Vince's Bridge
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Vince’s Bridge was built and owned by Allen Vince. This bridge over Sims Bayou was the only path of retreat open to the Mexican Army. There is a mistaken belief that General Sam Houston suggested the destruction of Vince's Bridge. This is incorrect as demonstrated by the sworn testimony of Young Perry Alsbury. The idea was first advanced by John Coker, a private in the cavalry corps, as he was talking with a group of his comrades about reinforcements reaching the enemy. He remarked that the destruction of the bridge over Simm's Bayou, some eight miles west of camp, would halt the Mexican advance. All agreed that the idea was a wise one, and Deaf Smith was requested to place the idea before General Sam Houston. The general thought the suggestion was a good one and ordered Deaf Smith to select his men, evade the enemy, and proceed to the crossing and destroy the bridge. The structure was not chopped down, as mistakenly stated by some historians, but was instead burned. A larger force would have been required to cut down the massive and lengthy structure in so short a time. Antonio López de Santa Anna himself states that in his attempt to escape, his flight was halted when he found the bridge over the bayou was burned. Pvt. John Coker should have credit for suggesting the burning of Vince's Bridge. Santa Anna, in his attempted escape, came to a burned bridge on what he thought was the headwaters of Buffalo Bayou, and his secretary thought it was on the Brazos. Antonio López de Santa Anna was captured after being delayed by the burned structure. The strategic importance of Vince's Bridge is that it’s destruction prevented reinforcements from reaching Antonio López de Santa Anna and it kept news of his defeat from General Vicente Filisola, his second-in-command, and also from General José de Urrea, who had a division on the west bank of the Brazos River. The escape of nearly all of the Mexican survivors was prevented. And after the destruction of the bridge was announced to the Texans just before the battle they knew that there was no chance for retreat for either army.
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