San Jacinto Day....

Just to bring you foreigners up to speed... Today is San Jacinto Day (pronounced Juh-Sinto). Way back in 1836 on this day, General Sam Houston defeated the Mexican Army at San Jacinto (about 15 minutes from the house) and secured Texas Independence. The battle for Texas was an interesting one so today you get "The History of Texas" in one blog entry.

Around March 1836, The Mexican Army under General Santa Anna cruises through Gonzales Texas. Local militia get mad when he tries to confiscate a cannon from the Presidio La Bahia. They make a flag with the words "Come and Take It" (the modern day equivalent of screw you) and shoot the cannon at him. The war is on.

Santa Anna heads to San Antonio and lays seige to the Alamo. While offering surrender terms to the 150 or so future Texans they shoot their cannon at him. He gets mad. After a whole bunch of days with limited success, the Mexican Army finally overwhelms the Alamo around Easter. There are thousands of stories on whether everyone was slaughtered outright, or a few captured and executed. But general consensus is that the Mexican army killed many of their own through poor shooting and bad weaponry in the battle, and that the Texians exacted a pretty heavy toll in defeat.

The Mexican army heads to Goliad, where they capture General Fannin and his whole army. Fannin, heavily outnumbered, decides to surrender to spare the certain death he and his 800 men would get in battle. Santa Anna accepts his surrender, and then orders the cold blooded execution of all 800. The Mexican army is such poor shots that some escape this mass execution and live to fight again.

Santa Anna now turns his attention to Sam Houston and the last of the Texian army. The Texian army turns their attention towards Louisiana and getting out of Dodge. Santa Ana catches up to them at San Jacinto. On the afternoon of April 21st, Sam Houston notices the Mexican army taking a siesta (I'm not kidding), he decides to attack rather than retreat. The Texians line up two cannons, affectionately nicknamed the "Twin Sisters" and begin the Battle of San Jacinto. After a few cannon blasts they charge the Mexican lines. It's a complete rout and is over in 18 minutes. The Texians spare few as they shoot, hack, stab, and sword the Mexican army with shouts of "Remember the Alamo" and "Remember Goliad". It ain't pretty.

Santa Anna escapes but is later caught dressed as a woman. He signs surrender papers and Texas is born. Santa Ana is released, returns to Mexico where a mob hacks off his arm and carries it through the streets of Mexico City. He is only reunited with his arm many years later when he is buried.

And that's the way it was back in 1836....you can now take recess.