Sam Houston Oak and Braches House
Adjacent to the 1842 Braches House stands a notable large, old live oak, known as the Runaway Scrape Oak or Sam Houston Oak. On March 13, 1836, General Sam Houston and his contingent of no more than 400 Texans camped under this oak at the start of their momentous retreat from Gonzales, an event which became known as the "Runaway Scrape."
Upon receiving the news of the fall of the Alamo, Sam Houston gave the order to set fire to the town of Gonzales (to prevent Mexican forces from benefitting from its shelter and resources) and retreat. Women and children left first, followed by a rear guard of citizen-troops who kept watch behind them. The townspeople and troops trudged eastward all night until stopping for a meal and a rest shortly before dawn near on the property of Bartholomew D. McClure.It was while camping here that from under the great oak Houston rallied his soldiers, declaring that those who saw fit to stay behind must suffer the consequences. He dispatched retreat orders to Fannin in Goliad and devised a strategy to lure Santa Anna into dividing his forces, then continued east to the Brazos and then south to engage Santa Anna in the decisive Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836—just 46 days after the fall of the Alamo.
Santa Anna is also said to have camped under this same oak with his men just three weeks after Sam Houston.
The Braches House was built during the Texas Republic era, in the 1840s. It was a large house for the time and its Greek Revival plantation style was unusual and impressive for the area. Known as a stage stop during the Republic period, the house is a local legend.