Texas History- Chapter 12 Lessson 2

Texas History- Chapter 12 Lessson 2

Victory at San Jacinto

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What are the characteristics of a leader? Why do conflicts develop?

IT MATTERS BECAUSE

With his army trained, Sam Houston attacked the Mexicans at San Jacinto and secured Texan independence.

Multiple Select

Check all that apply: Why did Houston choose to retreat instead of fight Santa Anna after the losses at the Alamo and Goliad?

• He wanted to plan a strategy.

• He needed more men.

• He needed guns and ammunition.

• He was scared of Santa Anna.

Before the Battle

• On April 18, 1836, Texan scout Deaf Smith told General Sam Houston that the Mexican army was moving toward the San Jacinto River.

• Houston set up camp in a grove of oak trees where the Buffalo Bayou and San Jancinto River meet.

• Buffalo Bayou was now behind the Texan troops and the San Jacinto River was on their left.

• The trees and rising ground created a barrier and made them difficult to be seen.

The Armies Prepare

• Houston's army now had approximately 900 men, calvary (men on horses), and the Twin Sisters. Houston had James Neill in charge of the cannons and pointed them towards the prairie nearby.

• Santa Anna was camped on a nearby hillside between the swamps. The Mexican officers complained that the location of the camp was poor. The soldiers built a barricade of saddles and luggage to help.

• Santa Anna was convinced that the Texans would fight defensively as they had done at the Alamo and Goliad.

• A small skirmish occurred shortly after. Neither side wanted to get into a huge fight. Santa Anna was awaiting reinforcements and Houston wanted to give his men a rest. Mirabeau B. Lamar took over the calvary after James Neill was badly wounded.

Multiple Choice

Why did Santa Anna assume the Texans would fight defensively?

• they were too tired to attack

• they were too scared to attack

• they had not trained well enough

• that is what they had done at the Alamo and Goliad

Soldiers All

• Houston's army was ragtag and included Texans and volunteers from the U.S. and other countries.

• "as many groups of men, English, Irish, Scotch, French, Germans, Italians, Poles, Yankees, Mexicans, &c., all unwashed, unshaven for months, their long hair, beard and mustachoes, ragged and matted, their clothes in tatters, and plastered with mud" —unnamed Texan recruit, quoted in Littell’s Living Age

• Juan Seguin commanded a group of Tejanos as well. He was forced to leave before the fight at the Alamo and had even more motivation to defeat the Mexican forces.

Ragtag Army of San Jacinto

Multiple Choice

True of False: The only people to fight for Texas independence were Texans.

• True

• False

A Decision to Fight

• On the morning of April 21, 1836, the sun was shining brightly. Neither the Texans nor the Mexicans could see the other group-one was blocked by the barricade and the other the grove of trees.

• That same morning, General Martín Perfecto de Cós arrived with 540 men. They were tired and hungry, so Santa Anna was sure the Texans would continue to fight defensively, and most likely not until the next day. Because of this, the Mexicans decided to take a siesta.

• Cós had used a bridge at Vince's Bayou to arrive with reinforcements. Houston sent his scout, Deaf Smith, to destroy the bridge, preventing any more help to arrive. Because of this, it kept both Mexicans and Texans from retreating.

Multiple Choice

Why did Houston destroy the bridge at Vince's Bayou?

• to protect the troops

• to prevent more reinforcements

• to keep Santa Anna from crossing

• because it was falling down

Time for Attack

• Houston decided to call upon his war officials to see what their next move would be. Two wanted to attack then, but most wanted to wait until the following day. The volunteers, however, were ready to fight now. Houston decided on a vote- they would attack that day.

• By 3:30 in the afternoon, Houston assembled all of this groups: 1) Sidney Sherman’s Kentucky volunteers 2) Edward Burleson’s Texans 3) Mirabeau B. Lamar and his cavalry 4) George W. Hockley and 30 men with the Twin Sisters.

• Next to the Twin Sisters, directly in the middle, was Sam Houston.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Houston decided to have them vote on the when to attack the Mexican forces.

• True

• False

A Brief Fight

• Santa Anna never noticed the Texan forces because he had not ordered any sentries or scouts to watch for enemy forces.

• It wasn't until the Texans approached the barricade that they began to notice. By then, it was too late to use their cannon because it was on slightly higher ground. When they fired the canon, it went over the Texan's heads.

• The Texans took the Twin Sisters and pointed it at the Mexican barricade. They continued to fire until they blew a hole in the barricade. Once they got through their battle cry remained: “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”

• So many of the Mexican troops were confused. Many surrendered right away. Others tried to escape, but were cut off.

The Outcome

• The battle lasted only 18 minutes! The Texans did spend several hours tracking down those who had escaped, though.

• Houston and the Texans suffered light casualties. Less than 10 Texans were killed and 30 others wounded, included Houston who suffered an ankly injury.

• President Burnett reported 630 Mexicans killed with another 730 taken prisoner, however, that number may not be that high. Many were killed because the Texans were seeking revenge for the Alamo and Goliad.

• Santa Anna was found dressed like a regular soldier. He was not recognized by the Texans, but his own men recognized him and turned him in to Houston. The Texans captured him.

Santa Anna, quoted in A History of Texas, by John Henry Brown

"I am Antonio López de Santa Anna, president of Mexico, commander in chief of the army of operations, and I put myself at the disposition of the brave General Houston…[as] a prisoner of war.”

Fill in the Blank

Type the number: How many minutes did the Battle of San Jacinto last?

The Commanders’ Reports

• Both Santa Anna and Houston described their events. Houston wrote a report to President Burnett describing the event. Santa Anna later described his recollection in a Manifesto.

• The capture of Santa Anna was a great accomplishment for the Texans. If they had not captured him, he could have raised a larger army and continued to fight.

• Houston also had Santa Anna sign a request ordering General Vincente Filisola to withdraw all troops and move them south of the Rio Grande.

—General Sam Houston, report to President David G. Burnet

"The conflict lasted about eighteen minutes, from the time of close action until we were in possession of the enemy’s encampment, taking one piece of cannon, (loaded), four stand of colors, all their camp equipage, stores, and baggage... Every officer and man proved himself worthy of the cause in which he battled,.... which characterized their conduct after victory.”

—General Antonio López de Santa Anna, Manifesto

“[The loss at San Jacinto is to be explained by the large number] of recruits in the five hundred men commanded by General Cós,…the sending on of a convoy [protecting escort] which…deprived me of one hundred, out of five hundred men I had sent for.… It was no less due to excessive fatigue, and want of provisions..... None of these causes depended directly or indirectly upon myself.”

Multiple Choice

True or False: Both the accounts by Houston and Santa Anna of the the events at San Jancinto were the same.

• True

• False

The Treaties of Velasco

• Now that Santa Anna and the main army had been defeated, there needed to be a peace settlement.

• President Burnett moved the Texas government to Velasco, which is at the mouth of the Brazos River. It is there they signed the Treaties of Velasco. One was public, and the other was kept secret.

• The public treaty included a provision including the following: 1) Santa Anna would never fight against Texas again 2) Mexican troops must leave immediately 3) Texan/Mexican prisoners to be exchanged immediately 4) all property taken by Mexican forces were to be returned immediately

Multiple Choice

The city of Velasco was located at the mouth of which river?

• Colorado

• Brazos

• Rio Grande

• Red

The Secret Treaty

• In the secret treaty, Santa Anna was supposed to convince the Mexican government to recognize Texas as independent and set the boundary of Texas as the Rio Grande River.

• In return, he would be released and escorted back to Mexico. They did no release the him right away, however. Many people even called for the execution of Santa Anna. President Burnett refused.

• The Mexican government refused to accept the treaties claiming they were "illegal" and did no recognize Texas independence.

• The refusal to accept these treaties will lead to more problems in the future.

Multiple Choice

True or False: The Mexican government accepted Texas independence.

• True

• False

Going Home

• News spread of the Texan victory at San Jacinto. The settlers who left during the Runaway Scrape were excited to return.

• "....‘San Jacinto! San Jacinto! The Mexicans are whipped and Santa Anna a prisoner.’ …People embraced, laughed and wept and prayed all in one breath.” -Kate Scurry Terrell, quoted in A Comprehensive History of Texas, 1685 to 1897, ed. Dudley G. Wooten

• The return was not as they had hoped. When they arrived, they realized Santa Anna had burned their homes and farms and their possessions were mostly gone. For months later, the Texans spent much of their time rebuilding all they had lost.

​***Points to Remember***

-As a result of the skirmish on April 20, Mirabeau L. Lamar was placed in command of the Texas cavalry.

-Juan Seguín commanded a company of Tejanos at the Battle of San Jacinto.

-The soldiers in Sam Houston's army at San Jacinto were from many different states and countries.

-Before the battle, Sam Houston prevented the Mexicans from escaping the field by destroying a bridge, however, this also prevented Texans from retreating if they lost the fight at San Jacinto.

-Approximately 900 Texans fought at the Battle of San Jacinto.

-The battle only lasted 18 minutes.

-As the attacked the Mexican forces, their battle cry was “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”

-After the battle, Santa Anna was found in regular soldier's clothing and captured by the Texans.

-Santa Anna agreed to the Treaties of Velasco, one public and one private, that he was to present to the Mexican government.

-However, the Mexican government refused to accept the terms of the treaties or recognize Texas as an independent republic.