Mock Battle Breathes Life Into History
The pivotal point in history that severed Texas from Mexico will be vividly brought to life on Saturday, April 26, complete with booming cannonades, cracking musket fire, thundering hooves and terrifying yells. Hundreds of history enthusiasts will shed their modern-day trappings to accurately recreate the history-altering moment at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, 22 miles east of Houston.
At 10 a.m., “The Sirens” of the United States Naval Academy Women’s Glee Club will summon spectators to the official State of Texas San Jacinto Day Celebration with a spirited presentation of patriotic music. The official ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. on the steps of the San Jacinto Monument. Sam Houston, IV will give the keynote address, and Ron Stone is serving as Master of Ceremonies. Brief remarks also will be made by the Honorable Robert A. Eckels, Harris County Judge; Robert L. Cook, Executive Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife; Clayton Baird of the Battleship Texas Foundation; Jeffery D. Dunn of the an jacinto Historical Advisory Board; and William P. Conner, Chairman of the San Jacinto Museum of History Association. Sam Houston, IV will present his ancestor’s “Battle Report from San Jacinto.” Tradition holds that the program conclude with the Texas Army Fife and Drum Corps’ rendition of the song Texians played on the battlefield in 1836, Will You Come to the Bower, and a thundering salute to Texas patriots led by General Carroll Lewis of the Texas Army and period-dressed members of Rolling Thunder, Texian Volunteers and the Black Powder Brigade.
Throughout the day, visitors to this admission-free event can wander freely throughout the Mexican and Texian camps to learn about what daily life was like for the soldiers of both armies. Women and children will depict the hardships experienced by those who, with their husbands and fathers at war, were forced to gather the few belongings they could to flee the advancing forces of General Santa Anna in what became known as the Runaway Scrape. Starting cooking fires with flint, loading muskets and making candles and soap are among the pioneer tasks that will be demonstrated.
Food booths on the grounds will be available throughout the afternoon.
At 1:00 p.m., there will be a ceremony at the Battleship Texas celebrating the 55th anniversary of the docking of the ship at San Jacinto and honoring all who served on the ship. County Judge Robert Eckels will give the keynote address. When the USS Texas was commissioned on March 12, 1914, she was the most powerful weapon in the world. She was deployed in the Gulf of Mexico during the Vera Cruz Incident and in major naval battles throughout World War I and II. Tours of the battleship, a National Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark will be offered throughout the day.
At 3:00 p.m., mpore than 400 reenactors will dramatize the decisive victory of the outnumbered Texians under the leadership of General Sam Houston over the Mexican forces attempting to quell their rebellion. Amidst bursts of musket and cannon fire, the Texian forces will charge across the field toward the Mexican camp during the reenactment of the decisive 18-minute battle.
Artifacts housed in the San Jacinto Museum of History also provide insight into early Texas history, while 42 rapid-fire projectors vividly outline events leading up to and during the battle in hourly screenings of Texas Forever!! A bird’s-eye-view of the entire battle site and beyond can be obtained from the observation deck of the soaring San Jacinto Monument. Admission to the San Jacinto Day Ceremonies, the reenactment, the Battleship Texas and the 1,000-acre park is free. Nominal fees are charged for elevator rides to the top of the San Jacinto Monument and screenings of Texas Forever!!
The admission-free event is sponsored by the Battleship Texas Foundation; Conoco; East Harris County Manufacturers Association; Harris County Historical Commission; Houston Chronicle; Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas, AF & AM; Port of Houston Authority ; Sam Houston Hotel; San Jacinto Battleground Association; San Jacinto Chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas; San Jacinto Historical Advisory Board; San Jacinto Museum of History Association; San Jacinto Volunteers; Sons of the Republic of Texas; Summerlee Foundation; Tejano Association for Historic Preservation; Texas Army; Texas Council for the Humanities; Texas Gulf Coast District Exchange Clubs; Texas Navy Association; Texas Parks and Wildlife; and Texas State Historical Association.
The San Jacinto Battleground State Park is located 22 miles east of Houston at La Porte. For information on the battleship and park, telephone 281/479.2431. For information about the San Jacinto Museum of History and reenactment events, telephone 281/479.2421.
