Major Isaac Watts Burton
Crockett, Houston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Veteran of San Jacinto Commander of the "Horse Marines" in June, 1836 A Senator in the Congress of the Republic 1836-1839 Born in Georgia in 1805 Died in January, 1843 Erected by the State of Texas 1936
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Isaac Watts Burton was a soldier of the Texas Revolution who fought at San Jacinto in 1836 and then led a cavalry company nicknamed the "Horse Marines" for its daring seizure of Mexican supply vessels along the Gulf coast. He went on to serve in the Congress of the young Republic of Texas from 1836 to 1839, one of the founding generation who tried to build a functioning nation out of a hard-won independence. The State of Texas raised this marker in 1936, the centennial of the revolution he helped win.
Why it matters
Burton embodies the improvised, citizen-soldier character of Texas's fight for independence and the fragile republic that followed before U.S. annexation.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
In 1836 Texas was fighting for its independence from Mexico. It was a short, desperate war. The fall of the Alamo and the killings at Goliad were followed by the Texian victory at San Jacinto in April, where General Santa Anna's army was routed and Santa Anna himself was captured.
That victory did not end the danger right away. Mexico never recognized Texas independence, and in the months after San Jacinto Texans feared a new invasion. Guarding the long Gulf coastline, where supplies and troops could arrive by sea, became an urgent concern.
What followed was the Republic of Texas, an independent nation that lasted nearly ten years. It had to build a government from nothing, with little money, a small population and threats on several frontiers, until it was annexed to the United States in 1845.
People & events
Isaac Watts Burton was born in Georgia in 1805. Like many Texas revolutionaries, he came from the American South to seek opportunity on the Mexican frontier. When war broke out he took up arms, and he fought at San Jacinto, the battle that won Texas its independence.
In June 1836, Burton commanded a mounted company that earned one of the most colorful nicknames of the era: the "Horse Marines." Patrolling the coast, his horsemen captured Mexican supply vessels off the Texas shore, an unlikely feat for cavalry that made them famous. The episode sums up the improvised spirit of the Texas cause, where soldiers did whatever the moment needed.
Burton then helped build the new nation he had fought for, serving as a senator in the Congress of the Republic from 1836 to 1839. He died in January 1843, before Texas joined the United States. The State of Texas honored him with this marker in 1936, during the centennial of the revolution.
Its place in the American story
The Texas Revolution and the Republic that followed are a major chapter in the story of American expansion. Texas independence set the stage for annexation in 1845. That in turn led to the U.S.-Mexican War and a vast change in the map of North America.
Burton's career traces that path in one life: a Southern-born settler, a soldier at the decisive battle, a creative commander on the coast and a lawmaker in a young, fragile republic. Many of the Republic's founders were citizen-soldiers like him, not professional officers or career politicians.
The marker itself is part of history too. In 1936 Texas celebrated its centennial by placing many monuments and markers across the state. That effort shaped how Texans remember the revolution to this day.
If you visit
This is a quiet, reflective stop. Take a moment with the marker and think about the long arc of Burton's life, from Georgia to San Jacinto to the halls of a republic that no longer exists.
Notice the style of the centennial-era marker. The 1936 monuments have a distinctive look, and spotting them becomes a small game on any Texas road trip. Each one shows how the state chose to honor its founders a century after independence.
Crockett is one of the older towns in East Texas, and it makes a good base for exploring the region's piney woods and early history. Combine this stop with other nearby historic sites for a day spent tracing Texas's journey from Mexican frontier to independent republic.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
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Related people
- · Isaac Watts Burton
Related events
- · Battle of San Jacinto
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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