Tomahawk

Axes, hatchets and tomahawks were both plentiful and pragmatic in Mexican Texas. Though Indian relations were often strained, trade with nearby tribes continued. And the Texians put one of their neighbor’s deadliest tools to grim work on the battlefield.

Bayonet

Both sides used bayonets at San Jacinto, though the Mexican soldiers no doubt had more training with them. The Texians got theirs from earlier victories against Mexican forces, previous employment, American and French trade or however else they could.

Lance

Carried by the Mexican cavalry, the lance was made of wood with a metal tip.  Lances were especially dangerous to those soldiers fighting on foot.

The bayonet took its name from Bayonne, a small town in the French Basque region. San Jacinto Museum of History © 2003