Texas Tidbits: The Defenders of the Alamo Know Their Destiny Awaits Them, Day 10

Destiny

It's now March 3, 1836. Texas had declared her independence from Mexico and the defenders of the Alamo are watching as the Mexican Army under the command of General Santa Anna was steadily growing in numbers. 1000 more men had joined Santa Anna bringing the total number of troops ready to attack the Alamo to about 2400 men. The Texians inside the mission must have demoralized by such a sight. As Colonel Travis wrote in a letter sent to the Constitutional Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos, "Travis sent a courier that evening to the Convention with news that the Texians had thus far survived the siege with no losses. He warned, however, that: "I look to the colonies alone for aid; unless it arrives soon, I shall have to fight the enemy on his own terms. I will, however, do the best I can under the circumstances, and I feel confident that the determined valour and desperate courage, heretofore evinced by my men, will not fail them in the last struggle, and although they may be sacrificed to the vengeance of a Gothic enemy, the victory will cost the enemy so dear, that it will be worse for him than a defeat." Travis' words were eerily prophetic. He and his men had to know that they were sitting ducks, but still they displayed heroic resolve and courage in the face of astronomical odds. In three days their legacy would be legendary.

Wikipedia has more, " The reinforcements brought the number of Mexican soldiers in Bexar to almost 2,400.^[118]During the day, the Mexican army had erected a battery on the north side of the Alamo, within musket shot of the complex walls.^[111] Unlike previous bombardments, each shot from this battery impacted the walls, causing them to begin to crumble. By nightfall, part of the wall had begun to collapse, and Jameson kept the men working all night to shore up the walls with pieces of lumber.^[119]Almonte's journal reported that there was an engagement after dark on March 3, but that the Mexican troops had repulsed the assault.^[120] Several historians, including Walter Lord, speculated that the Texians were creating a diversion to allow Smith to escape.^[121] However, in 1876, Susannah Dickinson said that Travis sent three men out shortly after dark on March 3, probably in response to the arrival of the Mexican reinforcements. The three men, who Dickinson believed included Davy Crockett, were sent to find Fannin.^[122] Lindley stated that just before midnight, Crockett and one of the other men found the force of Texians waiting along Cibolo Creek, who had advanced to within 20 miles (32 km) of the Alamo. Just before daylight on March 4, part of the Texian force managed to break through the Mexican lines and enter the Alamo. A second group was driven across the prairie by Mexican soldiers.^[123] Lindley based his assumptions on two newspaper reports published within a month of the Alamo's fall that stated that 50 men had reinforced the Alamo a few days before the final assault."

I don't know about you, but I can almost feel what is going on at the Alamo as we go through the history of this battle. It is truly an extraordinary story - heroes facing certain death at the hands of a brutal man in Santa Anna, only to be avenged a few weeks later in a battle that would free Texas of Mexican rule. God bless those brave men. And may God continue to bless Texas.

Texas Declaration of Independence - March 2, 1836

A Republic is Born

Today is such an important day to all Texans, that I am going to forego my usual brilliant insight and Nobel-worthy prose, to take a back seat to those who are far more qualified than I to inform you on this 175th Birthday of the Texas Constitution. On March 2, 1836, forty-one men gathered in a shack in Washington-On-The-Brazos and hammered out a document. A document that changed history. It was the Texas Declaration of Independence


"In October 1835, settlers in Mexican Texas launched the Texas Revolution. However, within Texas, many struggled with understanding what was the ultimate goal of the Revolution. Some believed that the goal should be total independence from Mexico, while others sought the reimplementation of the Mexican Constitution of 1824 (which offered greater freedoms than the centralist government declared in Mexico the prior year).^[1] To settle the issue, a convention was called for March 1836. This convention differed from the previous Texas councils of 1832, 1833, and the 1835 Consultation. Many of the delegates to the 1836 convention were young men who had only recently arrived in Texas, although many of them had participated in one of the battles in 1835. Most of the delegates were members of the War Party and were adamant that Texas must declare its independence from Mexico.^[2] Forty-one delegates arrived in Washington-on-the-Brazos on February 28" says Wikipedia.

If you want to learn as much Texas History as you can in one stop, there are few places, if any, more informative that the archives at Texas A & M University. The Aggies do Texas Independence with the pride and enthusiasm you'd expect from them. From the Aggie Archives we find this on the convention that brought us a Declaration of Independence for Texas.

The Handbook of Texas Online has several interesting links to the Texas Declaration of Independence, so it that would be great place as well.

I know you'll enjoy the Texas History lesson you'll get at any of the links in this post. I'll have more to say later today, so until then...God bless Texas!

Adios,
Toby

Texas Tidbits: Daydreaming and Talking to God

Today is a day to which I look forward every year. Today is Texas Independence Day!!! I have grown to appreciate this magnificent date so much more as I have gotten older. I think that's because I have lived away from Texas for for about half of the last twenty-five years. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, maybe? Whatever the reason, I have an appreciation of my home state that has grown stronger over that time. I haven't been home in about six and a half years, so I look forward to when I can pack up my family and head home for a major road trip/learning experience. My little girls (4 & 8) will get to see and learn about their Daddy's heritage and what a special place Texas is and why I brag about Her so often.

When my Mom first moved to Colorado in 1986 (I think), I found a small jar and filled it up with dirt from Texas. I made a label for it and called it "A Little Hunk of Home". She still has that damn thing. In November 2004, when I last lived in Texas, I did the same thing for myself. Jar meet Texas dirt. I still have it. One small touch of that Sacred Soil and I can daydream of Texas. Daydreams of fishin' the creeks and ponds of East Texas. Walking off a few miles into the woods, seeing Texas at her most beautiful and having a good heart-to-heart talk with God. My talks with God always went the same way. He listened patiently to a flawed man seeking redemption through His everlasting Grace. He listened to a man who was humbled in His presence, like a son to his Father. He listened to man who has had a "colorful" life, thankful for the hard times as much as the good. The hard times always produced a teachable moment or two, the good times, not so much. God always had the time to listen and He always had the mercy to forgive me of my sins. Then God would listen to some of my fishin' stories and I'd have to make another date with Him for another talk. After all, a fisherman wouldn't stretch the truth, would he? :) Fish.Fear.Me. And.God.Loves.Me. What.A.Deal.

The Making of a Declaration of Independence, A Nation is Born

The Republic of Texas Was Born Here

We are going to take a short hiatus from "Remembering the Alamo!" to concentrate for a day or so on the Texas Constitutional Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Delegates, which were elected by Texians in November, 1835 following the start of the Texas Revolution in the previous month at Gonzales, were meeting in what could only be described as a shack to hammer out a constitution for the would-be Republic of Texas. Forty-one men gathered to undertake this enormous task and after four days of debate, a final document was completed on March 2, 1836. It is here that Texas was born.

Here's a Cliff's Notes version of what was happening at the Consultation, "The Texas Revolution began October 2, 1835 with the Battle of Gonzales. The following month, previously elected delegates convened in a body known as the Consultation. These delegates served as a temporary governing body for Texas, as they struggled with the question of whether Texians were fighting for independence from Mexico or the reimplementation of the Mexican Constitution of 1824, which offered greater freedoms than the current dictatorship. Many Consultation members wished to defer independence until the United States was convinced to support their struggle.^[1] The Consultation quickly degenerated into near anarchy, with the interim legislature indicting the interim Governor, who promptly disbanded the legislature.^[2] By early February 1836 most of the members had gone home, and there were not enough delegates left for a quorum.^[3] A convention had been previously scheduled for March, and one Consultation member wrote to Sam Houston, "I sincerely hope that the Convention will remedy the existing evils and calm the Public mind. If not Texas must be lost." Thanks, Wikipedia! 

Five months to the date after the first shot of the Texas Revolution at Gonzales, Texas declared herself free of the dictatorship of Santa Anna. The Republic of Texas was a reality. However, there was still much bloodshed to come over the next six weeks, until independence was assured at the Battle of San Jacinto. We'll touch more on this tomorrow as the Revolution comes to its logical end. Until then, God bless Texas!

Texas Tidbits: Time Is Not an Ally to Travis and His Men, The Siege of the Alamo, Days 6 - 9

***Quick note: So I don't confuse you with the number of days until a certain event, etc., 1836 was a Leap Year, so that's why it seems like there's an extra day, because there was!  :)***

Remembering Gonzales on the Way to the Alamo

The next four days in the Siege of the Alamo were fairly uneventful as far as the two sides shooting at each other, but there was quite a bit going on away from the Alamo, as Texians from various locations planned to rush to the besieged mission and serve as reinforcements to Colonel Travis command. Dodging roving Mexican troops was a constant problem for the reinforcements, even causing some of the men headed for the Alamo to become separated from their larger group. At this point, we turn to ever useful Wikipedia: "After learning that Fannin was not coming and that there would likely be no other reinforcements,^[77] a group of 25 men set out from Gonzales at 2 pm on Saturday, February 27.^[96] They were led by Martin and George Kimbell, Almaron Dickinson's business partner.^[97] As the group passed the ranch of volunteer John G. King on their way out of town his fifteen-year-old son, Wiliam, rushed out and asked to take his father's place, as John King was needed to support the family's nine children. The men agreed, and William exchanged places with his father.^[98] On the march to Bexar eight additional men joined the group.^[99] The men carried with them the first flag ever made for use in a Texian battle; the Come and take it flag from the Battle of Gonzales^." There's more to this story and you can read it at Wikipedia.

Time was not a trusty ally to the Defenders of the Alamo, nor to the men who would be much-needed firepower to the weary men at the mission, for within a week's time, they would all perish pursuing those most-cherished of God-given rights, the Twin Sisters of Liberty and Freedom.

God bless Texas!

Texas History: The Battle of the Alamo- The First Five Days

Brave men, one and all

We have covered quite a bit of territory since we began chronicling The Battle of the Alamo earlier this week. One of the more surprising things that I personally learned was that for the first few days of the battle, the local citizenry was allowed to come and go in and out of the Alamo almost at will. As a matter of fact, Juan Seguin had his dinners delivered to him by one of the locals! All in all, it was a fairly quiet week as far as warfare goes, but you can sense what is about to happen, and it ain't good for the "Home Team".

Some of the posts are a bit long, but they are well worth the time it takes to read them.The week in review:

• The Siege of the Alamo, Day 1 
• The Siege of the Alamo, Day 2
• The Siege of the Alamo, Day 3 
• The Siege of the Alamo, Days 4 & 5

As I read more and more of the Texians' epic struggle for Freedom, the deeper I find that mentally I am immersing myself deep and deeper into this historic conflict. It's almost like a movie of the day by day events playing inside my head. Like a fly on the wall, I can see everything unfolding in front of me - the Texians fortifying there position inside the mission, while on the Mexican side, General Santa Anna maneuvers his men into just the right formation for the massive attack on the Alamo that is a mere few days away. I can plainly see Colonel William B. Travis, hastily and with great emotion penning his famous plea for more men and supplies at the Alamo (the letter is in the "Day 2" post above).


I hope you enjoy reading or re-reading the history of the first five days of the siege of the Alamo as much as I liked researching and writing them. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and read away!

Texas Tidbits: The Siege of the Alamo, Days 4 & 5

The End is Near

The Siege of the Alamo was now entering its fourth day. Colonel Travis' urgent appeals for help were still unanswered, while the number of men underthe command of General Santa Anna was growing almost daily. The first three days of the siege were mostly uneventful, however the battle yet to come was building to a crescendo. It would be a mere five days more and the Battle of the Alamo would be one of the most famous military engagements in the history of mankind. Several hundred Mexican troops and every defender of the Alamo would lay dead.

In what seems a bit odd, the townspeople of Bexar were allowed to come and go near or into Alamo. Juan Seguin even had his meals made and brought to him while holed up in the Alamo. The Mexican Army had lobbed a couple of hundred cannon shots into the coutryard of the Alamo and the Texians would retrieve them and then later use them against the Mexicans. This is stuff I never had neard of before today. I mean here we are in the middle of arguably the most famous military skirmishes ever and people were coming and going into the battle zone as they saw fit! Things would soon get serious. Dead serious. Wikipedia picks up the story from here:
Although the Texians had matched Mexican artillery fire, on February 26, Travis ordered the artillery to stop firing to conserve powder and shot. Crockett and his men were encouraged to keep shooting, as they rarely missed and thus didn't waste shot.^[72] Through the early days of the siege, the Texians didn't bother to take cover, as the Mexicans were too far out of their range to cause harm with their muskets; any Mexican soldier who ventured within 200 yards (180 m) of the Alamo, however, risked death or injury.^[73] A blue norther blew in that evening and dropped the temperature to 39 degrees F.^[72] Neither army was prepared for the cold temperatures.^[59] Several Texians ventured out to gather firewood but returned empty-handed after encountering Mexican skirmishers.^[72] On the evening of February 26, the Texians burned more huts, these located near the San Luis Potosi Battalion.^[62] Santa Anna sent Colonel Juan Bringas to engage the Texians, and according to Edmondson, one Texian was killed.^[74] On February 26, news of the siege finally reached acting governor James W. Robinson, who immediately sent a courier to find Sam Houston.^[75] Travis's messengers were having small successes. Albert Martin had reached Gonzales, the most westerly community of Texians, on February 25, the day after Sutherland and Smith had arrived with Travis's first message.^[72][76] As couriers delivered the messages to other settlements, reinforcements assembled in Gonzales, waiting for Fannin to arrive with more troops so they could travel together.^[77] In Gonzales itself, Robert "Three-Legged Willie" Williamson began a recruitment drive.^[78] In Bastrop, Edward Burleson began organizing a militia, which likely left for Gonzales on February 27,^[79] arriving the following day.^[80]
Unbeknownst to the Texians, Colonel James Fannin had finally decided to ride to their relief.^[81] Historian Robert Scott suggests that the trip was initiated after Fannin's objections were overridden by his officers.^[82] On the morning of February 26, he set out with 320 men, 4 cannon, and several supply wagons for the 90 miles (140 km) march from Goliad to the Alamo.^[81] The Goliad garrison had no horses to move the wagons and artillery and were forced to rely on oxen.^[62] Barely 200 yards (180 m) into their journey, one of the wagons broke down, and the expedition stopped for repairs.^[81] The group then took six hours to cross the waist-deep water of the San Antonio River. By the time they reached the other side it was dark, and the men camped along the river. The cold front reached Goliad that evening, and the poorly-dressed soldiers were "quickly chilled and miserable" in the driving rain.^[83] On awakening, Fannin realized that all of the Texian oxen had wandered off, and that his men had neglected to pack food for the journey.^[84] It took most of the day for the men to round up the oxen; after two days of travel, Fannin's men had not even ventured 1 mile (1.6 km) from their fort.^[85] In a letter to Acting Governor James Robinson, Fannin said that his officers approached him to ask that the rescue trip be cancelled, as they had received word that General Urrea's army was marching towards Goliad.^[83] The officers and men in the expedition claimed that Fannin decided on his own to abort the mission. Several of the men agreed with the decision, with Dr. Barnard writing in his journal, "With but three or four hundred men, mostly on foot, with but a limited supply of provisions, to march a distance of nearly one-hundred miles through uninhabited country for the purpose of relieving a fortress beleaguered by five-thousand men was madness!"^[86]
Before initially leaving Goliad, Fannin sent a courier to Gonzales to instruct Williamson to rendezvous at Cibolo Creek, halfway between Gonzales and Goliad.^[78] On February 28, about 60 men, including Captain Albert Martin, travelled the 20 miles (32 km) from Gonzales to Cibolo Creek to wait for Fannin and his men.^[80][87] Lindley speculates that Fannin sent an advance relief for under Captain John Chenoweth and Francis de Sauque to scout the area around Bexar. The advance force reached as far as the Seguin ranch, gathering corn, cattle, horses, and mules, then turned back to wait along Cibolo Creek for the remainder of Fannin's force.^[78][88]
Several residents had seen Fannin march from Goliad and sent messengers to Bexar to inform Santa Anna that Fannin and 300 men were headed for the Alamo. Santa Anna ordered Colonel Juan Almonte and 800 dragoons to intercept the Texian relief force.^[89] Unaware of Fannin's aborted relief mission, Travis sent James Bonham to Goliad to persuade him.^[90] Bonham was asked to tie a white handkerchief around his hat when he returned so that the Texians would know to open the gates for him.^[91]
Much of the Mexican army's provisions were in the rear of the convoy with Gaona and Filisola. Santa Anna had hoped to restock his army's supplies in Bexar, but were unable to find much.^[92] He finally asked a local citizen, Manuel Menchaca, to help them find food; Menchaca led the army to the Seguin and Florez ranches and liberated all of their corn, beef, and hogs.^[93] Santa Anna sent more couriers to Gaona and Filisola to urge them to hury; Filisola was still at the Rio Grande.^[92]
During the day the Mexican army tried to block the irrigation ditch leading into the Alamo. Texian Green Jameson tasked the men in the Alamo with finishing a well at the south end of the plaza. Although the men hit water, they weakened an earth and timber parapet by the low barracks; the mound collapsed, leaving no way to fire safely over that wall.^[94] The same day Texians spotted a Mexican general surrounded by aides and dragoons and fired, but did not hit any of them.^[73] The Texians did not realize it was Santa Anna.

The Texas Revolution would soon reach a fevered pitch and the fall of the Alamo would be a rally cry for the Texian Army, for the Battle of San Jacinto and Independence for Texas were less than two months away.


Remember the Alamo! And God bless Texas!