Col. O. M. Roberts, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 11.1, Texas
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[145] Santa Ana, who had declared in favor of the Mexican constitution of 1824. It was exhibited in the fall of 1835, when the Texas citizens stormed and took San Antonio, then defended by General Cos, who had proclaimed that Texas should be content with any government that the Mexicans established. It was exhibited at the Alamo, when about 180 Texans, surrounded by Santa Ana's army, fought until there was only a woman and her child (Mrs. Dickinson) left alive in the fort to tell how bravely they had all fought to the death. It was exhibited at San Jacinto, where Gen. Sam Houston's small force, not half of that of the fortified enemy under Santa Ana, charged with the war cry, ‘Remember the Alamo!’ broke the enemy's line and put them to rout in twenty minutes. Although the general was wounded in the charge, the line rushed on, every man knowing what to do without further orders. It was exhibited at Monterey in the Mexican war, where the Texas soldiers, aided by volunteers from other States, entered the town, fought through the houses, from the housetops, through the streets, and drove the Mexicans into the grand plaza, when the Texans had to be called off to allow General Taylor to shell the huddled forces of the enemy, which soon brought out the white flag of surrender.

All these events gave martial education; education to those at home who beard and read and were inspired; education that taught the Texas soldier how to fight in the battles of the great war between the States. How well they practiced their lesson was reported by every officer who commanded them. Whoever led them in two or three hard battles secured promotion, so that the advancement of their commanders was a public compliment to the Texas soldiers prowess in arms.

The Texas soldiers in line of battle, with their attention intensely alive to what they were doing and how they should act, were cool enough and intelligent enough to pass the word along the whole line like an electric current;