The Alamo

The Alamo mission

    I went to South Texas for eight days. We spent most of that time birding. We flew into San Antonio and stayed there two nights. On the first full day we went to The Alamo.

   I need to explain a little about my childhood before I go on... Davy Crockett was my hero growing up. I truly mean my hero. I would ride my bike up and down the neighborhood with my coonskin cap and toy musket. Yes, I named my musket Old Betsy. When John Wayne died in the movie "The Alamo" I balled my eyes out. When Fess Parker went down swinging at The Alamo I cried even harder. My first 45 record was "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"

   So going to The Alamo would be a pilgrimage for me. Since I was a little kid, I learned a few things that we weren't taught in our history books. For instance, Mexico was had made slavery illegal in 1822 so the Mexicans did not like seeing the newly arrived white immigrants bringing their slaves with them to Texas. The Mexican government initially encouraged settlers but slavery was illegal in Mexico. 

 

Davy Crockett
King of the wild frontier

   Secondly, my hero Davy (by the way, he hated being called Davy and preferred David) went west because he had visions of becoming president one day and he had lost an election in Tennessee. He famously said after he lost "you all may go to hell, I'm going to Texas." " He bravely died at The Alamo so I can forgive him for wanting to advance his political career.

   Okay, a brief history lesson. Texans revolted under the rule of General Santa Ana. For months before the battle the Spanish Mission which had not been used for sometime was made into a fort. Col Travis and Jim Bowie had command. Travis of the regular soldiers and Bowie of the volunteers. On Feb 23, 1500 hundred Mexicans surrounded  The Alamo. The bombarded the 180 Texans day and night for almost two weeks. On the morning of  March 6 they attacked and killed all of the soldiers fighting. A few women, children, and Jim Bowie's slave were set free after the battle. 

  A few weeks later, Sam Houston avenged The Alamo and won independence for Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto. In this battle the Texans had eleven killed and forty wounded while the Mexican army had 650 killed, 200 wounded and 300 captured including Santa Ana. In return for his life, Santa Ana gave Texas its freedom.

Visiting the Alamo

    You can walk into The Alamo for free during regular hours. There are ways for them to take your money. You can rent a wand where you plug in numbers and you listen to a short history of that spot of the battle. You can take a guided tour. Also, there is a museum which is not free unless you buy the wand and a 3D experience. 

 

Col. Travis

    The famous view of the mission is not really where the battle took place. The fighting took place outside the mission along walls. The mission was considered the safest place and that is where the women and children hid until the battle was over.  Many of the walls were knocked down due to "progress" but a reproduction was put up on a couple of sides. 

  My hero was in charge of an area that was protected by a barricade of logs. This area was not breached by the Mexican army. The men that fought in this area died from Mexican soldiers that breached the wall in other places and rushed in.  

   Jim Bowie was sick and may have died before the battle even started. He gave his command up to Travis on the third day because he was too sick to fight. He was placed in a hospital bed. 

  We went into the museum and man I'm glad we did. We saw Davy Crockett's rifle and vest. The musician Phil Collins is actually obsessed with The Alamo. He had a huge collection of memorabilia and he donated to the museum. There is a diorama of the battle and he narrates the battle from beginning to end. I really learned a lot. Fess Parker's gun from the movie is also on display.

But wait, there's more! Santa Ana's ceremonial sword is on display along with his hat. Sam Houston's sword is also on display. I can not tell you how in awe I was to be inches from old Davy's gun. I mean, his DNA was probably still on it and I was looking right at it. Oh man!

Number 24 is David Crockett's gun

   
   All in all, we spent close to three hours at The Alamo before getting tacos and walking the Riverwalk. It was quite the experience and I'm sure I'll never forget it

 Below are more photos from The Alamo and museum

Statue of Jim Bowie

Jim Bowie portrait

Statue of Crockett

Santa Ana's field sword

Santa Ana's hat

Sam Houston

Houston's sword

A hand written letter from Davy Crockett to his brother

This is a wall that would have had fighting. I don't know if this is the original or 
if it is rebuilt. I put this photo up with the truck in it to give height. This wall is about six feet tall.
The brave Mexican soldiers scaled these walls using ladders. Almost certainly, the first soldier over the wall on the ladders would be killed.