Marking the Texas state holiday of San Jacinto Day on April 21, 2016, the Bullock Museum will display together for the first time in 180 years five historic flags present at the Battle of San Jacinto. Fought on April 21, 1836 near present-day Houston, the battle was the decisive conflict of the Texas Revolution.
Flags that will be on view at the museum include the Newport Rifles Company battle flag, three Mexican battalion flags — Matamoros, Toluca and Guerrero — and a Mexican guidon.
“It’s an honor to display these flags together for the first time since the Battle of San Jacinto,” said Bullock Museum Director Dr. Victoria Ramirez. “The battle marks a pivotal moment in Texas history that fundamentally shaped the state’s identity and path forward. Each flag represents the aspirations of the soldiers and nations that carried them and is a tangible reminder of the struggles faced by both Texans and Mexicans during the Texas Revolution.”
Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto — a fight that lasted 18 minutes. The victory ended the Texas Revolution, which began in October 1835 when the first shot was fired at the Battle of Gonzalez. The outcome of the San Jacinto battle gained Texas its independence from Mexico.
