178 Years Ago Today (Texas History)

[THE PILGRIM]

Once when I lived in San Antone, some relatives came by. They told me we are going to the Alamo. What street is it on? I say, I don't remember. Got out a map. It's on Alamo ST. Yes, I forgot the Alamo. That's why I live in NM.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Thank you for posting this, Ringo Kid. I'm 58 yrs. old this year, and I still get a thrill in my heart and shivers down my spine when I read Travis' proclamation. I once read that at the time of the battle, Mexico had the 4th largest (modern) army in the world. The actual battle site, as shown in the excellent diorama inside the Alamo, was immense. The Alamo, at the time of the battle was actually in ruins. Its structure was better to fight from than nothing, but it in no way resembles the building most of us know as the current Alamo.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Smoke]

Thanks for the posting, I am from San Antonio and take visitors to the Alamo. They are always surprised how small it is, I point out that it was much bigger and someday those dang buildings will be torn down in Alamo Plaza.
My mother in law is from Belgium and we took her there. She does not speak English but told her son to translate
"We have such a place in Belgium, it is the town of Bastogne, where other brave Americans fought for our freedom too"!!

I saw the Alamo when I was stationed at Ft. Sam. After seeing the John Wayne movie I expected it to be more spread out and outside of town instead of across the street from a Burger King in the middle of Down Town.

 

[the ringo kid]

Once again Ringo amazes me....His mind is so full of battle history I'll bet his alarm plays a bugle call....He should write a book...Really !!! I can't remember where I put my car keys....Ringo can't forget anything...Ringo write the darned book I for one would buy it..BTW I watched all but the last 15 minutes of the movie you posted about he Russian fortress surrounded by the Hun..Then I lost the ending...What was the results...?????

Aw shucks, your too kind on my knowledge. I did actually do as much studying about the de la Pena Papers thing and used to have a few pages of info on them, but long lost. The info I had is not well known because of an attempted cover-up on them led by some Hispanic gentleman--several years ago. In the end, he admitted to lying and falsifying info on them as well as the battle itself. This guy was supposedly a historian of some kind who was an employee of one of Mexico's top Universities.

On Brest Fortress, the Germans won that battle as it was one of the early 1941 Summer/Fall battles they fought. The film itself definitely is slanted in the victorious-heroric defenders who if I remember--all get killed? Its been a few years since I last watched it to remember correctly.

On any books ideas, ill have to ask Keith (Hawkswill) for professional help--she ghost written before and knows what to do. )

My Dad always said I should write--because of a Western story I wrote when I was about 15. That one was straight Cavalry vs Indians deal--mainly dealing with the men of Easy Company in a fictitious Regiment.

 

[the ringo kid]

Thank you for posting this, Ringo Kid. I'm 58 yrs. old this year, and I still get a thrill in my heart and shivers down my spine when I read Travis' proclamation. I once read that at the time of the battle, Mexico had the 4th largest (modern) army in the world. The actual battle site, as shown in the excellent diorama inside the Alamo, was immense. The Alamo, at the time of the battle was actually in ruins. Its structure was better to fight from than nothing, but it in no way resembles the building most of us know as the current Alamo.

Regards,

Dave

Thank you Dave, I feel exactly the same reading what Travis wrote. History suggests he was a difficult little like person but--nobody can say he wasnt brave or a true patriot. I wish we had many like he, Crockett, Patton etc--today.

I forgot to mention, that many years ago--the Alamo--was seeking donations of time from hobbiests to contribute time and work on that excellent diorama they have of the battle. As I lived 150 miles away from them then, I couldnt actually go and help but, I was able to send some 100 or so 1 7/2nd scale toy soldiers that I painted myself. Im assuming they were added to the figures they already had? Anyway, if they used them? I can easily pick them out as I actually used French Napoleanic MPC figures-for Mexican soldiers since the uniforms were exactly the same. I used Esci Confederates for Texans.

 

[the ringo kid]

I saw the Alamo when I was stationed at Ft. Sam. After seeing the John Wayne movie I expected it to be more spread out and outside of town instead of across the street from a Burger King in the middle of Down Town.

I last visited a couple years ago. I get a chill walking around it especially the walls belonging to the long barracks. I dont want to sound weird but--you know those guys are still there.

 

[Texas Star]

I have visited the Alamo twice and feel that I was on hallowed ground. Many Texans still regard it as the Cradle of Texas Liberty.

Having to deal with the Alamo cost Santa Anna time that Houston badly needed to raise additional forces.

He did so, and defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, near present day Houston. There is a very tall Houston monument.

I was surprised to learn a few years ago that the Mexican Army was using the British Brown Bess musket. Mexico was itself only independent of Spain by a few decades. I think their revolution was in 1810.

 

[Straightshooter2]

They are always surprised how small it is, I point out that it was much bigger and someday those dang buildings will be torn down in Alamo Plaza.

I heard that! When we moved to San Antonio, my mother was driving downtown and we passed the Alamo. Mom asked me what it was and, when I told her, she said it couldn't be because it was so small. That was 1965 and I seem to remember a department store and other buildings there.

CW

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I saw the Alamo when I was stationed at Ft. Sam. After seeing the John Wayne movie I expected it to be more spread out and outside of town instead of across the street from a Burger King in the middle of Down Town.

The Duke and his bunch were out at the Bracketville, TX Alamo. That way they got the look of old time San Antonio without the Burger King.

 

[GaryS]

Thanks for posting.

Lone Star by T.R. Fehrenbach is the definitive history of Texas. It covers from the earliest days of Spanish exploration up until the late 1960s.

He has a long section on the battle at the Alamo. One thing I found interesting is that many of the men who fought and died there were not Texans, but had come from as far away as Kentucky and Tennessee to fight. They also brought the rifled long guns, which could pick off the Mexicans at longer distances than the Mexicans could hit them with their smooth bores.

As Fehrenbach noted, this was a lesson that the British had learned the hard way at the battle of New Orleans when the Americans cut the British infantry to ribbons at distances the British thought impossible to shoot at.

 

[Snakeshift]

God Bless the men of the Alamo. It's due to their sacrifice that all of us Texans get to enjoy the freedoms and inherent awesomeness that is the State of Texas today. Lt. Col. Travis is on my Mount Rushmore of Hero's along with the likes of Patrick Henry, George Washington and Nathan Hale.


All truly brave American's. We need more men like them today.


Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Thanks for posting.

Lone Star by T.R. Fehrenbach is the definitive history of Texas. It covers from the earliest days of Spanish exploration up until the late 1960s.

He has a long section on the battle at the Alamo. One thing I found interesting is that many of the men who fought and died there were not Texans, but had come from as far away as Kentucky and Tennessee to fight. They also brought the rifled long guns, which could pick off the Mexicans at longer distances than the Mexicans could hit them with their smooth bores.

As Fehrenbach noted, this was a lesson that the British had learned the hard way at the battle of New Orleans when the Americans cut the British infantry to ribbons at distances the British thought impossible to shoot at.

Yes! Before the Austin's recruited Americans from Tenn , Ky and other places to move to Texas, there were very few English speaking people in Texas. For one thing, there was a Religious requirement. You had to be Roman Catholic. The Tenn- Ky folks promised to convert in order to own land. The local Spanish speaking priests were to say the least suspicious of their intentions. Turns out that there were some English speaking Irish Priests in San Antonio. Those American Tenn - KY folks were famous for making what? Irishmen are known to drink a lot of what? When whisky makers meet whisky drinkers, problems are resolved,

 

[kwselke]

My great great grandfather Gustav Selke did not immigrate to Indianola, TX until 1845, so the family only goes back in TX just prior to statehood. Nerveless the six or eight times I've visited the Alamo I've been overwhelmed by a feeling of history and awe. I compare the feeling to going to Arlington National Cemetery, it is just bigger than you. I see references to John Wayne's 1960 movie The Alamo. I remember seeing it as a child in a theater as a second run movie. The crowd cheered at times and was sad at the end. Not to take anything away from that film, I do recommend the 2004 version of The Alamo starring Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton. That DVD sat on a shelf in my home for years before I watched it. When I got around to watching it I just said wow.

 

[the ringo kid]

God Bless the men of the Alamo. It's due to their sacrifice that all of us Texans get to enjoy the freedoms and inherent awesomeness that is the State of Texas today. Lt. Col. Travis is on my Mount Rushmore of Hero's along with the likes of Patrick Henry, George Washington and Nathan Hale.


All truly brave American's. We need more men like them today.


Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!

All the above and: Remember the United States, as were once were and will be again.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

My great great grandfather Gustav Selke did not immigrate to Indianola, TX until 1845, so the family only goes back in TX just prior to statehood. Nerveless the six or eight times I've visited the Alamo I've been overwhelmed by a feeling of history and awe. I compare the feeling to going to Arlington National Cemetery, it is just bigger than you. I see references to John Wayne's 1960 movie The Alamo. I remember seeing it as a child in a theater as a second run movie. The crowd cheered at times and was sad at the end. Not to take anything away from that film, I do recommend the 2004 version of The Alamo starring Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton. That DVD sat on a shelf in my home for years before I watched it. When I got around to watching it I just said wow.

The Austin's recruited a number of Europeans to immigrate to Texas. Germans, French and some Poles. Did I forget anybody?
A lot of them came through the port at Indianola. Charlie Robison from Bandera wrote- recorded a song about his family landing at Indianola.
Indianola no longer exists, a storm took it out.

 

[kwselke]

The Austin's recruited a number of Europeans to immigrate to Texas. Germans, French and some Poles. Did I forget anybody?
A lot of them came through the port at Indianola. Charlie Robison from Bandera wrote- recorded a song about his family landing at Indianola.
Indianola no longer exists, a storm took it out.

From a late uncle's research and my own we concluded Gustav Adolph came in at the beginning of this ADELSVEREIN | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). GA Selke stayed in the general Indianol area through two wives and the hurricanes that wiped Indianola off the map. GA moved to San Antonio where he died and is buried. One son, my great grandfather moved to Houston another went to NE Texas. My great grandfather died shortly after my grandfather was born. My grandfather married a girl that was a refugee from the 1900 Storm in Galveston. My roots to hurricanes run deeper than Mexican insurrections, but I'm a very serious Texas,

 

[gaucho1]

Well Done Ringo

 

[the ringo kid]

Well Done Ringo

Muchos Gracias Senor. )

 

[rwsmith]

Great job

Fantastic lesson. It's going to take me a while to digest all of this.

 

[GKC]

Thank you for posting this. My mother (deceased as of August 29, 2009) was the business manager at the Alamo for many years. She was very active in the DAR and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. I am by birth a 5th generation Texan, and it always disappointed her that I wasn't active in any historical organizations. When she passed away, I gave many of her papers and effects to the Daughters, and I kept a few souvenirs of her tenure there...like, when Queen Elizabeth visited the Alamo, my mother had her picture taken with the Queen. I also have the thank you note that the Queen sent to my mother thanking her for her hospitality.

My mother retired a number of years before her death, but she continued to live and breathe the Alamo and related activities. She truly had a love for this Texas shrine.