Sam Houston Memorial Museum Blog

 Surrendering the Sword

By Michael C. “Mikey” Sproat, Curator of Collections

From his time in Tennessee in the U.S. Army through his military career in Texas, Sam Houston owned several swords. At the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, he had one sword in the battle, and in the days following the battle, he was given Santa Anna’s captured sword. In the Sam Houston Memorial Museum collection, on display is that Santa Anna sword. This elaborately curved sabre and scabbard was presented to Houston following the battle as a token of esteem, namely in appreciation for Houston’s leadership.

Santa Anna, however, was unnerved. He had good cause to be concerned for his life as a captive when taken as a prisoner the day after San Jacinto. His precedent while President of Mexico and general of the Mexican army was to take no prisoners and ravage any non-combatants. All survivors from the Alamo mission in San Antonio were ordered to be killed in early March 1836, as were prisoners at Presidio La Bahia in Goliad later that same month. Similar reports about Santa Anna’s treatment of prisoners were given about battles from the year before in the Mexican states of Guanajuato, Yucatan, and Zacatecas. Following San Jacinto, the surrender of the Santa Anna sword meant no more tyranny from an oppressive centralist dictator and ushering in a time of peace and prosperity under a federal government in the newly created Republic of Texas.

Four years later on May 9, 1840, Sam Houston married Margaret Lea of Alabama. He ‘surrendered his sword’ and gave her a gift. It was a gold pin in the shape of a sword decorated with pearl seed beads, with their names and marriage date inscribed on the back side of the sword blade and scabbard. 

Sam was ready to enter a new chapter in his life, one of peace and prosperity. He put his military career behind him and entered into a public service career that thrust him and his family into state and national politics. 

This pin was donated in 2020 as a gift of Linda J. and William. E. Reeves of Edna, Texas. To view the pin on display, and to learn more about how you can help with the collection at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, come visit us. We love to talk about our hero Sam Houston.