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Lecture 28

T

he Battle of San Jacinto lasted only 18 minutes and involved barely

more than 2,000 men on both sides. Compared to many famous

battles of history, it would hardly qualify as a minor skirmish, yet the

long-term effects of this little clash along the banks of the San Jacinto River

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land larger than the mainland of Western Europe. Even more so than usual,

the course of the campaign leading up this battle, as well as its outcome,

hinged on the personalities of the opposing commanders, Sam Houston and

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

The Opponents

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frontier whose biography seems too improbable to be true. He was

born in Virginia, but his family moved to Tennessee. As a boy,

he combined an enthusiasm for adventuring in the woods with

adoration of the epics of Homer and Virgil. Despite this love of

classical literature, he was a rebellious and indifferent student.

x Enrolling in the U.S. army, he served in the war against the Creek

Indians under Andrew Jackson, where his accomplishments

included gaining fame for his bravery, attaining the rank of

lieutenant, becoming Jackson’s protégé, and putting down a mutiny

by aiming a cannon at his own men.

x After stints as an Indian agent and a lawyer, Houston embarked

on a political career. With Jackson’s patronage, he was highly

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governor of Tennessee, during which time he shot a man in a duel.

x In 1832, at the age of 39, Houston moved to Texas, gained Mexican

citizenship, and became enamored of the region. He soon fell in