Another of the "Great Battles" editions in the Landmark series, this volume describes both the major figures and events of an at-least formerly well-known battle, at the Alamo Mission in what is now San Antonio, Texas. The story of Texas is at least as worthy as the story of Oklahoma, and would be a welcome addition to the series, having formerly, albeit briefly, been its own Republic.
The Alamo, technically Misión San Antonio de Valero, was one of the numerous Spanish missions found throughout the American southwest, most of which had been established in the eighteenth century by Catholic clergy with the intent of converting the indigenous peoples who inhabited the area to Christianity. The Alamo probably acquired its more widely-known name from a military unit in the early 19th century, whose residents named it the Alamo for the poplar trees found in the area. It was to become the site of one of the most famous massacres in US history, which is all the more remarkable when considering that once the battle began, it was over in about 90 minutes.
In short, in a dispute over territory, several "Texians," many of whom were illegal immigrants from the US, in a somewhat ironic turn of events - Mexico had outlawed any immigration of Americans into Mexican territory - had driven out all Mexican troops in Mexican Texas. About a hundred Texians remained garrisoned at the Alamo, a force which was supplemented by a few reinforcements, including eventual co-commanders James Bowie and William B. Travis.
On Feb. 23, 1836, about 1,500 Mexican troops marched into the town of San Antonio de Bexar, and attacked the Alamo itself after a thirteen day siege. Several months later, the retreating Mexican army demolished much of the Alamo walls and burned many of its buildings.
After supplementing the fighting force with several thousand additional troops, on Mar. 6, President General Antonio López de Santa Anna attacked the Alamo mission itself. His soldiers eventually overran the lightly defended mission, scaling the walls and killing every man inside. Santa Anna famously flew a red flag upon his arrival, signaling his intent to give no quarter to those inside.
These included some of the most famous men in the country at the time, including Davy Crockett, general adventurer, sometimes-politician and folk hero; James Bowie (pronounced BOO-wee), most well known for his famous knife (but a soldier in his own right, and, ironically, the husband of Santa Anna's goddaughter, Ursula Veramendi who, along with her two children, tragically died during a cholera epidemic); and William B. Travis, an American lawyer and colonel in the Texian army.
This is as close as it gets to a modern-day Pyrrhic victory. In fact, when Santa Anna reportedly told one of his captains that the battle had been just a "small affair," another officer reportedly replied that "with another such victory, we'll go to the devil." How many Mexican troops were actually killed is a matter of great speculation. Santa Anna claimed that 600 Texians had been killed, with only 70 Mexican soldiers killed, but the figures should at least be reversed. As there were only about 150 or so Texian men defending the Alamo, his estimates are clearly wildly exaggerated. Mexican casualties probably numbered around 500-1,000 ... in 90 minutes. The Texian bodies were stacked and burned, so it will never be known how many there actually were.
This is a good overview, a mix of biography and history, but, as usual, there are some problematic terms and language (i.e., filthy, stupid Indians, etc.). It did a decent job of describing the events without being excessively salacious, as some of the other editions have been, but the end left much to be desired, as it just... stopped, with few closing remarks.
A decent read and introduction to this event and the history of Texas's addition to the United States. Today, The Alamo is a World Heritage site and a museum. I fear, however, that some may now be more familiar with the Alamo for the... embarrassing event involving Ozzy Osbourne in the 1980s. I'll let the reader look that one up... if you dare (!).
The Alamo, technically Misión San Antonio de Valero, was one of the numerous Spanish missions found throughout the American southwest, most of which had been established in the eighteenth century by Catholic clergy with the intent of converting the indigenous peoples who inhabited the area to Christianity. The Alamo probably acquired its more widely-known name from a military unit in the early 19th century, whose residents named it the Alamo for the poplar trees found in the area. It was to become the site of one of the most famous massacres in US history, which is all the more remarkable when considering that once the battle began, it was over in about 90 minutes.
In short, in a dispute over territory, several "Texians," many of whom were illegal immigrants from the US, in a somewhat ironic turn of events - Mexico had outlawed any immigration of Americans into Mexican territory - had driven out all Mexican troops in Mexican Texas. About a hundred Texians remained garrisoned at the Alamo, a force which was supplemented by a few reinforcements, including eventual co-commanders James Bowie and William B. Travis.
On Feb. 23, 1836, about 1,500 Mexican troops marched into the town of San Antonio de Bexar, and attacked the Alamo itself after a thirteen day siege. Several months later, the retreating Mexican army demolished much of the Alamo walls and burned many of its buildings.
After supplementing the fighting force with several thousand additional troops, on Mar. 6, President General Antonio López de Santa Anna attacked the Alamo mission itself. His soldiers eventually overran the lightly defended mission, scaling the walls and killing every man inside. Santa Anna famously flew a red flag upon his arrival, signaling his intent to give no quarter to those inside.
These included some of the most famous men in the country at the time, including Davy Crockett, general adventurer, sometimes-politician and folk hero; James Bowie (pronounced BOO-wee), most well known for his famous knife (but a soldier in his own right, and, ironically, the husband of Santa Anna's goddaughter, Ursula Veramendi who, along with her two children, tragically died during a cholera epidemic); and William B. Travis, an American lawyer and colonel in the Texian army.
This is as close as it gets to a modern-day Pyrrhic victory. In fact, when Santa Anna reportedly told one of his captains that the battle had been just a "small affair," another officer reportedly replied that "with another such victory, we'll go to the devil." How many Mexican troops were actually killed is a matter of great speculation. Santa Anna claimed that 600 Texians had been killed, with only 70 Mexican soldiers killed, but the figures should at least be reversed. As there were only about 150 or so Texian men defending the Alamo, his estimates are clearly wildly exaggerated. Mexican casualties probably numbered around 500-1,000 ... in 90 minutes. The Texian bodies were stacked and burned, so it will never be known how many there actually were.
This is a good overview, a mix of biography and history, but, as usual, there are some problematic terms and language (i.e., filthy, stupid Indians, etc.). It did a decent job of describing the events without being excessively salacious, as some of the other editions have been, but the end left much to be desired, as it just... stopped, with few closing remarks.
A decent read and introduction to this event and the history of Texas's addition to the United States. Today, The Alamo is a World Heritage site and a museum. I fear, however, that some may now be more familiar with the Alamo for the... embarrassing event involving Ozzy Osbourne in the 1980s. I'll let the reader look that one up... if you dare (!).
