Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-08-06
BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO.
Aged Alabamlan Recalls Some In-
terestlnE History.


Remember the Alamo!" shouted
Sam Houston.
Remember the Alamo! Remember
Goliad!" came back from thousand
Texas Rangers, as they eagerly await
ed the word to charge the Mexicans
under Santa Anna at San Jacinto."
There are few survivors of the battle
which decided Texan independence liv-
ing today, but one of them, Colonel
Hardy w. B. Price, Of Clayton, Ala, is
still living, hale and hearty, and re-
members the battle as though 1t had
happened but yesterday.
Colonel Price has for the past week
been visiting his daughter. Mrs. Car
hart, Of Crew street, in this city. He
is a man IS years Of age, having been
born in Edgecomb county, North Car
olina, on May 9Th, 1917.
When still quite young his parents
died and he moved to Fort Valley, Ca,
wnere he lived with an uncle. In 1884
in company with his uncle, he Journey
ed to Texas, and in 1885, at the age OF
10. he entered Sam Houston's band OF
Texas Rangers, fighting for independ-
ence from Mexico. In the rangers he
was present at several small skirmish-
es with the Mexican troops, but the
first battle Of any Importance was that
Of San Jacinto.
Sam Houston, hard pressed by the
Mexicans under Santa Anna, had re-
treated southwark from Gonzales, Tex,
and when near San Filipe, Houston had
turned to the east and crossed the Bra
zos river at Groce's ferry, marching
down along the east bank Of the Buff
falo bayou.
Santa Anna, with his Mexican troops.
following in close pursuit, had marched
down the west bank Of Buffalo bayou,
reaching Harrisburg, the temporary
capital of the state, day in advance
of Houston. Here Santa Anna burned
the city, with all the archives Of the
new state, and marched away, after
having a rear guard action with Hous-
toms men, who came up as Santa Anna
marched off.
Here one or Houston's spies captured
a Mexican post rider and Houston
learned for the first time that Santa
Anna had divided his army into three
parts one marching down the west side
of the state, one down the east and the
third, under Santa Anna, marching
down the central part.
The Mexican post rider was carry
ing his mail in a pair Of saddle bags
on which was printed the name "Wil-
liam Travis Baird" who commanded
the Alamo, and who with 16S men. in
cluding Bowie and Crockett and many
Of the bravest men in Texas, were MUIR
dered by the Mexicans. There was an
effort made on the part Of the Texans
to kill the mail rider, but Houston pre-
vented this.
AS soon as he learned that Santa An
ma had divided up his army he deter
mined to attack that part Of the army
which, under Santa Anna, after hav-
ing burned Harrisburg, had marched
away a few miles and lay camped at
San Jacinto. Santa Anna, fearing lest
he was to be attacked, had ordered
General Cos. his brother-in-law, who
commanded the rear guard, to bring
up his men, so that Santa Anna had
about 1000 men, while Houston had
about 1,40O. Houston, in his narratives,
stated that he had only a few over
700, but Colonel Price states that Hous-
ton underestimates his force to make
the victory appear the greater.
I'VE were stationed about half a
mile away from the Mexican army. y
says Colonel Price. "They had forti-
fed themselves at San Jacinto, and
thought they were safe from attack.
ION the afternoon Of April 20, 1886.
Houston called his men out and told
them that he was ready to attack the
Mexicans and bade US remember the
Alamo.
"At 2.30 o'clock, while the Mexicans
were taking their afternoon siesta, we
were ordered to charge. We had two
iron six-pounders, which the Texans
had dubbed the Twin Sisters and the
Mexicans had one brass nine-pounder.
The first shot Of the battle was fired by
one Of our cannon. The second shot
from the Twin Sisters exploded the
powder chest Of the Mexicans, and
they were unable to use their cannon
all through the battle. We charged.
and the Mexicans, awakening from
their sleep. stood ready to receive us.
1.-The Mexican troops fired with their
guns at their hips, and invariably fired
too high. In few minutes we were
among the Mexicans, and in half an
hour the battle, after waging for a
time in hand-to-nand conflict, was over.
Eight hundred Mexicans lay on the
field of battle, and 300 more had sur
rendered.
Santa Anna was nowhere to be
found, but three Gays later tnree youhS
men, while walking in the outskirts of
the camp, found a man creeping
through the grass. They halted him
and he fell at their feet and kissed
them. He had no insignia of office, but
he was taken before Houston, and as
he reached the American general he
foll o,, b;o Ipaas sayinp.
"I am Don Antonio Lopez de Santa
Anna, the great Spanish Napoleon.
am your prisoner of war and claim your
clemency. The brave are always gen.
erous.'
Houston asked him what he wished
done with his dead soldiers, but the
,1~-z;a-x -za.a.al ehr,, oexinor his shauld-