After weeks of traveling eastward toward the U.S. border, It was obvious to most that General Sam Houston was trying to avoid engaging the enemy. There was a U.S. Army detachment posted at the Sabine River to protect the U.S. in case General Santa Anna tried to enter the U.S. in pursuit of Texans. As it appeared that the route had been planned, General Houston changed it on April 17, 1836 and ordered his little army southward, toward Harrisburg. He knew Santa Anna was at Harrisburg! And past experience had taught him that with Santa Anna’s supply lines being stretched so far, his army may not be that well equipped by then.

After a two day forced march, the Texas Army arrived near Harrisburg, which was left smoldering by Santa Anna’s army. A captured courier told of Santa Anna’s movements. Houston knew that if the Texas army was within range, Santa Anna would come for it.

On April 19, 1836, Houston ordered his 800 man army to cross Vincent’s Bridge and proceed to a point where the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou met. There, they set up camp.

In the meantime, President David G. Burnett, a harsh critic of General Houston, moved all important government activities to Galveston. He dispatched Texas Secretary of War, Thomas J. Rusk, to San Jacinto to confer with Houston. With both armies in such close proximity of each other, a battle was most certainly about to occur!

The next morning, April 20, Santa Anna’s army entered the area and immediately came under fire from the Twin Sisters cannons. While the volley against Santa Anna did little in destruction of the enemy, it filled the beleagered little army with inspiration to fight the larger battle that was soon to come. Approximately 1000 yards across a prairie from General Houston, the Mexican Army set up camp. Santa Anna considered the Texan Army to be trapped, with no way to flee. He was in no hurry to attack them. He felt he could do that at anytime. At this point, Santa Anna had about 1,000 men with him. He received an additional 500 reinforcements later that day, almost ensuring his victory over the disorganized-looking little army of Texas. The reinforcements had crossed Vince’s Bridge to reach the area.

On April 20th, at the suggestion of a Private John Coker, General Houston dispatched Erastus “Deaf” Smith and a small detachment, including Coker, to destroy Vince’s Bridge! The bridge was eight miles west of the Texas cantonment area. During their approach to the bridge, Smith’s force had to pass within 100 yards of the enemy, which they did successfully. Upon their arrival, they set about preparing the bridge for incineration. It was burned beyond use. Unlike the Alamo, there would be no more reinforcements for Santa Anna. There would also be no escape for either army!

On the morning of April 21, General Houston held a council of war. The majority of his officers wanted to wait until Santa Anna attacked them, but Houston didn’t want to give Santa Anna more time to better organize his army. He wanted to attack that day. It was at this time that Houston decided his little army of 800 would attack the much larger army. Houston planned to outflank Santa Anna’s army by using his cavalry, which included Colonel Juan Seguin and his company of Tejanos, though this weakened his main line. He received approval of the plan from Secretary of War, Thomas J. Rusk.

By 3:30 pm, Houston had assembled his army for the attack. Among them were the Kentucky Rifles, the only company in the Texas army that wore uniforms at San Jacinto. They were organized in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. During this assembly, General Houston made a speech to his troops, asking them to remember what happend at the Alamo and remember what happened at La Bahia (the name of a mission in Goliad where many Texas defenders were brutally executed). The Texans remembered.

Following the announcement by Deaf Smith, at approximately 4:30 pm, that Vince’s Bridge had been burned, General Houston ordered the Texas battle line to move forward. A fifer played “Will You Come to the Bower I Have Shaded for You”, a popular tune of the day.

General Houston, on horseback, led the infantry with the 2nd Volunteer Regiment of Colonel Sidney Sherman on his far left, on his near left was the 1st Volunteer Regiment of Colonel Edward Burleson. In the center, under the command of Major George Hockley, were the Twin Sisters, two cannons donated to Texas by the citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio. Supporting the Twin Sisters were four companies of infantry under Captain Henry Wax Karnes.

Santa Anna's army was taking its traditional siesta and to make matters even worse for Santa Anna, nobody had posted guards.

The Texans began crossing the slight ridge, in the tall grass, the cry "Remember the Alamo - Remember LaBahia (Goliad)" began to rise from the ranks. The Texans began firing only a few dozen yards from the enemy. The Mexican Army was confused by this unexpected attack! General Manuel Fernández Castrillón desperately tried to organize a defense, but was soon shot and killed. His men fled in panic and Santa Anna's defense quickly collapsed.

Still leading the infantry, General Houston's horse was shot out from under him. He and the horse fell, he rose and took another horse, only to have it shot also. Again, he grabbed a third horse. In the heat and confusion of combat, it is likely that he hadn't yet begun to feel the pain in his ankle, where a miniball had found its mark. But, almost as quickly as it had started - it was over! The gunfire began to subside as did the blasts of the cannon. The screaming of the wounded and the yells of the victors remained.

There before his almost disbelieving eyes, Houston saw seasoned combat veterans of the Mexican Army, surrendering to the Texans. Hundreds fell as they tried to fight the Texans. It had been eighteen minutes since he ordered the attack!

So immediate was the attack, so brutal, that the unsuspecting Mexican Army was too confused to make a stand. In those 18 minutes, the Texas army had killed 630 Mexican soldiers, wounded 208 and had taken 730 prisoners.

But, one of Houston's main concerns at this point, was the whereabouts of General Santa Anna. Without Santa Anna, there could be no formal surrender, therefore, no official victory.

In the confusion, much of Santa Anna's army fled to the surrounding wooded areas and marshes. The Texans would spend another day, rounding up prisoners of war.

On April 22, a Mexican soldier, a private, was captured as he hid in the brush near the former site of Vincent's Bridge. He was returned to camp and as he was being put with the hundreds of other prisoners, several soldiers began to bow to him and address him as "El Presidente" and "Generalisimo". This "private" was taken immediately to meet General Sam Houston, who was seated beneath an oak tree having his wounded ankle cared for. The "private" was indeed General (and Mexican president) Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna! Texas was now free, without question, it was free.

Word of General Houston's victory spread quickly along the lines of refugees caught up in the Runaway Scrape. A huge cheer went up from each group as the story was told and retold. Any question of Houston's honor, his courage and his intent were laid to rest among the people of Texas. He would be their first freely elected president of the new Republic of Texas. He lived out his life at his home, Steamboat House, in Huntsville, Texas.

San Jacinto Monument