W. C. Peters of Louisville submitted “Santa Anna’s Retreat from Buena Vista” on December 30, 1848. It appears the song had already been published because it was advertised for sale in the Louisville Daily Dispatch on August 8, 1848.

According to Evelyn Foster Mornweck’s The Chronicles of Stephen Foster’s Family: 

Lately, Stephen had been branching out in his musical field, and endeavoring to compose parlor pieces more suitable for young ladies to play for their friends than his rather rowdy minstrel songs. “Santa Anna’s Retreat from Buena Vista” (copyrighted December 30, 1848, by W. C. Peters, Louisville) is written on this pattern, and might just as suitably have been named “General Scott Occupies Mexico City.” There are some military effects produced by descending with the left hand in heavy octaves and twinkling along high up in the treble with the right.