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SAN JACINTO, BATTLE OF. The battle of San
Jacinto was the concluding military event of the Texas
Revolution.qv On March
13, 1836, the revolutionary army at Gonzales began to
retreat eastward. It crossed the Colorado River on March
17 and camped near present Columbia on March 20,
recruiting and reinforcements having increased its size
to 1,200 men. Sam Houston'sqv scouts reported Mexican
troops west of the Colorado to number 1,325. On March 25
the Texans learned of James W. Fannin'sqv defeat at Goliad
(see GOLIAD CAMPAIGN OF 1836), and many of the
men left the army to join their families on the Runaway
Scrape.qv Sam Houston
led his troops to San Felipe de Austin by March 28 and
by March 30 to the Jared E. Groceqv plantation on the Brazos
River, where they camped and drilled for a fortnight. Ad
interim President David G. Burnetqv ordered Houston to stop his
retreat; Secretary of War Thomas J. Ruskqv urged him to take a more
decisive course. Antonio López de Santa Annaqv decided to take possession
of the Texas coast and seaports. With that object in
view he crossed the Brazos River at present Richmond on
April 11 and on April 15, with some 700 men, arrived at
Harrisburg. He burned Harrisburg and started in pursuit
of the Texas government at New Washington or Morgan's
Point, where he arrived on April 19 to find that the
government had fled to Galveston. The Mexican general
then set out for Anahuac by way of Lynchburg. Meanwhile,
the Texans, on April 11, received the Twin Sistersqv and with the cannon as
extra fortification crossed the Brazos River on the
Yellow Stoneqv
and on April 16 reached Spring Creek in present Harris
County. On April 17, to the gratification of his men,
Houston took the road to Harrisburg instead of the road
to Louisiana and on April 18 reached White Oak Bayou at
a site within the present city limits of Houston. There
he learned that Santa Anna had gone down the west side
of the bayou and the San Jacinto River, crossing by a
bridge over Vince's Bayou. The Mexicans would have to
cross the same bridge to return.
Viewing this strategic situation on the morning of
April 19, Houston told his troops that it looked as if
they would soon get action and admonished them to
remember the massacres at San Antonio and at Goliad. On
the evening of April 19 his forces crossed Buffalo Bayou
to the west side 2˝ miles below Harrisburg. Some 248
men, mostly sick and ineffective, were left with the
baggage at the camp opposite Harrisburg. The march was
continued until midnight. At dawn on April 20 the Texans
resumed their trek down the bayou and at Lynch's
Ferryqv captured a boat
laden with supplies for Santa Anna. They then drew back
about a mile on the Harrisburg road and encamped in a
skirt of timber protected by a rising ground. That
afternoon Sidney Shermanqv with a small detachment of
cavalry engaged the enemy infantry, almost bringing on a
general action. In the clash Olwyns J. Trask was
mortally wounded, one other Texan was wounded, and
several horses were killed. Mirabeau B. Lamar,qv a private, so distinguished
himself that on the next day he was placed in command of
the cavalry. Santa Anna made camp under the high ground
overlooking a marsh about three-fourths of a mile from
the Texas camp and threw up breastworks of trunks,
baggage, packsaddles, and other equipment. Both sides
prepared for the conflict. On Thursday morning, April
21, the Texans were eager to attack. About nine o'clock
they learned that Martín Perfecto de Cosqv had crossed Vince's bridge
with about 540 troops and had swelled the enemy forces
to about 1,200. Houston ordered Erastus (Deaf)
Smithqv to destroy the
bridge and prevent further enemy reinforcements. The
move would prevent the retreat of either the Texans or
the Mexicans towards Harrisburg.
Shortly before noon, Houston held a council of war
with Edward Burleson, Sidney Sherman Henry W. Millard,
Alexander Somervell, Joseph L. Bennett, and Lysander
Wells.qv Two of the
officers suggested attacking the enemy in his position;
the others favored waiting Santa Anna's attack. Houston
withheld his own views at the council but later, after
having formed his plan of battle had it approved by
Rusk. Houston disposed his forces in battle order about
3:30 in the afternoon while all was quiet on the Mexican
side during the afternoon siesta. The Texans' movements
were screened by trees and the rising ground, and
evidently Santa Anna had no lookouts posted. The battle
line was formed with Edward Burleson's regiment in the
center, Sherman's on the left wing, the artillery under
George W. Hockleyqv on
Burleson's right, the infantry under Henry Millard on
the right of the artillery, and the cavalry under Lamar
on the extreme right. The Twin Sisters were wheeled into
position, and the whole line, led by Sherman's men,
sprang forward on the run with the cry, "Remember the
Alamo!" "Remember Goliad!" The battle lasted but
eighteen minutes. According to Houston's official
report, the casualties were 630 Mexicans killed and 730
taken prisoner. Against this, only nine of the 910
Texans were killed or mortally wounded and thirty were
wounded less seriously. Houston's ankle was shattered by
a rifle ball. The Texans captured a large supply of
muskets, pistols, sabers, mules, horses, provisions,
clothing, tents, and $12,000 in silver. Santa Anna
disappeared during the battle and search parties were
sent out on the morning of the 22. The party consisted
of James A. Sylvester, Washington H. Secrest, Sion R.
Bostick,qv and a Mr.
Cole discovered Santa Anna hiding in the grass. He was
dirty and wet and was dressed as a common soldier. The
search party did not recognize him until he was
addressed as "el presidente" by other Mexican prisoners.
One of the eight inscriptions on the exterior base of
the San Jacinto Monumentqv reads: "Measured by its
results, San Jacinto was one of the decisive battles of
the world. The freedom of Texas from Mexico won here led
to annexationqv and to
the Mexican War,qv
resulting in the acquisition by the United States of the
states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada,
California, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming,
Kansas, and Oklahoma. Almost one-third of the present
area of the American nation, nearly a million square
miles of territory, changed sovereignty."
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Stephen L. Hardin, Texian Iliad: A
Military History of the Texas Revolution (Austin:
University of Texas Press, 1994). James W. Pohl, The
Battle of San Jacinto (Austin: Texas State
Historical Association, 1989). "Reminiscences of Mrs.
Dilue Harris," Quarterly of the Texas State
Historical Association 4, 7 (October 1900, January
1901, January 1904). Amelia W. Williams and Eugene C.
Barker, eds., The Writings of Sam Houston,
1813-1863 (8 vols., Austin: University of Texas
Press, 1938-43; rpt., Austin and New York: Pemberton
Press, 1970).
L. W. Kemp |
