of the small force under his command. The town of Bexar, on the San Antonio River, was defended by a garrison of about one hundred and seventy-five men, under Colonel W. B. Travis. In his company was the renowned pioneer, David Crockett, the famous duellist, Colonel James Bowie, and other daring frontiersmen. At Goliad was a party of over four hundred, under Colonel Fannin. Houston was at Gonzales, with less than four hundred men under his immediate command.

Santa Anna crossed the Rio Grande early in 1836, and marched against the Texan volunteers. Bexar came first in his line of march. It was hopeless for the few men there to face his thousands, but not a man of them was ready to retreat. They took refuge in the Alamo, an old mission station near the town, surrounded by walls three feet thick and eight feet high. Within these walls were a stone church and several other buildings.

For two weeks the brave little garrison defended their fortress. Bombs and balls fell in showers within the walls and many of the defenders were slain, but the assailants suffered far more seriously. At length the Texans grew too few to defend the extended walls, over which on the morning of March 6th the Mexican stormers swarmed. Travis, Crockett, and the others left alive fought them like lions, but when the fight ended all still alive were massacred by Santa Anna's command.

A few days afterwards the cruel Mexicans appeared at Goliad and began a siege of that place. Colonel Fannin, knowing that he was too weak to defend it, and solemnly promised protection by Santa Anna, soon surrendered. The tigerish nature of the Mexican dictator was quickly revealed. False to his pledge, he

had his captives divided into several companies, marched a short distance out of town and shot down like dogs by the Mexican troops, not a man escaping. Santa Anna was garnering a harvest of wrath against himself.

These savage atrocities discouraged the patriots and Houston now found it difficult to gain recruits. The country was in a state of panic. Settlers abandoned their homes and fled in fright at the approach of the Mexicans. Houston's few hundred men were all that remained in arms and terror invaded even these, so that desertions were frequent. To gain time to fill his ranks he was forced to retreat, slowly falling back, watching the foe, and finally taking position on Buffalo Bayou, a deep and narrow stream flowing into the San Jacinto, about twenty miles southeast of the present city of Houston. Here he formed his lines and awaited the Mexicans, determined to make a desperate stand for his cause.

The Texans numbered less than seven hundred and fifty men. The Mexicans, who soon approached, were nearly eighteen hundred strong. But the patriots had heard of the bloody work at Goliad and the Alamo and were burning with indignation. "There's the enemy,' said Houston: "do you wish to fight?"

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We do!" they roared in reply.

"Then bear in mind that it is for liberty or death; remember the Alamo!"

At this moment a lieutenant galloped up, shouting, "I've cut down Vince's bridge."

Both armies had used this bridge in approaching. Houston had ordered its destruction, thus cutting off the main channel of escape for the vanquished. Like Cortez he had "burnt his ships behind him." Forward

the patriots marched until within sixty paces of the Mexican lines. Then a shower of balls greeted them, but with little harm, for the Mexicans had fired high. But one bullet struck General Houston's ankle, inflicting a very painful wound. Yet though bleeding and suffering he kept resolutely in his saddle till the end of the day.

The Texans reserved their fire and dashed on furiously, not firing a shot till they could deliver their volleys in the very faces of the foe. There was no time to reload, for they were on the war-path of vengeance, and they rushed forward, clubbing their rifles, for they had no bayonets. This fierce assault took the Mexicans by surprise and threw them into an instant panic. Falling on every side, they broke and fled, hotly pursued by the infuriated Texans. It was now half past four of April 21. The pursuit ended only with the shades of night, and not until the victory was complete. Of Houston's men only seven had been killed and twenty-three wounded. The Mexicans had six hundred and thirty-two killed and wounded, and more than seven hundred of the remainder, including Santa Anna himself, were made prisoners.

The victory of San Jacinto set Texas free. Houston was its hero and was hailed as the father of the young republic, which was organized into an independent nation, he being elected its first President. He was re-elected for a second term in 1841. He had married again in 1840, and lived very happily with his second wife, to whom he was deeply attached, often saying that to her he owed his chief honor and happiness. The secret cause of his separation from his first wife he never revealed.

Texas was annexed to the United States in 1845, an