As the Mexican army crossed the Rio Grande in early 1836, communities in the south-central portions of Texas began to leave the area. After the Alamo fell in March of 1836, Sam Houston dispatched couriers to carry the news across Texas. Frightened Texians used any means of transportation, or none at all, to leave, often without any preparation. The mass evacuation congealed as groups, including soldiers, helped one another toward the Sabine River (the border with Louisiana) or Galveston Island. On April 21, 1836, the retreating Texian army doubled back and surprised Santa Anna's forces while they were at rest, routing the Mexicans and essentially securing Texas's independence. The "Runaway Scrape, " as it came to be known, ended when news of the decisive battle at San Jacinto spread, announcing Texas's separation from Mexico. First-hand accounts by the Anglo-American colonists, Tejano residents, and enslaved people provide the backbone of the narrative, bolstered with original interpretation and analysis"--