San AntonioCaptured by the Texan army after active fighting from December 5 to 10, the town was retaken by Santa Anna on February 23. It remained in Mexican hands until after the battle of San Jacinto.

San FelipeThe Consultation met in San Felipe, November 1835, making San Felipe one of the first capitals of the Republic (until the Convention of 1836 met at Washington-on-the-Brazos). It was burned on March 29, 1836, when retreating Texan soldiers were unable to prevent the Mexican army’s crossing the Brazos.

Jacinto, Battle ofOn April 17 Sam Houston led his army south to Harrisburg, finally abandoning his retreat eastward. On April 19, learning that Santa Anna and his army had crossed Vince’s Bridge to the west bank of the San Jacinto River, Houston and his men crossed Buffalo Bayou. On April 20, the Texans encamped. That afternoon, Sidney Sherman with a small detachment of cavalry fought a brief skirmish with the Mexican infantry in an attempt to capture the Mexican cannon. Santa Anna was joined in his camp, three-quarters of a mile from the Texan army, by a 540-man unit commanded by Martin Perfecto de Cos on the evening of April 20. On Thursday morning, Houston ordered Erastus (Deaf) Smith to destroy Vince’s Bridge secretly so that no further reinforcement could cross nor could either army retreat. The Texans formed their battle line about 3:30 in the afternoon. Surging over the battlefield shouting “Remember the Alamo!” and “Remember Goliad!”, the Texans caught the Mexican army unawares. The battle ended with a decisive victory eighteen minutes after it began. Sam Houston was seriously wounded in the battle. General Santa Anna was captured the next day.

San Patricio, Battle ofFrancis W. Johnson and James Grant used San Patricio as their headquarters during the Goliad Campaign of 1836. There Johnson and his men were attacked by Urrea’s army on February 27, 1836. Only Johnson and three or four men survived.

Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez dePresident Santa Anna was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Mexican Army of Operations in November 1835 by President pro-tem Miguel Barragan. In December he joined Vicente Filisola at San Luis Potosi and began to organize the army for the Texas Campaign. On January 2, 1836, he began his march for Texas, crossing the Rio Grande on February 16. On February 23, his army joined the force commanded by Ramirez y Sesma, and by the afternoon, Santa Anna occupied San Antonio and had begun besieging the Texan army in the Alamo. At dawn on March 6, he began the assault of the fortress, which was subdued by 8 a.m. On March 31, he left San Antonio for San Felipe de Austin. A surprise attack on April 7 failed to reduce the town. On April 9 he left San Felipe and began a forced march for the river crossing at Marion, hoping to surprise the Texan army. His army did cross the river at Marion, but failed to capture any Texans. From there, his army was transported to Thompson’s Crossing on a captured flat boat. Santa Anna reached Harrisburg on the night of April 15, only to find it deserted. On the following day, after burning Harrisburg, his army marched on to Lynchburg. Waiting for reinforcements commanded by Cos, aware of the nearness of the Texan army, Santa Anna decided to make camp on the west bank of the San Jacinto River. There, on April 20, the army fought a skirmish with Sidney Sherman’s cavalry detachment, but full battle was not engaged until the following day. Captured by Texan soldiers on April 22, Santa Anna ordered General Filisola to begin a retreat across the Rio Grande. On May 14, he signed the treaties of Velasco and prepared to be returned to Mexico. But on June 1, Texans under the leadership of Thomas J. Green interfered, threatening to capture or to kill the Mexican leader. Finally, at the end of November, President Houston sent him under guard to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Andrew Jackson.

Seguin, Juan NepumocenoSeguin and his recruits joined Austin near San Antonio in October 1835. He participated in the capture of Concepcion Mission, the siege of Bexar, and was on duty in the Alamo in 1836. He escaped death only because he had been sent out of the Alamo as a messenger. Seguin was in charge of the rear guard of the army in its retreat east from Gonzales, and he helped Moseley Baker in his attempt to prevent Santa Anna’s crossing the river at San Felipe. Seguin rejoined Houston’s army and fought in the battle of San Jacinto. He was ordered, along with Henry Karnes, to follow the Mexican Army during its retreat in order to protect the property of Texans.

Sherman, SidneyIn 1835, Sherman raised money to equip a company of Kentucky volunteers. The force arrived in Texas in time to vote in the election for delegates to the Convention of 1836, then proceeded to San Felipe. Sherman was lieutenant colonel in the regiment raised by Houston at Gonzales in March. On April 20, he led a sortie to try to capture the Mexican cannon at San Jacinto. On the following day, he commanded the left wing of the Texan attack. After the battle of San Jacinto, Sherman served as president of the board of officers which distributed the Mexican spoils among the Texas soldiers.

Smith, Benjamin FortSmith commanded a company at the battle of Gonzales, relieved J. M. Collinsworth at Goliad, and later joined Austin in the siege of Bexar. He was a delegate to the Consultation, but he did not attend. However, he put eleven leagues of land at the government’s disposal on November 8, 1835. Smith left for Mississippi to recruit volunteers in late November. Returning to Texas in March, he reentered the army as a private. He was quartermaster and acting adjutant to General Houston during the retreat from Gonzales. At the battle San Jacinto, he served in Henry Karnes’s cavalry company.

Smith, Erastus (Deaf)Neutral at the beginning of the war, Deaf Smith joined the Texans when Mexican officials refused him permission to visit his family in San Antonio. He joined Austin’s volunteer army and became prominent as a scout. He participated in or gave information valuable to Texan forces at the battle of Concepcion and the Grass Fight. He led F. W. Johnson’s troops into San Antonio on December 5, 1835. After Cos’ surrender, Smith moved his family to Columbia then joined Houston at Gonzales. He was sent to reconnoiter the Alamo and returned with Mrs. Almeron Dickinson. Deaf Smith commanded a company in the reorganized army and was ordered to destroy Vince’s Bridge secretly before he took part in the battle of San Jacinto.

Smith, HenryFrom the beginning of the Revolution, Smith was a supporter of independence from Mexico. He was a delegate to the Consultation, participated in drafting the organic law, and was chosen provisional governor. His opposition to the peace party members of the General Council, as well as his suspicion of all offers of help from Mexican supporters brought Governor Smith into conflict with the rest of the government. On January 10 he dismissed the General Council, claiming it had no further function. The Council impeached Smith, replacing him with Lieutenant Governor James W. Robinson.

Stewart, Charles BellingerStewart was elected secretary of the Permanent Council on October 1, 1835. He later served as secretary to the executive and enrollment clerk by the General Council on November 18. He represented Austin at the Convention of 1836.