Texan Capture of Mexican Dispatchers

The San Jacinto campaign in southwest Harris County. After the fall of the Alamo on March 6, 1836, Gen. Sam Houston led the Texan army in retreat from Gonzales. The Mexican army under Gen. Santa Anna followed eastward from San Antonio. On April 14, while Houston's army was north of him, Santa Anna led a division of his army from the Brazos River near present Richmond to Harrisburg. He crossed present southwest Harris County, then an uninhabited prairie, and reached Harrisburg (12 miles east of this site) on April 15. The Mexicans burned Harrisburg on April 17 and continued marching east. Houston's army, arriving at Buffalo Bayou opposite Harrisburg on April 18, found the town in ruins, but did not know the whereabouts of the Mexican army. That day, Texan scouts led by Erastus "Deaf" Smith captured thee Mexicans, including Capt. Miguel Bachiller, a courier, and a guide in this vicinity. The prisoners and their dispatches revealed the location, size, and plans of the Mexican army. With this vital intelligence, Houston intercepted Santa Anna's March on april 20 and defeated his division with a surprise attack on April 21 at the San Jacinto River. The Battle of San Jacinto ended the Texas Revolution and secured the independent Republic of Texas. (1989) Sponsored by the Bellaire Historical Society

Texan Capture of Mexican Dispatchers is a historical marker in Bellaire, Harris County, dedicated in 1989. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7057, -95.4645 near Bellaire. The nearest cataloged historic site is Bellaire Presbyterian Church (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Bellaire Streetcar Line, Bellaire, and Teas Nursery Company.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5201010791. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.