Santa Anna had killed the people at the Alamo, and later had done the same to others who thought when they surrendered they would get fair treatment, and now he had played cat and mouse with General Houston, and his farmers and ordinary men. He had them now by LynchBurg, as Houston was trying to get help by the newly found government of Texas, in Washington, Texas. You have to know that mostly traders, farmers, and cattle drivers, Americans and foreigners, plus Indians, were really the population of Tejas, (pronounced by the Mexican as Tay- hah) a colony that Mexico held. The Americans wanted to break away from Mexico, after Santa Anna became dictator and started the whole corruption of Mexico, and he made them really irritated. So they declared Independence. And now Santa Ann was chasing them, and they had a lot of skirmishes as they tried and tried to get closer. At the battle of San Jacinto, with the Texans on high ground, by the river, away from Washington, in the early morning, Houston and his regular guys who were just really passionate, surprised the Mexican army in their sleep and took them down. Only three guys on Houston's side died, and a lot more on the Mexican side. So guess what? Santa Anna survived, and was brought to Houston. Houston actually let Santa Anna go, if they would let Texas become independent and not order any more troops toward them. Even though killing all the people at the Alamo and being a ruthless dictator, he lived actually to a grand old age, sorry jerk. Anyway, so we were going to go San Jacinto on the 28th to learn about this heroic battle, and drove in the jeep, all dressed in our finest clothes. I wore the cowboy thing again, this time with a brown jacket, because we were in Texas. On our way over we passed by those gas factories, and then also saw a giant white thing that looked like the Washington Monument. There were some people on a ferry, and they let us get on, then telling us to turn our engine off. In the middle of this was a box that had staircases, and they put up a gate as we slowly drifted away from the platform, filled with a lot of different stuff. Ropes, cables, machines to push us. Then we drifted along the small bay, seeing different boats of sort and things like that. We didn't get out of our car, and it wasn't long either, only about 3 minutes maybe. After drifting, we came to the other side, got off, and drove off. Then, we saw the Monument of San Jacinto.
There was a long blue pool, rectangular, and then there was a pinnacle, pretty much exactly like the Washington Monument, except there was a huge bulging star, 3-d, that was on top of it. We drove over there, in the parking lot leading up to the stairs to the monument. Mom decided to stay in, for she thought it wouldn't be too interesting and she was not feeling so good, with a cough and a headache. Very understandable indeed. So, us three, went up the steps, as an African American family went up the steps too. Dad took their picture as they thanked us. Throughout the whole visit, they would annoy us a lot. But I'll talk about that later. Trudging up the steps, we then looked up and around, seeing the inscription and reading all about the war and such. Hard to read but good literature. After going to the left and right, and then finishing reading this inscription, which was very old in fact. After that, we walked through two wooden doors, thinking maybe this would be like Abraham Lincoln's tomb, silent, eerie, but pretty in it's own right. We had no idea what would be waiting for us. As we walked in, we saw a domed lobby, with a door going forward, a door to the right, a door to the left, wide open, and on the left front a counter with young lady and computer. We walked towards her, as we asked what was here. "Well, there's the gallery full of artifacts, (she then named the prices) a movie telling you all about it, and a special exhibit, and on the tenth floor is where you can look all over San Jacinto."
Dad decided to do all of it, the gallery being free, the movie a little bit, and then there was the tenth floor, or the ride to it, that we payed for. For some reason, although the special exhibit had nothing to do with the War or even the battle, Dad payed for that also. It was people of Texas who made their mark. Interesting but nothing to do with what we were here to do. Oh well. But anyway, we decided to use our good thirty minutes or less to look at the gallery, or the museum, if you will. Already people had told us that EVERYTHING was bigger in Texas, so now looking at the museum we were going to put that to the test. Now, we turned right and faced many glass cases with artifacts in them, and also panels telling about them. There were a few areas where you could have them on all sides and then there was cases all along the left wall, plus a little table with a cash register and a lady. Well, we looked a little at this, and I read everything, as is my style, reading about how the Spaniards founded Mexico, conquered all the Native Americans, and then founded the colony of Mexico. It talked about in turn how the Mexicans actually declared independence from the Spaniards, which ironically in turn made the Texans revolt and get away from Mexico. It talked about notorious people, maps and guns, plus sabers also. Very interesting.
There were also some Bibles and robes, from the Catholic priests that accompanied the conquistadors. Even though the place was specially about the battle, this was cool because I learned a lot from it and I knew not much of the information. Then it talked about how the Spainards had a war going on and how they let Mexico revolt, and then I read a little bit about a guy named Stephen Austin who's dad was told to settle a colony of 300 Americans in what was known as Tejas, (or TAY-HOSS) but due to his untimely death, Stephen went in his place. It was very interesting, but then sadly Dad found me, and said we would come back after the movie. Then,we went to the right of the little lobby, and waited as a person took other people's tickets. Everyone knows that feeling of boredom when standing in a line. But eventually we came into an up floor theater, with a stage and podium. We couldn't do the first two rows, because they were reserved for the wheelchair accessible. On the screen was a cool title saying: TEXAS in awesome text and lettering. Some people came up the stairs and a woman tripped, and Dad joked with them a little before it settled down, the lights dimmed, and a man came up and explained some things. Then the movie began.
The movie was very well made, with maps and reenactments, plus animated features. It went over the whole Alamo thing, plus the whole thing I had read a little bit about in the museum, the founding of Texas and social tensions specially. Also about some people arrested, and how Texas revolted and called for independence. Then the movie began to focus on how Santa Anna came up and chased the Texan army of regular day people, farmers and traders who wanted a change(it seems that in every independence war those guys win, the American Revolution, The French Revolution, and now the Texan revolution.) Cat and mouse was interesting, with some battles and many cowardly retreats. It all came up to the final battle at Lynchburg, or San Jacinto, anyhow. The Mexican army, in all there big tall hats and muskets and army uniforms, put a flag up saying no mercy. There were a few skirmishes between the Texans and the Mexicans, but no really good ones. Santa Anna laid his stuff down, saying that they wouldn't attack any time soon, and we saw the big field, where the Texans had the high ground and the Mexicans were by all the trees. It was like three o clock. The battle would only last 18 minutes. And then, it happened.
But before we get to that, let's talk about the Texans side. They were all ancy for battle after all the retreating, and Houston had to make a decision about what he was going to do. Help wasn't on the way any time soon, but he had to avenge those at the Alamo, and also he couldn't keep this up forever. Would the Mexican win this war and take the unprepared and not military guys out? Or would the Texans prevail on this hope against hope mission? Only time, would tell. But as I was saying, it happened. A young boy of only 16 blew a trumpet, as thousands of desperate soldiers, with guns firing and swords waving, came down upon the snoozing and in tents Mexicans, who's guns were up in a triangle, kind of like a tee pee. Caught off guard, they grabbed their guns, sweating and their hearts racing. Some were shot as lead bullets came into their chests, and blood splattered across their bodies. Instant or very quick death. Others were not so lucky, running and retreating into the woods, as they were shot by a gun in their foot and had to go away and away, and then slowly decay off in the woods somewhere, scared, alone, and ready to die but death being so far away. Others were pierced by swords, as amazingly only three Texans died in the battle. Santa Anna, survived.
He was brought toward the camp of Houston, in handcuffs, rifles against his back and blood in his clothes. He, the self-called "Napoleon of the West", had been defeated by a couple of traders, country men, farmers, and dirty Americans! You couldn't imagine the shame and loss of dignity that this great Mexican faced. He could not look anyone in the eye without some sense of no pride. Most of his dudes were dead, and Houston, after Santa Anna being so merciless to the people at the Alamo and others, was probably going to execute him on the spot. Santa Anna spat. As he came toward the camp, Houston talked to him calmly, and said that Santa Anna could go home, and if he didn't terrorise the Texans or do anything bad, and called all his troops back, then he could go home. Santa Anna did go home, but he didn't keep his word. I have so many mean names I could call him, but I'd rather not, it wouldn't make for a good blog post. So I will call him a sorry jerk, as he lived to like 81 years, in a good little cottage. Jerk. Anyhow, we watched the wonderful movie, with the real live action people, and the good narration. It flowed like a canoe on the Great Lakes, very graceful plot and order. I really liked it. I could see it again. And again. And then one more time. Between long intervals, of course.
So after the movie, we went through some other doors and came out into a gift shop. No time. We must now go onto the tenth floor, and see the whole area over the rivers, and it would kind of be like maybe Bunker Hill (without walking up hundreds of stairs, and that isn't an exaggeration) or the Arch of St. Louis, where in one we went up stairs and in the other we traveled up a kind of Ferris wheel compartment. Read those blogs for more information. But anyway, we stood in a large area, as this place was all one big circle, with the lobby right behind us. There were many paintings of the battle and also little dioramas that were all around, and we looked closely at them for a few minutes before the elevator dinged and the doors opened up. Some other people went in, as we moved to the front of the line, where all the rope was separating. A few minutes later we got in for the real time, with a grey haired man with jacket who also had a stool in the front corner. There was a book called Texas, by James Micherner or some name. I had seen one of his books,"The Source" in Trenton, ME, and had then seen it at my Aunt's house, the Jeff Jordan Clan's book. From then on I had seen the book he had in his hand and others written by this illustrious author. But we talked to the guy, and he said he rarely get's bored, as we sped up to the tenth floor, looking out the little slot windows and seeing staircases, utility supplies, electric stuff, and staircases, All concrete. And then the doors opened, again.
There was a low ceiling room, with carpet and many people, like the family we'd taken the picture for. It was kind of like a half circle, in a way, with a small T.V. showing a movie and big window places, plus those things you step on the platform and look into the silver thing where you put in the coins, and you can see very far. There were also panels telling about the area's produce and what there manufacturing is, as well as who made it and the dimensions. Because of the star, the Texas Monument is bigger than the Washington Monument, which is funny. Just goes to show that everything is bigger in Texas. EVERYTHING. Well, we would see if this statement rang true in the later days of the trip. Now, we watched the little movie, which was basically a shortened version of the movie downstairs, focusing only on the battle, not all the background. Then I looked out of those windows, and saw the whole town of San Jacinto, with all the boats and barges and factories, and the glittering city of Houston, with all the skyscrapers, in the back. Everything looked smaller than toy boats, all the bridges and towns and little buildings and everything, it was so funny to look down on it and it be so tiny. I felt on top of the world. This feeling was a little bit of old hat for me, because I had been this high before, but one never really forgets that feeling. Ever.
We took pictures on our phones and cameras, our only sadness that Mom was once again not here with us (She hadn't come in the St. Louis Arch because she was afraid). We put the coins in, looking to the far left and seeing a neighborhood and all the gas stuff, and to our front being all the shipping and river things. Then to the far right just water and some sailboats. It was a beautiful view with the sun coming down on the water and reflecting the rooftops of all the houses, like in a dream, or in Peter Pan, as they looked over London, in our own little world, away from the trials of the earth, sky giants, on our own island, laughing at the foolishments of men. We stood there in this special little moment, smiling and liking the time together, but soon Dad told us of it about to be 1 or 2 and that we needed to go on a battleship later, so we had to get off eventually. We went back down into the elevator, and stayed for a little while down in the museum part, looking at busts of Houston and learning about his past. Then I read a little about Antonio de Papua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez Lebrón, and how he rose to power and destoryed their constitution, creating himself as dictator. I learned his full name, wrote it down in my phone, and that's how I now have it. I just can't believe how long of a name that is. It would be like Andrew David Paul Anthony John Peter William Jordan Bourne, or something of the sort. And I made that up. My name isn't really that.
I finished up reading in that little room, and we passed by the vacant table guarding the special exhibit, dropping our tickets down, to signify we were honest people. We read a little bit about people who made their mark in Texas, like the space program and sports people, plus mayors. We didn't stay in there long, so I don't think it was worth it. We circled around and went into the opposite side of the monument, inside, and looked a little in a gift shop, where there was a lot of cooking stuff and t-shirts. I took a picture of a book about Andrew Jackson I thought of getting after the trip, not ready for it yet. I've been doing that lately. I also texted a girl named Lauren, but I'll explain more about her in another blog post. We then excited that way, having bought really nothing, and went outside. On those steps I foolishly walked and walked, and then looked down, after looking at a lady I thought looked like Mom for a long time. I was about to walk into air, and fall down to a little green corner. I sighed, and told Dad and Rebecca. They wouldn't of known either. All tired, we got in the car, as Mom told us she had gone in later, needing to go to the restroom, and also talked to many people on the phone. We told her we wished she had gone up with us, up on the tenth floor, and had also seen the movie, as we explained the battle. Searching for somewhere to eat, and thirsty and a little tired from walking around. But that, as we would find out later, would have to wait. Dad was planning to now go to the Battleship Texas. And that would be one of the biggest ships we would see on the whole trip. It would be one more reason to say: Everything is bigger in Texas.
TO BE CONTINUED....(SEE "SAN JACINTO WAR MONUMENT AND BATTLESHIP TEXAS PART 2" FOR THE END OF THE STORY.)
Antonio de Papua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez Lebrón! Boy that's a long name! In middle school he must of needed like a whole page to write it,
Andrew.
Andrew.
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