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The
Battle of San Jacinto
April 21, 1836
by Murray Montgomery |  |
| Saturday,
April 21, 2001, will mark the 165th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto.
Because of the eventual consequences of this encounter, the battle is considered,
by many historians, as one of the most important in world history. |
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After spending weeks retreating from Mexican troops in an attempt to buy some
time to train his "rag-tag" army, General Sam Houston had finally found
the right place and time to fight the superior forces under the command of the
Mexican dictator, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The fierce confrontation
was destined to take place on a grass prairie near the Texas gulf coast; a place
we know today as Houston, Texas. |
The events that led
to the battle at San Jacinto actually began at Gonzales,
Texas, in March of 1836. General Houston had arrived at Gonzales just
in time to receive the news of the disaster at the Alamo.
He immediately made an attempt to form military units within the army. After he
had accomplished some sort of organization to his little militia, Houston decided
that he must retreat. He knew that his group would be no match for Santa Anna's
disciplined troops and his only hope was to withdraw and lure the Mexican forces
deeper into Texas. He hoped to lengthen their (Mexican) supply lines and make
it difficult for them to move rapidly.
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| As the Texas army
retreated east and sometimes northeast in a zigzag sort of way, many of the soldiers
became disgruntled and were tired of running-some deserted, most of them just
wanted to fight. But, "General Sam" had a plan. A plan he shared with no one.
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When the Texans arrived at the Colorado River, Sam Houston's army was at
its peak strength. It is estimated that he had anywhere from 1000 to 1500 men
at this time, but to the chagrin of many of his soldiers and Texas government
officials, he continued to retreat.
Everyone felt sure that Houston
would make his stand at the Colorado and when he did not, some thought that he
should be relieved of his command and indeed this might have happened if there
had been a qualified replacement. Sam Houston overcame these difficulties in his
same determined way and the exhausted little army moved on toward the plain at
San Jacinto.
When the Texas army reached the Brazos River, General
Houston turned it toward the north and Groce's Landing. Again, the men
started the angry talk about their commander. They were tired of running! Heavy
rain was constant and having to trudge through the mud day after day was beginning
to take its toll. |
While
camped at Groce's, Houston continued to drill and train his men. He began to mold
his volunteers into a fighting unit. Jared Groce had a fine plantation
and he gave all he could to the Texans, including lead to make ammunition. He
also gave them vegetables from his garden as well as, a supply of meat from his
vast herd of cattle. It was at this time that the Texans received another; much
needed gift - two cannons from the citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio. They were
promptly named, "Twin
Sisters."
After playing his game of "cat and mouse" with the
Mexican army for more than a month, Sam Houston was finally ready to spring his
trap. Although the odds still favored the Mexicans, Houston must have felt that
this was the best chance he had to secure a victory and better yet, possibly capture
Santa Anna. At approximately 4:30 p.m. on April 21, 1836, some 800 Texans began
their assault against 1300 to 1400 Mexican soldiers. The book Battles of Texas,
describes the Texans' charge as follows: "Incredibly the Texans reached within
two hundred yards of the Mexican barricade before they were seen .... The "Twin
Sisters." roared and muskets barked and men cursed furiously and suddenly
all was bedlam."
General Sam Houston had two horses shot out from under
him during the battle. He was shot through the ankle. Santa Anna grabbed a horse
from one of his men and fled. The Mexican army was caught completely off-guard
and the Battle of San Jacinto was over in less than 18 minutes.
The battle
had been won, but the killing continued. Thirsty for revenge, emotions ran wild
among the Texans. They shot, clubbed, and stabbed the Mexicans as they attempted
to escape. Some of the enemy soldiers were even scalped, before the Texas army
officers finally restrained their men. It has been estimated that 650 Mexicans
were killed and 700 captured. General Santa Anna was taken captive the next day.
The Alamo and Goliad
had been avenged. Texas independence was secured.
Copyright Murray Montgomery
Lone Star Diary
April, 2001 Column |
Battle
of San Jacinto - Related ArticlesBattle
of San Jacinto by Archie P. McDonald ("All Things Historical")San
Jacinto Day by Archie P. McDonald ("All Things Historical"
)
News of the fall of the Alamo on March 6, 1836, and the execution of
Texians captured at Goliad three weeks later, produced the terrible Runaway Scrape,
a mad flight of refugees who scrambled eastward to escape a similar fate at the
hand of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s armies. In the midst of these troubles,
one man, Sam Houston, rode west...Baker
Talk by Mike
Cox ("Texas Tales")
"In modern times, battles begin with
precision air strikes. In the 19th century, battles began with stirring speeches.
Sometime in the early 1900s, the Beeville Picayune published the talk Captain
Mosley Baker supposedly gave to the men of his company at San Jacinto on April
21, 1836..."
The
Top Ten Facts About The Construction of The San Jacinto Monument San
Jacinto Monument by Mike Cox ("Texas
Tales")
"Most people think the towering star-topped limestone monument, built during
the Texas Centennial in 1936, is the only San Jacinto monument. Actually, it’s
only the biggest."Alfonso
(Alphonso) Steele - Last Texas survivor of the battle of San Jacinto, and
a State Park dedicated to himThe
Last Hero by Bob Bowman ("All Things Historical" )
The
last surviving veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, lies in
an almost forgotten cemetery in deep East TexasThe
Treaty of Velasco by Archie P. McDonald ("All Things Historical"
)
General Sam Houston, and later Interim President David G. Burnett, chose
negotiation instead of revenge for the massacres at the Alamo and Goliad. Twin
Sisters by Mike Cox ("Texas Tales")
The most famous pieces
of artillery in Texas history
Survivor's Account of the Goliad Massacre by Murray Montgomery ("Lone
Star Diary")
"There is a day in Texas history that quite possibly
could be considered one of the most tragic. On that day, March 27, 1836, General
Santa Anna ordered the execution of some 380 Texas army soldiers - they were prisoners
of war. ....." More
Texas History Columns |
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