Sam
Houston's finest hour.... Saturday, April 21, 2007, marked the 171st anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto. Because of the eventual
consequences of this victory, the
battle is considered one of the most important in world history.
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
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. According to Seymour V. Connor in his article
that appears in the book, Battles of Texas: “The First
Regiment of the Volunteer Army of Texas was formed on March 12,
with Edward Burleson in command as colonel....” After
he had accomplished some sort of organization to his little army,
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. 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 River
and when he did not, some thought that he would 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 coastal plain at San Jacinto. When
the Texas army reached the Brazos River, General Houston turned
them toward the north and Groce’s Landing. Again, the men
started to talk with anger 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. They
were supplied with lead to make ammunition, and he also gave them
vegetables from his garden as well as 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 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. 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.
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