After the fall of the Alamo on March 6, 1836, Gen. Sam Houston led the Texan Army in retreat from Gonzales as 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, crossing present southwest Harris County and an uninhabited prairie before reaching Harrisburg on April 15. The Mexicans burned Harrisburg on April 17 and continued marching east. Houston's army arrived at Buffalo Bayou opposite Harrisburg on April 18 and 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 three Mexicans in this vicinity, including Capt. Miguel Bachiller, a courier, and a guide. 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.