Battle of the Alamo - Thirteen Days to Glory

University of Texas ^ | Unknown | Stephen L. Hardin

[MistyCA]

I think I took my kids there on one of the trips to Minnesota. I know we stopped at all the sites whenever the kids were along. Of course, their favorite was Big Rock Candy Mountain and Flintstone Village! If memory serves me right, I have pictures of the kids up on a wagon of some sort. Guess I better get out my maps. :)

[SAMWolf]

The siege of the Alamo is one of the more interesting episodes in Texas and American History.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Yes, it is. Thanks Sam. Good job on the thread.

[SAMWolf]

Crockett's Last Sunrise, Battle of the Alamo
by Mark Churms

[undergroundwarrior]

Thanks for the post. This Yankee needed your history refresher :).

Sure would be nice if G.W. Bush would read about the Alamo, and tell Senor Vicente Fox to "Remember Alamo".

[Doctor Stochastic]

Babbitt's minions did try to burn us down a couple of years ago. He should have resigned or been sacked.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I had heard (at least since 1950) that Crockett was executed later. This makes him no less a hero.

The only complaint about the Texas Revolution that I have heard from Mexicans is: "Why didn't you guys execute Santa Ana when you had the chance?"

[DeaconBenjamin]

The traditional answer I have heard given to that question is that the Texans could obtain a credible cession/statement of their independence from Santa Ana if he lived, but there was no likelihood that the government in Mexico City would ever recognize Texan independence in a manner that would have international credibility.

[Terry Mross]

You missed my point. Crockett and all the rest knew Santa Ana was not a man of reason and therefore knew they would be executed if they surrendered. Santa Ana had told them his intentions in no uncertain terms.

Santa Ana didn't surrender at San Jacinto but was, in fact, captured while trying to escape dressed as a peasant. Sam Houston was not the barbarian Santa Ana was and thus did not execute the soldiers whom were captured. Likewise, Lee knew Grant would not execute those who surrendered. Crockett knew otherwise. Thus my question, why would he fight like hell and then surrender knowing he would be killed anyway. Finally, Mrs. Dickinson said later that Crockett had said to her, "I'd rather die out on that field that die trapped in here." He knew he was going to die therefore I'll never believe he surrendered.
But, I do agree that IF he did, his actions would not make him less a hero.

Forgive me my passion but my wife is a direct descendant of Crockett and I get a little riled whenever I hear this story about him surrendering and claiming to have been a tourist "trapped" inside the compound.

[SeaDragon]

Ben Raines where are you now that we need you.

I know I have made this same statement on this board.........

[SAMWolf]

Another "Aashes" fan?

[SeaDragon]

Oh yeah, big time. I have the complete series. I haven't finished reading them all but I have them.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

I have read, but being at work cannot find the book to footnote, the surrender this way.

Crockett and six others were holed up in the long barracks savagely fighting for every second of life when the soldiers who had been advancing on them pulled back. A Mexican General called out to them, 'Do you hear that? The fighting is over. You are all that remain. Surrender and I swear that you will be treated with Honor as true fighting men."

After a few seconds of listening for fighting nearby, Crockett called out his surrender. They were led from the mission and taken to Santa Anna's command tent by the General and his men. When they walked in Santa Anna was going over a map. After a second, the brutal dictator lifted his eyes to look at the prisoners and said, "I told you no prisoners, kill them immediately." Crockett pulled a knife from his belt and lunged at Santa Anna but 6 bayonets found his chest.

I believe that this was from a memoir of the Mexican General who he had surrendered to. To me, this death is no less heroic or honorable than if he had died in the courtyard.

[bexardave]

bttt, March 6, 1836

[SAMWolf]

Fall Of The Alamo

Thanks for he bump.

[Liberal Classic]

I saw it and it was pretty disgusting. Davy Crocket tried to "sneak out" and was shot like a dog out in a field somewhere.

I saw this show last night, and I didn't come away with this impression.

The show did suggest a group of fifty men or so might have tried to retreat to Old San Antonio Road, but were cut down by cavalry. However, I don't remember the show saying that Crockett was with them.

It did suggest that near the end of the siege Crockett was taken prisoner and brough before General Santa Anna, who ordered him summarily executed. There were no details of his capture but it was not suggested that he had surrendered, only was captured and executed on the spot. If this is true, which I don't necessarily believe, it doesn't lessen my view of Crockett personally, or the defenders of the Alamo generally.

[Liberal Classic]

The French surrender. This was being taken a prisoner of war. Splitting hairs, perhaps, but not quite the same thing.

[Cincinatus]

“Any age that does not exalt courage will be confounded by the Alamo, and baffled by the men who stayed in it. Any age that fears war more than servitude, or death more than honor, must denigrate the Alamo. Ages that do not honor the concept of liberty or death will fight no Alamos. Ages that do not cling to the great values of love, honor, courage, sacrifice, the soldier values, will not only fail to remember the Alamo, they may not long endure.” – T. R. Fehrenbach, Texas historian.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Cincinatus, I'm going to post this on the Foxhole Thread.

[SunkenCiv]

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