The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1859-10-28
The Battle of San ia cfntO-.
HOuStOn'S HerOiSm. .

longer IN the mlnuS OF Americans, rom ltS
connection with this battle, than from any
other act TO which lie has been engaged.
1t will be remembered that at this period,
abont 1886, he was General.n- Chief of
the Texan forces, and short time before
the battle. Col. Travis and his command,
about $50 men, had been captured and
murdered in the citadel of Alamo, at Bex-
ar. Santa Anna was advancing from the
southern part of the territory, with the in
tention of crushing out every spark of lib
erty, when Gen. Houston, with small
force of 700 men, met him near Harris
burg, on San Jacinto, river. The bridge
had been cut down, and there was no re-
sort for the two armies, but victory or
death.
The moment had at last come, the charge
was ordered, and the war cry, Remember
the Alamo y! resounded from all sides with
terrific shout, while the two six-pounders
opened we'll directed fire of grape and
canister. At that instant, Deaf Smith,
swinging an axe over his head, rode up an
communicated with the General, who i'm
mediately dashed along the lines and an
nounced the destruction of Vince's bridg
"Now fight for your lives boys-remem
Der the Alamo.' exclaimed the General,
in clear distinct voice. The effect of this
intelligence was electric and the whole col
umn of seven hundred Texans, swayed and
animated with the strength and fury of ten
times seven hundred men, rushed forward
with Houston at their head, right into the
teeth of their foe. The Mexicans were
drawn up in perfect order, and reserved
their fire til the Texans were within sixty
yards, but the mass of their storm of lead
went over the heads of the assailants-
One ball shattered Houston's ankle, and
several struck his horse in the breast, but
needing none of these things, the General
spurred his charger on with redoubled
speed, closely followed by the whele col
umn at an increased and fearful pace.
The Texans reserved their fire till within
pistol shot, when every ball told with fear
full effect on the Mexican lines, and before
the latter could reload, they engaged hand
to hand with their infuriated foes, who, on
their side, not stopping to reload their
rifles, broke them over the heads of their
invaders, discharged their pistols, and clos
ed the work Of slaughter with their huge
bowie knives, by absolutely hewing their
way through dense masses of living flesh.
The right and left wing of the enemy had
been routed, but his centre remained firm,
and, at one moment, repelllng tho dospar.
ate charge of the Texans, he was prepar-
ing with a division of more than 500 men
to fall upon the battalion of Texan infant
fha
putting himself at the head of his men, and
calling on them to follow him, gave the
order to fire. There seemed to be but one
EXPLOSIONS instantaneous was the fire, and
the enemy's charging force was literally
moved down as with scythe-only thir-
ty-two out of five hundred remaining in
their shoes as prisoners of war.
The enemy left in his entrenchments,
amongst the dead and wounded, nearly
half of his eighteen hundred effective men,
who went into battle that day, and at Vim
ce's bridge and the morass in the rear of
his camp, nearly four hundred are suppos-
ed to have been slaughtered. Towards the
close of the day, Houston's horse fell be-
meath him, pierced with no less than seven
balls, and in falling brought his master to
the earth on his wounded leg, but calling
for another horse, he remounted, rode
slowly across the field, and was cheered by
his comrades. As he moved along he
spied two large ravens lowering over the
spot where the enemy's artillery had been
posted, with their heads towards the west.
In moment several muskets were seized
by the men standing near, to bring them
down, but Houston ordered them to de
sist. remarking that the omen was good
one, that it denoted the march of empire
westward. Arriving shortly afterwards
at the oak under which he had slept the
night before, he received Almonte as
prisoner of war from the hands of Gen.
Rusk, and, exhausted by the loss of blood,
tainted and fell from his saddle.
Thus ended the bloody battle Of San
Jacinto, battle that has no parallel in
the annals of human warfare, for the ac
complishment of so great result as that
which followed it, with such insignificant
means as those which were employed by
the mighty man who led his comrades to
victory OF the eighteen hundred men
comprising Santa Anna's army, seven only
escaped from the field, leaving eight hun
dred as prisoners of war, while all the rest
perished The Texan loss was seven kill
ed and thirty wounded.
Santa Anna was found concealed and
disguised the morning after the battle, and
brought before Houston. The soldiers
and the convention even wanted to have
him executed, but Houston opposed 1t, and
the Mexican General was allowed to reach
bis native country by passing through the
United States. Houston was very badly
treated by the convention after the battle,
and WAS even refused passage on the
steamer to New Orleans which conveyed
Santa Anna, but the captain refused to
leave without him, and he was taken on
board After his recovery from bis wounds
at New Orleans, he again returned to Texas.