Texas Forces Win at San Jacinto

On April 21, 1836, Texas forces won the battle of San Jacinto, the concluding military event of the Texas Revolution.  Facing General Santa Anna’s Mexican army of some 1,200 men encamped in what is now southeastern Harris County, General Sam Houston disposed his forces in battle order about 3:30 p.m., during siesta time.  The Texans’ movements were screened by trees and the rising ground, and evidently Santa Anna had no lookouts posted.  The Texan line sprang forward on the run with the cries “Remember the Alamo!” and “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 [The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association].

For more information about this decisive battle, go to: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qes04;  http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/batsanjacinto.htm; https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/treasures/republic/san-jacinto.html; http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/The_Battle/; and http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/gks04.