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The fight begins


Utah Bob #35998

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Having visited here during the SASS convention turned my whole understanding of the "fight" around.  Based on the signs and posters around the property.

This was not a Fort but a fortified settlement.

They didn't "fight" for 13 days. Minor skirmishes and canon shots to test the fortifications. No real attack. Santa Anna waited until his entire army and supplies were gathered in one location. He knew once they moved past here his real objective was beyond the Alamo.

The whole scaling the walls with ladders is glorified history. One of the infantry barracks is still there. It was part of the outside wall. The eave of the roof was low enough you could use a step stool to get on top of it. The info on site said that they bombarded the walls with cannon and used the wall breech points to enter.

On the 13th day after Santa Ana arrived he ordered the attack. On site said it was over in 2 to 3 hours! Not 13 days.

Travis ignored Houston's order to abandon the location and join him to create a larger force to fight Santa Ana.

I'll wait for the flame throwers now.

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An interesting analysis of the events.

 

The Alamo Should Never Have Happened

 

Generations of Texas schoolchildren have been taught that the battle at the center of the Texas revolution was our finest hour. Maybe so but it was also a military mistake of mythic proportions.

 

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If you got kilt in one of the skirmishes prior to the main assault you might think it was a fight for sure. ;)

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2 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I thought it was a shame that the current Alamo has little resemblance to the Alamo after the battle, it does not show the battle damage because it was used as an Army fort for many years.

 

 

Time marches on. It was pretty much abandoned and ignored for decades. Fortunately it was finally saved. Grateful for that.

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Good idea, bad idea, military mistake, Hollywood tainted story, story of fact or fiction, it really does not matter. It happened.

 

Remember the Alamo is a the Battle cry of Texas and everybody knew about the Alamo from history when I was in school in Illinois. (1970's)

 

I have been there once and the Texas National Guard defended it from the riots last year.

I can now say my Nephew ( Warrant Officer, Texas National Guard) defended the Alamo.

 

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17 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said:

Was there while at a meeting many years ago.  One of a few hallowed places I've visited that raised the hair on my neck  Could feel the history.

Had the same feeling when I was there in 1973.  Same feeling at some of the CW sites around Richmond, Petersburg and that area......and again on Okinawa for the 2 1/2 years I was there.  Hallowed ground.  All of it.

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37 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Time marches on. It was pretty much abandoned and ignored for decades. Fortunately it was finally saved. Grateful for that.

Thank the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. You are correct. Been there a number of times. I spent a semester in San Antonio for clinicals. Worst place to drive I've ever seen, worse than Houston or D-FW. And that was nigh on 40 years ago. Lots of cool stuff, but it's all downtown as is the Alamo. There is an intersection right nearby where 5 streets intersect with 5 different names. :wacko: The city is basically laid out like a wagon wheel, it's rare that you can go ANYWHERE without zigzaging. As UB's diagram indicates little is left of how it was. Hard to visualize how it may have been at the time when you're there, being smack dab downtown in on of the US 10 biggest cities. When I was there SA and Phoenix were swapping back and forth for #9 and 10. It is a VERY sobering place.

JHC

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