On 20 April, the two armies met in a low area of marshland and bayous near the San Jacinto River. Santa Anna attempted unsuccessfully to probe the Texan position, and there was an exchange of artillery fire. About 500 Mexican reinforcements arrived. Santa Anna decided to rest his new and tired troops before attacking, but he failed to post sentries. When no attack followed in the morning, the Mexican troops relaxed even further. A Texan council of war, in the meantime, voted to attack, and Houston launched his 900 Texans in a risky assault that afternoon. His mounted troops rode around the Mexican flanks while the Texan battle line moved quickly and quietly directly across the open prairie. They were within 200 yards (183 m) of the Mexican camp when discovered. At that moment, Houston’s artillery opened fire, and the Texan infantry charged. After days of retreat, Houston’s men relished the attack, taking the resting Mexican force by surprise (during the Mexicans’ siesta), shouting, “Remember the Alamo, remember Goliad!” (Legend holds that Santa Anna was slow to respond to the assault because he was romantically involved with a woman when the attack unfolded, but that account is probably apocryphal.)
The Texans fired at close range and rolled over the hasty Mexican breastworks. Santa Anna’s defense collapsed as panicked Mexicans tried to flee the cavalry across the marshes. After an eighteen-minute fight, the remaining Mexicans surrendered, but Santa Anna slipped away in a private’s uniform. Within 24 hours, some 600 Mexicans had been killed and more than 700 captured, including eventually Santa Anna himself, who was then freed after he came to terms with Houston to end the war. Nine of Houston’s men had been killed or mortally wounded, and about 30 wounded less seriously, in this heavily lopsided victory.
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