Here is a nice Alamo thread. TJ has some really nice pics and diagrams in the first two lines of this thread. There used to be more but some of the links got canceled. Anyway, what would the TX contingent do without an annual review of the Alamo?
Santa Ana dithered for 13 days in San Antonio before finally buckling down and attacking the Alamo. There may have been logistical reasons for him to spend that time in San Antonio, but it is clear that those 13 days were quite useful to Sam Houston whose ragtag “army” was in serious need of remedial training.
No one really expected theAlamo defenders to stay put. I think those who knew about the vastly outnumbered Alamo garrison - most were from out of the province - expected Travis to leave. To this day I have never found a clear reason as to why they stayed, but stay they did. Travis had a rather “spotty” history back home having to do with a wife he had apparently left in the lurch (not sure where that was).
Over the centuries, the biographies of the Alamo defenders - most of whom weren’t from Texas - have been sliced and diced to the point that few know what the exact truth is about them, but it is quite clear to me that they were not saints, some were fleeing obligations ‘back home’, and some wondered just what in hell they had gotten themselves into. Later, after the Alamo, the American settlers took up arms when it became clear that Santa Ana was interested in doing a little ethnic cleansing of his own. The ‘army’ he met at San Jacinto was mostly - not all - a Texian army because by that time, the settlers knew they were Santa Ana’s real target.
In any case, the battle of San Jacinto was over and done with in about 15 minutes. It was not Santa Ana’s best moment.
No one really expected theAlamo defenders to stay put. I think those who knew about the vastly outnumbered Alamo garrison - most were from out of the province - expected Travis to leave. To this day I have never found a clear reason as to why they stayed, but stay they did. Travis had a rather “spotty” history back home having to do with a wife he had apparently left in the lurch (not sure where that was).
Over the centuries, the biographies of the Alamo defenders - most of whom weren’t from Texas - have been sliced and diced to the point that few know what the exact truth is about them, but it is quite clear to me that they were not saints, some were fleeing obligations ‘back home’, and some wondered just what in hell they had gotten themselves into. Later, after the Alamo, the American settlers took up arms when it became clear that Santa Ana was interested in doing a little ethnic cleansing of his own. The ‘army’ he met at San Jacinto was mostly - not all - a Texian army because by that time, the settlers knew they were Santa Ana’s real target.
In any case, the battle of San Jacinto was over and done with in about 15 minutes. It was not Santa Ana’s best moment.
So true about the biographies of Alamo defenders. the mythology is somewhat incredible. Including that about Sam Houston and the idea of him needing time to train his army. It has been a long time but I think the actual timeline for Sam Houston suggests that he was busy arguing about who was in command and who was going to be the boss and not doing much training or recruiting. I will look into it while looking at the TV in a bit and see what I can find.
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