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The Alamo, San Antonio, TX |
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The Battle of the Alamo needs no introduction. It is one of the most famous last stands in history, ranking right up there with Custer's Last Stand and the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. It is a hallowed place much like Gettysburg. Most Americans know it, as we did. However, during our visit there, we learned a number of interesting things. - The structure dates back to 1724 when it was called Misión San Antonio de Valero. It housed Christian missionaries and their converts. The source of the name Alamo has two theories. Some say it comes from the Spanish word for cottonwood tree - El Alamo. Others say it was named by Spanish troops who garrisoned the post in earlier days. They were from a town called Alamo. - The crown that figures prominently across the front of the chapel wasn't there during the battle. It was constructed in 1847. - It was bitter cold that morning and much of the fighting was in darkness. It was all over by 6:30 AM.
- The defenders were taken by surprise. Santa Ana had shelled the Alamo non-stop for days. It stopped at 10:00 PM the night before and the defenders collapsed into an exhausted sleep. They had little if any time to ready for the actual assault. They rushed to their positions in the dark and the fight was on. - Contrary to most movie and artist accounts, the chapel wasn't at the front of the action. It was actually in the defenders' left rear of the post. A perimeter, some of it makeshift, was manned by the defenders. This perimeter extended across present day Alamo Plaza and the stores beyond. - The attack came from every direction. Defenders fought back two assault waves but were overwhelmed by the third. Once the perimeter was breached, the courtyard became a caldron. They did a fighting retreat across the courtyard into the chapel and barracks for their last stand. - The defenders used artillery with deadly effectiveness. They loaded their cannons with nails, door hinges, horse shoes and anything else they could find, turning the cannon into giant shotguns that ripped huge gaps in the attacking ranks. However, they got pushed off their guns so fast, they didn't spike them. The attackers turned the guns around and used them to blast away inside the compound.
- Davy Crockett and his Tennessee volunteers defended the weakest point of the perimeter - a low wooden palisade just in front and to the left of the chapel. They were the last ones to be pushed off. - The exact circumstances of the deaths of Crockett, Jim Bowie and Colonel Travis will never be known. The popular images of Crockett on the wall swinging his rifle like a club, Bowie shooting from his sick bed and Travis surrounded with sword in hand are as good as any. - The women and children hid in the center of the chapel and survived. Santa Ana spared them. - Other mysteries surround the Alamo. Did any defenders escape or survive? Some say they did. Witnesses after the battle report seeing several defenders being brought before Santa Ana and summarily executed. One of them may have been Davy Crockett. - The bodies of the defenders were burned in a mass funeral pyre. A year later, ashes from that pyre were gathered and interred at the San Fernando Chapel in San Antonio. These ashes represent the symbolic remains of Crockett, Bowie and Travis. They remain there still. -There is a webcam cache in front of the Alamo called 13 Days in 30 Seconds. Webcam caches are cool and easier than ever with broadband service and smart phones. Try it out. Then you can head up the street to the Riverwalk where the geocaches are practically stacked on top of each other. If you can't get to the Alamo, you can check it out on their live webcam. If you do go, remember no pictures inside the chapel. It is also customary for men to remove their hats in respect.
The GPS coordinates of the front door are
N29.4324º, W98.4863º.
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