One hundred and sixty soldiers of the Legitimist Septentrion Army, led by Colonel José Dolores Estrada, fought 300 Nicaraguan filibusters of William Walker, led by Lieutenant Colonel Byron Cole.

The battle marked the end of Walker's expedition to Nicaragua.

[1] The 14th of September, the date of the battle, is celebrated as a national holiday in Nicaragua.

[2] A column of 60 Matagalpa Indians, armed with bows and arrows, made a decisive contribution to the expedition's defeat.

In 2012, the "Indios Flecheros de Matagalpa" were declared National Heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto by the Congress of the Republic of Nicaragua, which also ordered that statue be erected in their honor.