The following official report of General Houston (fives the
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nstory of the battle of San Jacinto:
[Houston to Burnet, April 25, 1836]
A part of Santa Anna's army had been left on the Brazos under the command of General Felisola; Santa Anna begged that these troops might be permitted to leave the country without further molestation. To this General Houston consented. On the morning after the battle a runner was sent to the families who had encamped between the Trinity and San Jacinto rivers, about twenty miles from the baltlc ground, to let us know the fate of the battle. There were about one hundred and fifty or two hundred families there; after having received the joyful tidings we immediately left for our homes. We arrived on the cast bank of the Colorado on the 10th of the present month. Here all was gloom and desolation! Our once happy homes were now in ashes! The cattle had all been driven off and there was naught to welcome us back again to the homes which we had lcft but a few weeks before, All was stillness round and the angel of gloom seemed to be hanging over the once lovely place. A shudder ran through our frames on beholding the change. We were unable to realize that this was the place where we had spent so many days in peace and happiness! But enough; gladly would I shut out the sad scene from my memory, but this is impossible. We encamped on the east bank of the river feeling unwilling to cross over, there being but two or three families of us and no Americans west of the river. As we knew nothing where the Mexican army were, soon after our reaching the river in company with another gentleman, I rode down to the A toskosci ta crossing of the river to see if any vestiges of the Mexican army were there lo be seen. When we had nearly reached the crossing we heard a noise as of horsemen; we secreted ourselves in the timber, and soon learned it to be the Mexican army under Fclisola crossingtheriver on their way out of the country. We then rode back to our families and commenced constructing rafts to enable us to cross the river with our families. As soon as we judged the Mexicans to be entirely away from our part of the country and all danger removed from us, we crossed the river to the place where our homes had once stood. We have here built us camps in which we
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