[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6514-6515]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            SAN JACINTO DAY

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, April 21 is known as San Jacinto Day in Texas. 
In 1836, Texas was in a fight for independence from the dictator of 
Mexico, Santa Anna. On March 6, 1836, 186 volunteers from all races had 
fought and died at the Alamo trying to hold off the massive invading 
armies of Santa Anna. Meanwhile, General Sam Houston was forming an 
army of Texans and Tejanos--Tejanos were Texans of Mexican descent--to 
stand and fight the three invading armies of Mexico.
  Finally, on the swampy, marshy plains of southeast Texas where the 
San Jacinto River meets Buffalo Bayou, General Sam and the boys took a 
stand. In broad daylight in midafternoon on April 21, 1836, the 
volunteers for Texas freedom charged a Mexican army over twice their 
number. This fierce bunch of frontiersmen from all the States 
overwhelmingly defeated the invaders.
  In 18 minutes, Texas had won independence and the largest amount of 
land in North American history changed hands because of a single 
battle.
  Texas remained a free and independent republic for 9 years, electing 
General Sam as its first president.

[[Page 6515]]

Then Texas was admitted to the U.S. by just one vote. And the rest, as 
they say, is Texas history.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________