Birth of the Republic
April 21, 2009 (Tuesday)
A few blocks west of our church in Houston, White Oak Bayou runs its course southward to Buffalo Bayou. One hundred seventy-three years ago, General Sam Houston and his Texas troups rode down the eastern side of it, then east to the junction of Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River where, on this date in 1836, they met General Santa Ana and the Mexican army in battle. Against all odds, the outnumbered Texans won the brief battle, winning with it the independence of Texas from Mexico.
The San Jacinto Battleground has been graced with its famous monument, built in 1936 and faithfully watching over the area for the last 73 years.
When I was a child, our family reunions and picnics were held there. My cousins found musket balls on the grounds, and one day, if I remember correctly, they even found a small cannon ball. I don’t think I dreamed that up; I’m sure it really happened. Keep in mind that the battlefield was probably relatively undisturbed for 100 years until becoming the popular tourist site of today.
One of my less fond memories is of the day I ascended to the observation floor near the peak of the monument with my dear uncle, who took me to many events and places as a child. Believe it or not, the windows up there had no bars on them, and I was looking out through one of them when my uncle impishly took me by the waist and lifted me slightly. I thought I was about to fly through the air with the greatest of ease, but in all probability I was lifted only a few inches off the floor. I’ll never forget that day.
And then there was the day when Wanda and I took our children to see the Monument and the Battleship. I have a photograph of Dianna in which she posed so that the illusion of her holding the monument in the palm of her open hand looks almost real. Try it sometime yourself. Find an object in the background of the person near the camera, and then get the person to pose so that the picture will look like the person is holding the object. It’s fun.
When I was in Junior High School, I played Sam Houston in a play performed for the entire student body. I recall sitting under a prop tree on stage, my “broken” leg extended, talking with Santa Ana, a classroom buddy of mine with a Spanish surname. We did the show to celebrate Texas independence, not many miles from the actual place where the historical event had taken place.
Every day, thousands and thousands of vehicles and people drive through areas of Metropolitan Houston, little realizing they are driving over ground that has historical significance. Many have never visited the site where the Battle of Jacinto was fought in the war for Texas Independence. While there, they need to take the time to visit one of the greatest battleships that ever sailed, the Battleship Texas. History can come alive for us if we take the time to think about it.
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Blog from one year ago on San Jacinto Day