The Munsons of Texas — an American Saga
Inset 12
SAM HOUSTON AT THE BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO [1]
Courtesy of the Texas State Library
After the smashing victories at the Alamo and Goliad, General Santa Anna was supremely confident that Texas had been saved and that he had only to sweep eastward to Anahuac and Nacogdoches to clear all Americans out of the province and resettle it with Mexican families. He gave orders to his several armies to execute all prisoners and men bearing arms, to burn all buildings, and to drive all Americans out of Texas. To achieve this his combined armies consisted of over 7,000 men. The Texian Army had varying numbers around 1,000, sometimes fewer.
After crossing the Brazos River at San Felipe de Austin on his retreat, General Sam Houston led his men to an encampment on the east side of Buffalo Bayou across from Harrisburg. The Mexican army reached the Brazos at Fort Bend, where a confident Santa Anna took command of an elite division and moved ahead of the army toward Anahuac, leaving General Filisola with about 5,000 men at the Brazos. When, on April 18, 1836, General Houston's scouts captured a Mexican courier and learned that Santa Anna was encamped on the east side of the San Jacinto River with a single division, Houston was elated. Suddenly he had achieved exactly the battle plan he had hoped for — to defeat and capture Santa Anna was his only hope of saving Texas.
On the morning of April 19, the Texian troops were paraded, and General Houston addressed them in perhaps the most eloquent and soul-stirring speech of his life. He concealed nothing. He told them where the Mexicans were and that Santa Anna was in command; that they would now cross the bayou and confront him, whether two or five to one; and he declared that the time had come when they would take the hazards and trust in the God of battle. He said that if any were present who shrank from this issue, they need not cross the bayou. He told them that some must perish, but that it was glorious to fall in such a cause; that their slogan would be "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!", and their motto "Victory or death", for there would be no chance of retreat. But, he said, "There will be no defeat. Victory is as certain as God reigns. I feel the inspiration in every fiber of my being. Trust in the God of the just and fear not!"
Every man able to walk clamored to cross the bayou, and sick men wept at being left. A draft had to be resorted to in order to secure sufficient men to guard the camp and to take care of the sick and the munitions of war.
In later years Judge Patrick Usher, who heard this speech, reported: "I had been impatient for two weeks - weary of wading through mud and water — often hungry and sometimes mad, but, while General Houston spoke and towered with constantly ascending eloquence and earnestness, I was reminded of the halo encircling the brow of our Savior; and in concluding, had he personally called upon me to jump into the whirlpool of Niagara as the only means of saving Texas, I would have made the leap."
The battle at San Jacinto took place at four-thirty in the
afternoon on April 21, 1836. Houston had 783 men. Santa Anna,
having received reinforcements the previous day, had about 1,500.
The battle lasted for eighteen minutes. The Texians lost two killed
and twenty-three wounded, six mortally. The Mexicans lost 630 dead,
208 wounded, and almost none escaped. Santa Anna was captured and
the story of the Munsons of Texas was changed forever.
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[1] This story is taken from John Henry Brown, History of Texas, Jenkins Publishing Company, Austin, Texas, partly quoted and partly paraphrased. This book is recommended reading for all who are interested in Texas history.
