April 21, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, April 21.
Easter was very late this year, almost as late as it can be in its calendar cycle. And so Resurrection Sunday was a next door neighbor to another great holiday. To all my readers who are native born Texans (and to all the rest who secretly wish they were) - Happy San Jacinto Day!
On March 2, 1836, a group of delegates met in a place called Washington on the Brazos, and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. Just four days later, at a mission in San Antonio, 2000 Mexican soldiers, led by General Santa Anna, massacred 200 brave Texians. The commander of the Alamo, William Barret Travis, died that day. My father’s first name was Travis - in his memory.
Six weeks later, General Sam Houston and his army caught up with Santa Anna in a marshy field located about 15 miles from modern day Houston. The cavalry was led by Mirabeau Lamar (my dad’s middle name was Lamar). Outnumbered again, they used the element of surprise to win the victory, in a battle lasting just 18 minutes. A victory that would echo not only in Texas history, but in the history of America.
The Battle of San Jacinto led, just a few years later, to the Mexican-American War, that led to the annexation of the western third of the United States. A huge monument rises above that battle field today - 570 feet high - the highest masonry structure in the world (and 13 feet higher than that one in Washington D.C.).
April 21, 1836 - a momentous day.
I hope your Easter Sunday was blessed, and wish you a happy San Jacinto Day!
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
