San Jacinto.
La Porte is a new town, situated on a point of land nearly surrounded by Galveston Bay, Morgan's Ship Canal, and San Jacinto Bay. It is about twenty miles from Houston, and thirty miles from Galveston. The scenery in this part of the coast country is beautiful, and the place is not without historic interest. On this point of land was formerly the town of New Washington, which was burned by Santa Anna before he left for San Jacinto battle-ground, which is only six or seven miles from here. It was there that the Texans under General Houston routed the Mexicans under Santa Anna on that memorable day, the 21st of April, 1836.
The battle-ground is located on Buffalo Bayou. It comprises twenty-three acres, ten of which are owned by the State. The "Daughters of the Republic" are raising funds to beautify it and erect a suitable monument. There is only one monument there now. It is a plain marble shaft about fifteen feet high, with inscriptions on the four sides of the base.
San Jacinto Day is a legal holiday in Texas, and large numbers of people celebrate it by picnicking at the battle-ground. Exercises are held in the public schools. This year I recited Lillie E. Barr's poem, "San Jacinto Corn," published in the Round Table for January 21, 1896. The battle of San Jacinto lasted only eighteen or twenty minutes. There were more than fifteen hundred Mexican troops opposed to seven hundred and eighty-three Texans. The loss of the Texans was two killed, and twenty-three wounded, six of them mortally. The loss of the Mexicans was six hundred and thirty killed, two hundred and eight wounded, and seven hundred and thirty prisoners. Santa Anna was taken prisoner on the 22d, and General Cos on the 24th.
Mercy Compton Marsh, R.T.L.
La Porte, Texas.