Dictators who rose to power through military coups generally had very limited political skills.

Nevertheless, with Austrian military observers present, Santa Anna had no choice but to exercise a degree of restraint.

To preserve the reputation of the Mexican army, he ordered his soldiers to erect temporary tents for the townspeople and distributed some of the military provisions he had seized among the town’s civilians and troops.

Santa Anna’s actions won him a measure of public support, but they infuriated the quartermaster. Supplies from the rear had yet to arrive, and the only reason the Mexican army had been eating and drinking so well was that it had plundered the possessions of the rebels who had betrayed Mexico.

Now Santa Anna was refusing to let his troops pillage, all to preserve his image. The Alamo had resisted every assault, and Goliad possessed food and supplies but no money. The situation was becoming extremely difficult.

On March 9, 1836, the sixteen-pound heavy siege gun Santa Anna had been awaiting finally arrived.

Santa Anna was ecstatic. He raised his voice and shouted, “I’m going to kill every last one of those Americans!”

Gabrentz and Stadion felt that he was beyond saving. Killing all the Americans would accomplish nothing; it would only turn them into heroes.

Franz understood this perfectly. He had already instructed Archbishop Rauscher to do everything possible to persuade the defenders of the Alamo to surrender.

Before Gabrentz and Stadion had departed for Mexico, they had both been told to secure the surrender of as many Texans as possible—especially the defenders of San Antonio, now known as the Alamo garrison.

Stadion spoke first.

“Your Excellency, you should send the prisoners to persuade the Alamo’s defenders to surrender. If they yield, needless bloodshed can be avoided, and your prestige will be enhanced.”

Santa Anna immediately realized that he had lost his composure. He was the Napoleon of North America, after all. Surely he had to combine kindness with authority.

“Send the prisoners to tell the defenders of the Alamo to surrender.”