Sam Houston's account of the Battle of San Jacinto, April 25, 1836.
A40.54
Gift of the A. H. Belo Corporation.

At mid-afternoon April 21, 1836, the Texian army led by General Sam Houston secured Texas' independence after an 18-minute battle with the Mexican army led by President Antonio López de Santa Anna.

Four days after the battle, Houston dictated a report of the events to be sent to David G. Burnett, President of the Republic of Texas. Mindful of the need to spread information of the victory as widely as possible, he sent additional copies to the editors of newspapers in Texas and in the United States.

One copy, sent to the editor of the Lousiana Advertiser in New Orleans, survived over time and is today preserved in the collections of the Dallas Historical Society. It is the only existing report of the battle that Houston himself signed.

The neat, precise handwriting of the report is that of an unknown secretary. Houston himself only signed the last part: "I have the honor / to be with high / consideration / Your Obt Servt / Sam Houston / Comr. in Chief."

• You can also view photos of of the actual document.

• Or, you can read a transcript of the report.

• You can learn more about the Battle of San Jacinto at the TSHA's Handbook of Texas website.

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