Originally named Misióón San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years. Construction began on the present site in 1724. In 1793, Spanish officials secularized San Antonio's five missions, and distributed their lands to the remaining Indian residents. These men and women continued to farm the fields, once the mission's, but now their own, and participated in the growing community of San Antonio.
In the early 1800s, the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the former mission. The soldiers referred to the old mission as the Alamo (the Spanish word for "cottonwood") in honor of their hometown Alamo de Parras, Coahuila. The post's commander established the first recorded hospital in Texas in the Long Barrack. The Alamo was home to both Revolutionaries and Royalists during Mexico's ten-year struggle for independence. The military - Spanish, Rebel, and then Mexican - continued to occupy the Alamo until the Texas Revolution. San Antonio, and the Alamo, played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. In December 1835, Ben Milam led Texan and Tejano volunteers against Mexican troops quartered in the city. After five days of house-to-house fighting, they forced General Maríín Perfecto de Cóós and his soldiers to surrender. The victorious volunteers then occupied the Alamo - already fortified prior to the battle by Cóós' men - and strengthened its defenses. On February 23, 1836, the arrival of General Antonio Lóópez de Santa Anna's army outside San Antonio nearly caught them by surprise. Undaunted, the Texans and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo together. The defenders held out for 13 days against Santa Anna's army. William B. Travis, the commander of the Alamo sent forth couriers carrying pleas for help to communities in Texas. On the eighth day of the siege, a band of 32 volunteers from Gonzales arrived, bringing the number of defenders to nearly two hundred. Legend holds that with the possibility of additional help fading, Colonel Travis drew a line on the ground and asked any man willing to stay and fight to step over - all except one did. As the defenders saw it, the Alamo was the key to the defense of Texas, and they were ready to give their lives rather than surrender their position to General Santa Anna. Among the Alamo's garrison were Jim Bowie, renowned knife fighter, and David Crockett, famed frontiersman and former Congressman from Tennessee. The final assault came before daybreak on the morning of March 6, 1836, as columns of Mexican soldiers emerged from the predawn darkness and headed for the Alamo's walls. Cannon and small arms fire from inside the Alamo beat back several attacks. Regrouping, the Mexicans scaled the walls and rushed into the compound. Once inside, they turned a captured cannon on the Long Barrack and church, blasting open the barricaded doors. The desperate struggle continued until the defenders were overwhelmed. By sunrise, the battle had ended, and Santa Anna entered the Alamo compound to survey the scene of his victory. While the facts surrounding the siege of the Alamo continue to be debated, there is no doubt about what the battle has come to symbolize. People worldwide continue to remember the Alamo as a heroic struggle against overwhelming odds - a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. For this reason the Alamo remains hallowed ground and the Shrine of Texas Liberty. 170 years later, tourism clouds the sacredness of the hard-fought battle By Amy Dorsett Strolling the grounds of the Alamo, where background noise is provided by hucksters across the street trying to lure tourists to their gaudy attractions, it's easy to forget that the area is sacred ground. It was 170 years ago on March 6 that hundreds died. Even the landmark's own gift shop can feature less-than-tasteful souvenirs (nothing says Remember the Alamo quite like a $5.25 ashtray made in China), and last spring, it offered temporary tattoos as a fundraiser. Between the commercial distractions and a population that seems permanently tethered to cell phones, keeping the sacredness of the Alamo intact has become a growing challenge for those who operate the Shrine of Texas Liberty. "There are things we have no control over, so we control what we can," said Bruce Winders, curator and historian of the Alamo. The solemnity of the anniversary was evident for the hundreds who gathered at 6 a.m. in front of the Alamo to commemorate its fall on March 6, 1836. The battle, which killed 189 Texas defenders and an estimated 600 to 1,000 Mexican troops, capped the end of a 13-day siege by Gen. Antonio Lóópez de Santa Anna's soldiers. Santa Anna left the Alamo victorious, but was defeated April 21 at the Battle of San Jacinto, which led to his capture and secured Texas' independence. The Republic lasted nine years, until it joined the U.S. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which runs the Alamo, hosted a ceremonial reading of the names of those who died in the battle. Most days, there is no official pomp, and those who run the Alamo sometimes have to remind visitors why the ground is sacred. "It's certainly a challenge, but the Alamo brings the sanctity by itself," said director David Stewart. "People are so moved when they go in that door, that the noise seems to disappear." Visiting the Alamo for the first time, Londoners Lynda and Joe Tose said they were taken aback by the commercial endeavors that nearly encroach Alamo Plaza. "I thought it would be more isolated than this. It would let you better appreciate what it stands for - it's a memorial," Lynda Tose said. "I'm surprised it's so condensed - you've got so much open space in America." Not far from the front door of the Alamo church is Ripley's Haunted Adventure and Davy Crockett's Tall Tales Interactive Outpost. Winders said he wants to make people understand that Crockett was a hero of the Alamo. "People recognize the name, they recognize Davy Crockett as a guy with a coonskin cap," he said. "It's our job to tell people he was a real person, this is a real place, this is real history." Van G. Booth, a visitor from Pennsylvania, said he didn't find the environment around the Alamo distracting. "People died here in the name of freedom," he said. "It's beautiful, it's quite spectacular." Virginia Van Cleave, Alamo Committee chairwoman for the DRT, teaches history at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and has observed that the world, in general, is getting louder, making it tougher to keep things quiet at solemn places. Van Cleave said that although not following the DRT rules isn't against the law, the group makes requests of visitors, including that gentlemen remove their hats and that cameras and cell phones not be used inside the Alamo - it's the closest they get to policing politeness Alamo Heroes Appear Foolish Today By Pastor Chuck Baldwin It is that time of year for me to remind my readers about the magnificent stand by the defenders of The Alamo back in 1836. The Alamo fell on March 6 of that year. For more than 13 days, 186 brave and determined patriots withstood Santa Anna's seasoned army of over 5,000 troops. To a man, the defenders of that mission fort knew they would never leave those ramparts alive. They had several opportunities to leave and live. Yet, they chose to fight and die. How foolish they must look to this generation of spoiled Americans! It is difficult to recall that stouthearted men such as Davy Crockett (a nationally known frontiersman and former Congressman), Will Travis (only 23 years old with a little baby at home), and Jim Bowie (a wealthy landowner with properties on both sides of the Rio Grande) really existed. These were real men with real dreams, and real desires. Real blood flowed through their veins. They loved their families, and enjoyed life as much as any of us. There was something different about them, however. They possessed a commitment to liberty that transcended personal safety and comfort. Liberty is an easy word to say, but it is a hard word to live up to. Freedom has little to do with financial gain or personal pleasure. Accompanying Freedom is her constant and unattractive companion, Responsibility. Neither is she an only child. Patriotism and Morality are her sisters. They are inseparable; destroy one and all will die. Early in the siege, Travis wrote these words to the people of Texas:
As you read those words, remember that Travis and the others did not have the A.C.L.U., P.E.T.A., People for the un-American Way, and the National Education Association telling them how intolerant and narrow-minded their notions of honor and patriotism were. A hostile media did not constantly castigate them as a bunch of wild-eyed extremists. As school children, they were not taught that their Forefathers were nothing more than racist jerks. The brave men at the Alamo labored under the belief that America (and Texas), really was "the land of the free and the home of the brave." They believed God was on their side, and that the freedom of future generations depended on their courage and resolve. They further believed their posterity would remember their sacrifice as an act of love and devotion. It all looks pale now. By today's standards, the gallant men of the Alamo appear rather foolish. After all, they had no chance of winning - none! However, the call for pragmatism and practicality was never sounded. Instead, they answered the clarion call, "Victory or death!" Please try to remember the heroes of the Alamo as you listen to our gutless political and religious leaders calling for compromise and tolerance. Try to recall the time in this country when ordinary men and women had the courage of their convictions, and were willing to sacrifice their lives for freedom and independence. One thing is certain: those courageous champions did not die for a political party, or for some "lesser of two evils" mantra! They fought and died for a principle. So did the men at Lexington and Concord. That is our heritage. On second thought, do they look foolish, or do we? Dr. Baldwin is the host of a lively, hard-hitting syndicated radio talk show on the Genesis Communications Network called, "Chuck Baldwin Live." This is a daily, one hour long call-in show in which Dr. Baldwin addresses current event topics from a conservative Christian point of view. Pastor Baldwin writes weekly articles on the internet which can be found at: http://www.ChuckBaldwinLive.com. |
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Thursday, April 7, 2011
Remembering "The Alamo"
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