On the afternoon of April 21, 1836, approximately 900 Texan soldiers attacked 1,400 Mexican troops at San Jacinto, near present-day Houston. The battle lasted eighteen minutes. When it ended, over 600 Mexican soldiers were dead and 700 captured, including General Antonio López de Santa Anna himself. The Texans lost 9 killed and 30 wounded. The lopsided victory - achieved by a surprise attack during the Mexicans' afternoon siesta - ended the Texas Revolution and established the Republic of Texas. The battle cry 'Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!' invoked earlier massacres of Texan prisoners. The captured Santa Anna, fearing for his life, signed treaties recognizing Texas independence. The battle created Texas, and Texas's annexation nine years later triggered the Mexican-American War that added California, Nevada, Utah, and most of the Southwest to the United States.
The Texas Revolution had begun badly. The Alamo fell on March 6, 1836; 189 defenders were killed after a 13-day siege. On March 27, nearly 400 Texan prisoners at Goliad were executed on Santa Anna's orders. The Texas government fled. Sam Houston retreated east with his army, drawing criticism from those who wanted him to fight. But Houston was building his force and waiting for the right moment. By late April, Santa Anna had divided his army, leaving himself with only about 1,400 men near the confluence of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. Houston had 900 men and an opportunity.
On April 21, the Texan army rested in the morning while Mexican reinforcements arrived at Santa Anna's camp. Houston planned to attack at 4:00 PM - during the Mexican siesta. The Texans advanced across an open plain, hidden by a slight rise until they were within 200 yards. A fife and drum played a popular love song. Then the Texans charged, screaming 'Remember the Alamo!' The Mexicans were caught completely off guard - some asleep, many without weapons. The fighting was brutal and brief. Within eighteen minutes, Mexican resistance collapsed. The killing continued much longer as Texans pursued and slaughtered fleeing soldiers.
Santa Anna escaped during the battle, disguised as a common soldier. He was captured the next day hiding in tall grass, wearing silk underwear beneath his disguise. His own soldiers gave him away by addressing him as 'El Presidente.' Brought before Houston, who was nursing a shattered ankle from the battle, Santa Anna agreed to everything: withdrawal of Mexican forces, recognition of Texas independence, and his own release. The treaties he signed weren't ratified by Mexico and wouldn't have been enforceable anyway, but they ended the immediate war. Santa Anna was eventually released and returned to Mexico, where he would remain in and out of power for decades.
San Jacinto created the Republic of Texas, which existed as an independent nation from 1836 to 1845. Annexation by the United States triggered the Mexican-American War (1846-48), which ended with Mexico ceding nearly half its territory - all of present-day California, Nevada, and Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. Sam Houston became president of the Republic of Texas, senator from the state, and governor - the only person to govern two American states. The battle's brevity and decisiveness made it legendary, though it was followed by hours of killing surrendered and wounded prisoners, a fact Texas history has often minimized.
San Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site is located 21 miles east of downtown Houston, near the Houston Ship Channel. The San Jacinto Monument, completed in 1939, rises 567 feet - 12 feet taller than the Washington Monument and the world's tallest masonry column. An elevator takes visitors to an observation deck with views of the battlefield and the Houston Ship Channel. The San Jacinto Museum of History, in the monument's base, tells the story of the battle and Texas history. The battleship USS Texas, a National Historic Landmark, is moored nearby (though undergoing restoration and not always accessible). The battlefield itself is preserved, though industrial development has transformed the surrounding landscape. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is 30 miles northwest.
Located at 29.75°N, 95.08°W in Harris County, Texas, 21 miles east of downtown Houston, near the Houston Ship Channel. From altitude, the San Jacinto Monument is visible as a tall white column rising from the flat coastal prairie. The battlefield occupies the point of land between the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. The Houston Ship Channel, one of the busiest ports in America, passes immediately to the south - industrial development has transformed the area around the preserved battlefield.