A Nation Among Nations

The most difficult problem that Houston inherited from Lamar was how to recover the Texans still held in Mexican prison from the Santa Fé expedition. Worse, that number swelled with hostages taken during a quick Mexican invasion of Texas in 1842. Public temper in Texas forced Houston to mount a punitive expedition to the border, where they captured the towns of Laredo and Guerrero.

More than half the men disobeyed orders to return home and attempted instead to sack the Mexican town of Mier. They were themselves captured and plugged into prison with the rest.

Houston enlisted the English to intercede with Mexico to release the prisoners. He then instructed his minister in Washington to be certain that the Americans knew Texas was being aided by the British. Houston knew that the only permanent security for Texas lay in annexation to the United States, which, he also knew, was wary of British designs to secure their empire in North America.