Valentine Burch
Chester, Tyler County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Detailed to guard the camp near Harrisburg, April 21, 1836. Born in Kentucky in 1814; died in 1895. Erected by the State of Texas 1936
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This marker honors Valentine Burch, a Kentucky-born settler who stood among the men of the fledgling Texas army on April 21, 1836 — the day of the Battle of San Jacinto, where Sam Houston's forces won Texas its independence from Mexico. Detailed to guard the camp near Harrisburg rather than charge the field, Burch was part of the supporting cast whose vigilance made the decisive victory possible. He lived on into the 1890s, and the State of Texas set this stone during the 1936 Centennial to remember him.
Why it matters
San Jacinto secured the independence of the Republic of Texas and reshaped the map of North America; markers like this preserve the memory of the ordinary volunteers, not just the generals, who made it happen.
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Related people
- · Valentine Burch
Related events
- · Battle of San Jacinto
- · Texas Revolution
Themes & tags
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