San Jacinto....the haunting ripple of water
Written: May 22 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A great place for your mind to conjure...
Cons: Off the beaten path, and unknown to many...
The Bottom Line: The water surrounding the battlefield can take you back 175 years if you look closely...
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| Bonies7's Full Review: San Jacinto Battleground |
The beauty of historical battlefields can also reveal the most horrifying mental images.
And one of the most stark and powerful sites in this country for mental traveling is the San Jacinto Battleground just to the south of the city of Houston.
Here, amidst shrub oak trees and rolling fields, stands the Texas equivalent of the Washington monument. A slender tower of impressive height made of concrete and topped with the famous Texas Lone Star. Erected to celebrate the battle that made Texas a Republic, and ultimately a state.
The 570 foot tower and the related museum at the base tells the story of the battle, and the struggle by a handful of "Texians" to win independence from Mexico in April of 1836. In fact, it was THE battle that made Texas, and THE battle that made Sam Houston a legend throughout the United States.
Surely you've heard the tale: How one man rallied the people of Texas together for one - and only one - battle against General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana after disaster had befallen the militia who had attempted to slow his advance.
The Alamo had fallen with 186 dead, and that followed the outright massacre of over 400 men under James Fannin at Goliad. Men who had surrendered under a promise of safe passage, and who were put to the sword by the famed "Napolean of the West".
To say that the territory and the remaining men - almost all volunteers - were "fit" for a fight is an gross understatement. And after retreating again and again, General Sam Houston picked this site for the pivotal battle of independence.
Attacking in late afternoon while the majority of the Mexican troops were resting, the Texans caught Santa Ana and his officers unprepared for a charge. Yelling "Remember the Alamo" and "Remember Goliad", a force of approximately 700 volunteers overwhelmed the Mexican soldiers and won the battle, the war, and their independence in a matter of minutes.
I was aware of the story, and was drawn to the site by the powerful magnet of history. A chance to see the field, and to see the topography of a battle that is often cited as one of the most lopsided victories in the last 500 years. While recording only 6 dead and two dozen wounded, the Texan force decimated a superior foe and killed 636 men in the twenty minute battle. Sam Houston was severely wounded while leading the charge, but lived to become President of the Republic, then Senator and finally Governor of The Lone Star State.
But I was not prepared to feel the harsh reality of war as I drove up to the monument. I stood at the base of the tower, and found my eyes drawn to the water that surrounds the tower on three sides. Santa Anna had made a collosal mistake by camping here, where there was no area to retreat, and his arrogance cost his country the most precious natural resource that Mexico ever possessed.
I walked to the edge of the water alone and found myself mesmerized by a ripple that took my gaze to the center of the tragedy. Perhaps it requires a murky water to focus one's attention on the brutality of man against man.
But as I stood transfixed, the battle played out behind my eyes. I saw rebel troops charging ahead as sleepy Mexican troops ran directly into the water in search of safety. I saw boys - dressed as men - become weapons of destruction by the bloodlust of battle.
And those same boys treated the Mexican troops with the same furor that had burned within them since they had heard of the slaughter at San Antonio and Goliad. They slew hundreds without stopping once to consider the pleas of surrender that echoed off the water. "Me no Alamo" was repeated again and again, but to no avail.
All this rushed through my mind as the water rippled. The harsh reality of death in the name of honor and revenge. The pleas of mercy, the utter terror in the faces of those under the sword, and the haunting vision of a victor standing over the vanquished with the uncontrollable shaking that accompanies sudden, harsh death.
I found myself shuddering at the brutality of it all, and the evil that lurks within all men. Whether in victory, or in defeat, death is still death.
And the glory that is reported after the battle can never capture that truth that shows up in one's mind with such extreme clarity at San Jacinto.
The bodies of the six Texans and the over 600 Mexican soldiers were left on the field of battle, and their presence still can be felt if you allow the water to tell its tragic tale.
And although the pain that might suddenly appear within your mind is severe, the lesson that you'll walk away with is worth the drive regardless of how far you have to travel to reach San Jacinto.
A simple lesson.
That the death of men in the pursuit of victory is madness.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Singles
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
Bonies7
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Member: Jeff Clow
Location: The Lone Star State
Reviews written: 132
Trusted by: 1018 members
About Me:
Father, Husband, Consultant, Photographer, Writer, Conservative, Inquisitive, Texan
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