Battle of San Jacinto is a national holiday in Nicaragua celebrated on September 14th each year. This holiday commemorates an important military victory that took place on this day in 1856. The battle was fought 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 Colonel 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. San Jacinto Day is a major patriotic holiday in Nicaragua due to its occurring at a key juncture in the nation’s long history. It is always followed by Nicaragua Independence Day on September 15th, creating a two-day break.