Having been raised in California, I'm much more familiar with the history of Sutter's Mill and the Gold Rush of '49, but I have read the story of The Yellow Rose of Texas. Been awhile, though, so I'm sketchy on the details.
Sam Houston was able to rush Santa Anna’s troops because El Generalissimo was ‘distracted’ by a mulatto slave on the farm he commandeered and he slept through Houston’s charge - as did his men, on the inviolable 2-4p siesta, even though Santa Anna’s officers begged him to wake up and deploy the troops.
The mulatto slave had the song ‘The Yellow Rose’ penned about her. Austin has a famous strip club by the same name, not sure
if any of the employees know the history :)