The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence, September 30, 1835 to April 21, 1836: heroes, myths, and history PDF
Preview The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence, September 30, 1835 to April 21, 1836: heroes, myths, and history
The Alamo and the Texas War of title: Independence, September 30, 1835 to April 21, 1836 : Heroes, Myths, and History author: Nofi, Albert A. publisher: Combined Publishing isbn10 | asin: 0938289101 print isbn13: 9780938289104 ebook isbn13: 9780585198071 language: English Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.) , Texas-- subject History--Revolution, 1835-1836. publication date: 1992 lcc: F390.N64 1992eb ddc: 976.4/03 Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.) , Texas-- subject: History--Revolution, 1835-1836. One of the earliest known drawings of the Alamo in 1845. Allowing for the damage inflicted by the Mexican Army in 1836 and by the effects of time, this is probably close to the original appearance of the fortress, although the "Long Barrack" and the adjacent buildings are probably a bit too high, and the peculiar "points" and buttresses on the building in the foreground may be artistic license. Courtesy of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library. Page 3 The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence September 30, 1835 to April 21, 1836 Heroes, Myths, and History Albert A. Nofi COMBINED BOOKS PUBLISHER'S NOTE Combined Books, Inc., is dedicated to publishing books of distinction in history and military history. We are proud of the quality of writing and the quantity of information found in our books. Our books are manufactured with style and durability and are printed on acid-free paper. We like to think of our books as soldiers: not infantry grunts, but well dressed and well equipped avant garde. Our logo reflects our commitment to the modern and yet historic art of bookmaking. We call ourselves Combined Books because we view the publishing enterprise as a "combined" effort of authors, publishers and readers. And we promise to bridge the gap between us-a gap which is all too seldom closed in contemporary publishing. We would like to hear from our readers and invite you to write to us at our offices in Pennsylvania with your reactions, queries, comments, even complaints. All of your correspondence will be answered directly by a member of the Editorial Board or by the author. Combined Books recognizes and appreciates the important and historical role of booksellers in the publishing enterprise. We encourage all of our readers to purchase our books from their local booksellers, and we hope that you let us know of booksellers in your area that might be interested in carrying our books. If you are unable to find a book in your area, please write to us. For information, address: COMBINED BOOKS, INC. 151 East 10th Avenue Conshohocken, PA 19428 Copyright © 1992 by Albert A. Nofi All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Nofi, Albert A. The Alamo and the Texas War for Independence, September 30, 1985 to April 21, 1836: heroes, myths, and history / Albert A. Nofi. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-938289-10-1 1. Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.) 2. TexasHistoryRevolution, 18351836 I. Title. F390.N64 1992 976.4'03dc20 92-16885 Printed in the United States of America Maps by Robert L. Pigeon, III Page 5 Acknowledgments It is not possible to undertake a work of this sort without the help and advice of many people. Several Alamo descendants provided interesting and useful information about their heroic ancestors, and I would like to thank them by name: Kevin L. Wornell, several times grandson of Henry Warnell; Myra DeVee Vanderpool Gormley, descendant of Micajah Autry; and Jack Mitchell, several times grand-nephew of Isaac G. Baker and grandson-in-law of Gordon C. Jennings; and Jack Coffee, the several times great grandson of Jesse B. Bowman. In addition, Shannon Elder was able to provide information about his several times great grandfather, Josias Bradley Beall, who perished with Fannin's men. Many other people provided general advice on matters from the area of the Presidio La Bahia to the nature of a Blue Norther. These include Prof. John Boardman, of Brooklyn College, Austin Bay, Dennis Casey, Steve Cole of F.Y.E.O., Robert Hall, William S. Gross, Steve Petrick, Bob Dennis, Paul Morgan, Roger Covington, D. Mohney, Chris Goodey, Mark Turnage, R. Watson, Karen L. Myers, Dave Zincavage, M. Raymond, James Dingman, Jaime Delsen, Frank Deis, Jim Woolsey, Judith A. Trolinger, and Rhonda McLure. This project benefited enormously from the existence of GENIE, General Electric's electronic mail network. The management of both the military and the genealogical bulletin boards were generous in permitting me to make use of their facilities, and many of their patrons are included in the list above. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas were very cooperative in locating and providing access to materials. Happy Shahan, of the Alamo Village, in Brackettville, Page 6 Texas, and Richard L. Curilla, of G.T.T. (Gone to Texas) Films, were both very generous with their time and advice, as well as permitting me to wander through the recreated Alamo during a visit not long ago. Prof. Helga Feder and the staff of the C.U.N.Y. Graduate Library were enormously helpful in locating materials, as were the people of the New York Public Library. Particular thanks are in order to Robert Pigeon and John Cannan, of Combined Books, for making this project possible, and to Robert Pigeon, III, for executing the maps and diagrams. Special thanks must go to Carlotta Wright, whose Brackettville connections proved immensely valuable to the completion of this book. As always, special thanks are of course in order to my wife, Mary S. Nofi, and my daughter, Marilyn J. Spencer, who both suffered through the writing of this book. ALBERT A. NOFI BROOKLYN 6 MARCH 1992 Page 7 Contents I. The Coming of War 9 II. The Outbreak of the Texas Revolution 33 III. Through the Winter 51 IV. The Defense of the Alamo 67 V. Military Operations 89 VI. "¡Deguello!" The Fall of the Alamo 107 VII. "The Runaway Scrape" 137 VIII. "Remember the Alamo!" The Battle of San Jacinto 149 IX. Afterwards 167 Appendix The Texas Revolution at Sea 181 The Mexican Army 191 The Texas Army 197 Mexican Order of Battle in Texas 203 Order of Battle at San Jacinto 207 Guide for the Interested Laymen 209 The Alamo and Other Revolutionary Shrines 215 Index 219
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