When is the Battle of San Jacinto?
Battle of San Jacinto is a national holiday in Nicaragua observed on September 14th each year.
It commemorates an important military victory that took place on this day in 1856.
This holiday is always followed by Nicaragua Independence Day on September 15th, creating a two-day break.
History of the Battle of San Jacinto
Nowadays the idea that a private individual from another country could turn up and effectively conquer your country seems highly unlikely, but this is what happened in Nicaragua in 1856.
William Walker was an American who organised private military expeditions into Latin America. He wanted to establish English-speaking colonies under his control. Walker and his followers were known as "filibusters".
Did you know?
The term "filibuster" is Spanish and was used to describe the Pirates who raided the coast of South America in the 18th and 19th centuries. You can see how it fitted what Walker was doing. Its modern use in English means delaying a political process in order to stop it.
Taking advantage of a civil war in Nicaragua, Walker and a modest force of 38 troops, conquered the key city of Granada and took control of the country in April 1956. His rule was even recognised as legitimate by the then U.S. President, Franklin Pierce.
The Battle of San Jacinto took place on the September 14th 1856 in Hacienda San Jacinto, Managua, Nicaragua between 160 soldiers of the Legitimist Septemtrion Army led by Colonel José Dolores Estrada versus 300 of Walker's filibusters. The filibusters were defeated by Colone Estrada after four hours of combat.
While the victory did not defeat Walker, it was the first significant victory for the legitimists and would prove to be the beginning of the end of the reign of the usurper.
A coalition of Central American armies finally ousted Walker from power in May 1857. He was arrested and repatriated to the U.S.
Did you know?
April 11th is a national holiday in Costa Rica that commemorates Walker's defeat at the decisive Battle of Rivas, and the key role played by the national hero, Juan Santamaría.
One thing to say about Walker is that he was persistent. In 1860, he returned once again to Central America to take control of the region. He was captured and executed by the government of Honduras.
This first day of the two patriotic holidays is marked by the president awarding the Presidential Medallion to the best students and teachers from around the country. The national flag is flown at all schools and the national anthem is played across the country.
