Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/96

 upon his wounded leg and fell to the earth. For the first time it was now discovered that he was wounded. Gen. Houston immediately called for Gen. Rusk, and gave to him the command. The officers of the staff of the General-in-Chief procured another horse and assisted him to remount. Gen. Rusk, with the newly formed company advanced upon the last remnant of the Mexican army. Almonte, its commander, saved the necessity of conflict, and came forward and promptly surrendered his sword.

The battle-field of San Jacinto was won.

No more strife was required. In a quarter of an hour a battle was fought and a victory won, which in the meagreness of the hosts engaged, and the amazing results which ensued are unparalleled in human history.

The wounded Houston cast a glance over the battle-field and said to his comrades: "I think now, gentlemen, we are likely to have no more trouble to-day, and I believe I will return to the camp."

Resistance to the arms of Texas ceased. The hero of San Jacinto with his party slowly rode from the field of victory to the oak at whose foot the deliverer of Texas had slept the previous night. A command was left to guard the spoils taken from the enemy. Victorious soldiers in crowds came to the commander-in-chief, as he was riding across the field, and slapping him familiarly and rudely on his wounded leg, cried out: "Now, ain't we brave fellows. General?" "Yes, boys, you have covered yourselves with glory, and I decree to you the spoils of victory; I will reward valor; I only claim to share the honors of our triumph with you,"

Before dismounting, while giving his orders after reaching the Texan encampment. Gen. Rusk appeared and presented his prisoner, Gen. Almonte. It was the first time that Houston and Almonte had ever met. It was the finishing stroke to a glorious victory. Exhausted from fatigue and loss of blood, Houston now fainted and fell from his second horse, but was caught by Col. Hockley in his arms, and laid down at the foot of the oak where he had bivouacked.

The bloody battle of San Jacinto was ended. In the annals of war, it is questionable whether it has a parallel.

Its immediate results were not insignificant. Its promise of the future was a symbol of almost boundless empire, changed geography and a perfection of civilization, embracing almost a whole hemisphere. The spoils of victory were indeed valuable to men who owned nothing in the morning but the arms which they carried, their scant and coarse clothing, and the resistless desire to be free and own a free country. "About 900 English muskets (besides a