John Coker

John Coker (1789–1851) was a soldier in the Texas Army during the Texas Revolution, noted for a daring action during the Battle of San Jacinto that helped seal the decisive Texian victory.

John Coker was born in Laurens County, South Carolina. He moved from South Carolina to Texas in 1834 and applied for land in Stephen F. Austin’s colonies (4).

Coker served in the Texas army from March 6 to September 5, 1836. He was a member of Captain Henry Wax Karnes' Company and served in Erastus Deaf Smith’s spy company in the Battle of San Jacinto. He was one of a party of seven men who burned Vince's Bridge and kept Antonio López de Santa Anna’s army from retreat or reinforcement, thus assuring the Texan victory (5).

Young Perry Alsbury, who was also at Vince's Bridge, in an 1858 letter to Congressman Grimes stated “While sitting in our saddles, John Coker, my left file-leader, made the following remark and the suggestions following: "Boys, before many hours we will have one of the damndest, bloodiest fights that ever was fought and I believe it would be a good plan to go and burn that bridge so as not only to impede the advance of reinforcements of the enemy, but it will cut off all chance of retreat of either party (2)."

Deaf Smith knew more about the lay of the land in and around the San Jacinto battle grounds than any man in Sam Houston's army. So when he went to Houston and told him of Coker’s idea that unless the bridge over Vince's Bayou was burned, the enemy could keep on getting reinforcements and, if defeated, Santa Anna would cross the bridge and escape to wait for those reinforcements and come back. Houston agreed with this plan, but said, "You will have to pass within 100 yards (100 m) of the Mexican cavalry and they will cut you to pieces." Smith told him that if he would permit him to take six men, he would burn the bridge or perish in the attempt(4).

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