San Jacinto, Battle of

History

In 1835, President Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón, a veteran of the Mexican War of Independence, abolished the Constitution of 1824, disbanded the congress, and assumed dictatorial powers. Anglo settlers generally opposed this move, as did a number of the Tejanos. Hostilities broke out in October 1835 when rebels captured the Mexican positions at La Bahía and San Antonio de Béxar. The rebels forced Mexican troops out of the state, declared their independence, and proceeded to form a provisional government. As news of the outbreak spread, American volunteers began to arrive, mostly from the south, to fight for Texas independence with the long-term motive of seeing it enter the Union as a new state where slavery would be legal.

Responding to the rebellion, in early 1836 Santa Anna ordered some 6,100 troops with 20 artillery pieces to subjugate the province, divided into two columns. General José Urrea led one force north through the coastal region, while Santa Anna took command of the other column aimed at restoring Mexican authority in San Antonio de Béxar and the surrounding area. On March 6, following a 13-day siege, Santa Anna ordered an assault that overran the Alamo, offering no quarter to the defenders and executing a few who managed to survive the initial attack. Later that same month, Urrea accepted the surrender of more than 350 rebels at Goliad, after which the unarmed prisoners were slaughtered.

While Mexican forces pacified the regions around Goliad and San Antonio, politicians in Washington-on-the-Brazos debated the future of Texas, and not a few launched critical attacks on General Sam Houston, whose ill-trained army retreated eastward. Although ordered to fight, Houston knew his command would be no match for Santa Anna's army. Overconfident in the face [Page 1863]of Houston's continuing retreat, the Mexican commander split his wing of the army into three main columns in an attempt to trap the Texans. Houston retreated to a position near the San Jacinto River, where skirmishes with Mexican patrols began on April 20. Santa Anna went into camp with some 1,300 men and prepared to rest his troops before continuing the pursuit.

...