The Soldiers of San Jacinto

Historians are Wrong...

At four o'clock one April afternoon in 1836, some 900 men, unwashed, underfed, caked with mud and dressed in rags, began a slow walk through knee-high grass. A half hour later they crested a low hill. What they did in the next eighteen minutes made our world possible. 

These were the Soldiers of San Jacinto.

They were the most dangerous group of men ever gathered on Texas soil. Not because they were born fighters. These were farmers, lawyers, and shopkeepers. But they had been pushed to the edge, run from their homes, their crops and houses burned. They did not know if their families where safe. They had lost close friends and family at the Alamo and Goliad. They were set for blood and had nothing to lose.

The Texian victory on the plain of San Jacinto changed the entire world. That's no hyperbole. Without the deeds of these men there would be no states of Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada or Colorado. Take away those eighteen minutes and there would be no superpower on the American continent.

Most historians will tell you that the Battle of San Jacinto was fought by newcomers from the United States who flooded across the border in search of land and glory when they heard a fight was brewing. And they are wrong.

J. B. McDonald did the all the footwork, gathering bits of information from hundreds of sources, and proved that it just wasn't so. And she did it back in 1922 when you couldn't find out much just sitting at your desk. She did it the old fashioned way, compiling 877 biographical entries and hand typing over 1900 footnotes. Unfortunately, her work sat buried in Austin for 78 years.

We dug it up and brought to life because it will lead to more original historical analysis of the Battle of San Jacinto by both professional and lay historians. It is also a boon to genealogists.

Here you get the information that could still be gathered on each of them, including: 

• Where they came from
• When they arrived in Texas
• Their occupations
• When they joined the army
• What family they had in Texas
• Whether they owned slaves, and how many
• What unit they fought with
• Where they settled in Texas

It also includes the most concise account of the the battle ever published, The Battle of San Jacinto in 900 Words, complete with maps showing how the action evolved over those eighteen minutes. It brings to battle to life in your mind's eye and gives you a real understanding of exactly what happened.

If you are a Republic of Texas history buff you should own this book. If you have deep Texas roots and are interested in genealogy, it should be in your library.

But, first and foremost, buy this book because you believe what happened on the field of San Jacinto must never be forgotten, and the men who fought there must be remembered. This is their book.

Physical Details

• The Soldiers of San Jacinto by Johnnie Belle McDonald
• The first historical analysis of the men who fought at San Jacinto
• Satin finish dustjacket
• 188 pages