april 21, 1836
place--a swamp an the converging of buffalo bayou and the san jacinto river West of trinity bay--TEXAS BY GOD
participants-- 1800 of mexico's finest. commanded by santa anna.
900 men of alabama, tennessee, mississippi, georgia, and
other states of the u.s.a.--you may call the TEXIANS. it is
also worthwhile to note and to remember-there were a good
number of mexican nationals--good men-brave men, in the
mix with the texian army.
this, my dear reader, is the end to the running scrape. the alamo has fallen with all men. goiliad has been taken. the government of texas and its army is in chaos and retreating.
general sam houston has taken the general route to louisana by way of the el camino real. santa anna has taken a lower route to block the ports along the coast and prevent escape.
the army, (army?) 800 odd men, wants a fight-they are tired and bitter men-they are almost in rebellion against houston--they are tired of running.
picture the scenery. the buffalo bayou runs, generally east to west thru harrisbug, now houston, with interspercing smaller bayous emptying into it. it is generally coastal plains except along the bayou-this is swamp. low wet land, snake and mosquito infested. sparse and rudimentary bridges crossing these bayous. harrisburg has been burned by santa anna.
at the convergence of buffalo bayou and the san jacinto river the terrain is low and gentle rolling--what is out of the swamp is about 10 feet above sea level. the san jacinto battleground lies on the south bank of the intersection of these two waterways.
sam houston knows of santa anna's location and crosses buffalo bayou to the south bank at harrisburg. he makes his way to the convergence of these two water ways and makes camp in the trees and brush below the rise at a location about 600 yards from santa anna. he is protected from sight by the terrain and trees and brush.
santa anna knows he is there and recieves reinforcements, his army swells to 1800 men.
houston does not attempt an attack int the morning of the 21st--he has a war council-reminds all of the alamo and goliad--puts two cannon into place-has the only bridge of retreat for anybody burned. boys this is going to be it--somebody is gonna be hurt and nobody is going home if we lose.
houston attacks at 3:30 in the afternoon. this is not a battle, it is not real strategic. it is not about laying down a field of fire--somebody is gonna die, it may be me--but somebody is gonna die. there is generally no reloading after the initial charge and the first shots are fired. no six guns or automatics here-no general advance, column after column--it is by god a rush--it is slaughter--it is vengeance-it is blood thirsty killing.
the battle only last 18 minutes. in 18 minutes 630 fine mexican troops die, mostly eye to eye-hand to hand-by knife, hatchet, club, anything that you can kill with.
the mexicans are routed-they are overwhelmed-they have absolutely nowhere to run except the swamp. they cannot stand under the onslaught-they are disoriented and demoralized. they die in 18 minutes.
TEXAS BY GOD
blessings
