Recollections of the Runaway Scrape
Thursday, March 17, 1836, began like many spring days in Texas with “fine, mild weather” according to William Fairfax Gray, one of the new Republic of Texas’s first chroniclers. The mildness of the day quickly disappeared, however, as events of the Texas Revolution brought upheaval to those attending to the business of forming a new government at the Convention of 1836 in Washington, Texas.
The Alamo has now fallen, and the state of the country is becoming every day more and more gloomy. In fact, they begin now to feel that they are hourly exposed to attack and capture, and, as on the approach of death, they begin to lay aside their selfish schemes, and to think of futurity. An invaded, unarmed, unprovisioned country, without an army to oppose the invaders, and without money to raise one, now presents itself to their hitherto besotted and blinded minds, and the awful cry has been heard from the midst of their assembly, “What shall we do to be saved?”
Gray observed correctly that Mexican army forces were headed in the direction of the Washington Convention. So…what did they do? How would they be saved? Having elected leadership for their provisional government the day before, convention delegates did have at least one answer to Gray’s question. They adjourned and dispersed, joining many families across Texas in what has now become known as the Runaway Scrape.
A constant stream of women and children, and some men, with wagons, carts and pack mules, are rushing across the Brazos night and day. The families of this place, and storekeepers, are packing up and moving…. The pots, pans, crockeryware, etc., and some bedding, were left, and only the articles more easily moved were taken.
The Runaway Scrape and retreat of the provisional government was full of many hardships. Those in power had to find means to continue the work of government while on the road.
The citizens of Texas not in the government relied on limited news and rumors (often proving false) to guide their retreat. The panic and fear associated with this reality was only made worse by limited modes of transportation, bad weather, and the spread of disease. A number of the most vulnerable succumbed to the elements, including the young son of Mary Rabb, an early settler in Austin’s Colony.
“We was all drove out of ouer [sic] houses with ouer [sic] little ones to suffer with cold and hungry … little Lorenzo not three months old when we started died on the road (on the 22 of may).”
The Runaway Scrape continued until news of the victory at the Battle of San Jacinto. Though the news was not immediately believed, fleeing families were eventually persuaded of its veracity and slowly turned around to rebuild their homes and lives. The Rabb family was able to return to their home following the Texan victory at San Jacinto. From La Grange they moved to Fayette County, and then to Barton Springs near Austin, where they settled permanently. Active in the Methodist Church, the couple helped to finance and organize Rutersville College, a precursor of Southwestern University.
William Gray’s diary, Mary Ann Glasscock’s pitcher, David Burnet’s traveling desk, and Mary Rabb’s diary are all currently on display in the Texas History Galleries at the Bullock Texas State History Museum.
