prisoners outside Goliad on March 27. By
that time Texas was committed to seced-
ing from Mexico altogether. On March 2,
during the siege of the Alamo, a conven-
tion at Washington-on-the-Brazos
unequivocally declared independence
from Mexico, with David G. Burnet
appointed provisional president and Sam
Houston (1793–1863) named command-
er-in-chief.
In the Battle of San Jacinto on April
21, Houston led a force of fewer than 800
men in a surprise attack on Santa Anna’s
sleeping army of about 1,500. In the 18-
minute rout, Houston’s soldiers killed
Mexicans with vengeful abandon, disre-
garding many surrender attempts, shout-
ing “Remember the Alamo!” and
“Remember Goliad!” Stephen Austin’s
nephew, Moses Austin Bryan, described it
as “the most awful slaughter I ever saw.”
By Houston’s account, 630 Mexicans
were killed and 730 taken prisoner, while
fewer than 10 Texans died. Houston near-
ly added one more when an ankle wound
he suffered got infected, but he recov-
ered. Among the prisoners he took was
Santa Anna, who, in exchange for his
freedom, signed treaties recognizing
Texan independence and agreeing to
withdraw Mexican forces beyond the Rio
Grande.
Disgraced by his defeat, Santa Anna
was forced out of office and replaced, in
1837, by his predecessor Bustamante,
whose government repudiated the treaties
and refused to recognize Texan inde-
pendence. But Mexico was in no position
to pursue its claim, what with continuing
MANIFEST DESTINY AND HISPANIC AMERICA 87General Santa Anna, seen at left-center
(wearing white pants and blue jacket)
of this 1886 painting by William Huddle,
offers his surrender to a wounded
Sam Houston following the Battle of
San Jacinto. (Texas State Archive)The Battle of San Jancinto, April 21, 1836
The broad plain at San Jacinto, near the town of Lynchburg, Texas, helped
determine that Sam Houston would need to lead his men in an all-or-nothing
struggle against Santa Anna’s troops. The open prairie to the south offered no
opportunity for retreat, and all other routes were blocked by marshy waters.