The Texas VLB Celebrates San Jacinto Day

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The Texas Veterans Land Board celebrates today, April 21st, as the 185th anniversary of the freedom Texas earned at the Battle of San Jacinto. What many Texans might not realize is that a group of Tejanos dedicated to the idea of liberty fought on the side of Texas, not Mexico. Leading these brave men was one of the fathers of the Republic of Texas, Juan Seguín.

Seguín, born in San Antonio, had been among the defenders of the Alamo but was sent away on an important courier mission when the Alamo fell and all its defenders were killed by Santa Anna’s Mexican Army. In response, Seguín became even more dedicated to the concept of a free and independent Texas, and he organized a group of Tejano soldiers to fight the invading Mexican army. They fought in many battles, but none more important than the battle on April 21, 1836.

In the days leading up to the Battle of San Jacinto, Seguín’s unit had served as the rear guard of Sam Houston’s army, which is a prestigious position that is only given to the most trustworthy of troops. On the day of the battle, the Tejano unit, the only one in the Texas Army, fought bravely in the 18-minute battle, and then followed the retreating Mexican Army until they passed over the Rio Grande River, ensuring their departure from Texas.

“They are Texans. In some respects, they thought about Texas the way modern, conservative politicians think about Texas. They wanted as little interference as possible from a centralist government in Mexico,” said J.F. de la Teja, a noted Seguín historian who heads Texas State University’s Center for the Study of the Southwest.

Following that battle, Seguín accepted the Mexican surrender of San Antonio on June 4, 1836, and served as the city’s military commander through the fall of 1837; during this time he directed burial services for the remains of the Alamo dead. He then served in the Texas Senate until 1840, the only one of Mexican-descent to be in that august body during that time.

After that point, his story becomes more complicated. He served in both the Texas and Mexican armies, although he claimed that he only served for the Mexican government under duress. He did return to Texas after the Mexican-American War, despite the risk of serious consequences, and was deeply involved in local politics in Bexar County. He retired to Nuevo Laredo to live closer to a son and died there in 1890. In 1974, his remains were returned to Texas, where they were interred with honors in his namesake town of Seguin, on American Independence Day, July 4th.

No matter what happened later in his life, Juan Seguín was a Texas hero and served bravely in the Battle of San Jacinto, which changed the course of history, both in Texas and worldwide. The Veterans Land Board salutes this native son and celebrates San Jacinto Day as the day Texas actually sealed, not just declared her independence.

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