The Plain of San Jacinto, April 21, 1836

San Jacinto Battle Flag

When rebellion erupted in Texas in late 1835, Sidney Sherman of Kentucky decided to raise a company of volunteers to join the fray. He sold his real estate and manufacturing firms to generate the capital needed for equipping his men, the Newport Rifles. He recruited 52 men and drilled them on the Newport Barracks parade ground across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio. A group of Cincinnati ladies presented him and his men with a battle flag emblazoned with the goddess liberty and the words "Liberty or Death". After the flag was accepted by volunteer James Austin Sylvester, a young lady donated her long, white, evening glove to the cause. Sylvester tied the glove to the top of the flag staff and this glove, along with the flag accompanied the volunteers to Texas. When Sherman and his company boarded the steamboat Augusta at the Newport wharf on December 31, 1835, thousands lined both banks of the Ohio and sent them off with cheers.

The Texas Army mustered the Newport Rifles into its 2nd Regiment and elected Sherman to be their commander in March 1836. The 2nd Regiment joined General Houston's outnumbered force at San Jacinto. Texas independence appeared doomed as Santa Anna moved his army of 1200 against Houston and his army of 900. All knew they could suffer the same fate as those at the Alamo if they failed.

On April 21, 1836 Houston attacked Santa Anna’s camp and the only flag carried was the banner from Cincinnati, now known as the San Jacinto Battle Flag. The surprise assault unnerved Santa Anna's forces and although Santa Anna tried to escape by disguising himself in a private's uniform, he was found the next day by the self same James Austin Sylvester who had accepted the flag in Cincinnati. Sylvester is buried in the State Cemetery in Austin Texas.

Col. Charles M. Yates