Campsite Marking Start of San Jacinto Campaign
Gonzales, Gonzales County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On March 11, 1836, Sam Houston, leader of Texas Revolutionary Forces, arrived here to organize the second volunteer army. On March 13, he heard of the massacre of Alamo defenders and that the Mexican army was advancing toward Gonzales. He ordered the town burned so that the enemy might find no food or shelter upon their arrival. He then marched east, establishing his next camp at "Sam Houston Oak" (10 miles east). After several weeks of maneuvering his forces into an advantageous position, he led them to victory at San Jacinto on April 21.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In March 1836, as the Texas Revolution reached its most desperate hour, Sam Houston reached Gonzales to muster a second volunteer army. Word arrived here of the fall of the Alamo and of Santa Anna's advance, and Houston ordered the town put to the torch before withdrawing eastward. That long, calculated retreat set the stage for the decisive Texian victory at San Jacinto on April 21.
Why it matters
This quiet campsite marks the anxious beginning of the campaign that won Texas its independence and reshaped the map of North America.
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Related people
- · Sam Houston
Related events
- · Texas Revolution
- · Battle of San Jacinto
Themes & tags
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Andrew Ponton came to Texas in 1829, settled in Green DeWitt's colony, and by 1834 served as alcalde—mayor—of Gonzales. When Mexican forces demanded the town's cannon in 1835, his delay in surrendering it helped spark the "Come and Take It" fight now remembered as the opening battle of the Texas Revolution. He also helped rally the Gonzales men, the "Immortal 32," who answered Travis's call and died at the Alamo, and he later served the Republic of Texas as a legislator and judge.
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