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| 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. |
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.
© Murray
Montgomery
Lone Star Diary
April, 2001 Column
Related
Topics: Texas | Columns
|
Battle
of San Jacinto - Related ArticlesThe
Battle of San Jacinto by Jeffery Robenalt
In eighteen glorious minutes,
Sam Houston and his fellow Texans won a remarkable victory, establishing Texas
as an independent republic and opening the door for United States expansion southwest
to the Rio Grande and all the way west to the Pacific Ocean.Battle
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 TexasA
Frenchman at San Jacinto by Bob Bowman
Charles Cronea, a Jean Lafitte
pirate who fought at the Battle of San Jacinto.
The
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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