Final answer:
Santa Anna's troops retreated after the Battle of San Jacinto when General Sam Houston took them by surprise and forced Santa Anna to sign treaties ending the conflict.
Step-by-step explanation:
After two days of fighting between General Taylor's troops and Santa Anna's troops, it was Santa Anna's forces that retreated. The Texas Revolution, marked by the pivotal Battle of San Jacinto, ended notoriously as General Sam Houston's forces took Santa Anna by surprise. Houston's victory was solidified when he forced Santa Anna to sign the Treaties of Velasco, which effectively concluded the conflict and led to Santa Anna's retreat and the withdrawal of Mexican forces.
The costly defeats at Goliad and the Alamo, along with this decisive battle led by Houston, signified the beginning of the end for Mexican military efforts in Texas. The Texas army under Houston proved its strategic superiority despite being outnumbered and outgunned throughout the revolution. Santa Anna's retreat was emblematic of the larger Mexican retreat from Texas, which eventually resulted in the formation of the Lone Star Republic after futile attempts to reclaim its northern province.