The Alamo, Shrine of Texas Liberty

The Alamo, Shrine of Texas Liberty
San Antonio Light,Sunday, April 18, 1926.
The early days of the Alamo, when it was a Spanish mission in the then wilderness of Texas, are more or less shrouded in mystery. The records concerning its foundation and early uses are merger and dim with age. In the first book of the records kept in old San Fernando church are found a few lines telling of the missions and concerning the Alamo was the simple notation of irts founding: San Antonio de Valero, 1718." Originally, the Alamo was called by the Spaniards, San Antonio de Valero.
Fray Diego Martin Garcia, actual minister of the missions, wrote an entry in the records, indicating that the Alamo came to be established on the San Antonio river because of a shortage of water in the Rio Grande, because this entry in part states:
"In the present year and on the 10th of the month of May 1718, this mission of San Jose (on the Rio Grande) on account of the scarcity of water, was transferred to San Antonio de Valero by order of His Excellency, the Marquis de Valero, Viceroy of New Spain."
Other records contain dates as early as 1716 for the founding of the Alamo or of San Antnio de Valero, so that it is possible a mission had been designated at that time to be built on the spot and that the San Jose mission, having run short of water on the Rio Grande, was combined with the mission on the San Antonio river. The San Jose Mission (in Mexico) was known as San Jose de Alamo?
Thereafter, records at varying intervals deal chiefly with church work, but one report, written about 1762, states that the mission had a population then of 275 people, and that they owned 1200 cattle, 300 horses and 1300 sheep, and that they tilled much land.
A large irrigation ditch formerly crossed the plaza of the Alamo and passed in the rear of the present structure, providing water for all within the enclosure. It was water from this ditch that quenched the thirst of the noble band of Texans during the famous siege.The Alamo fronts west toward the city.
The main chapel, now standing, is 75 feet long by 62 feet wide. The walls are of solid masonary, 4 feet think by 22 1/2 feet high. This structure was roofless at the time of the siege. From the northwest corner a wall extended 50 feet to the convent building. The convent was a one-story building, with a flat roof, 180 feet by 18 feet.
From the northwest corner of the chapel a wall extending 186 feet north, thence 102 feet west to the convent, enclosed the convent yard. From the southwest corner of the chapel a strongly built stockade extended 75 feet to a building called the prison. The prison was one story, 115 feet by 17 feet, and formed a part of the south wall of the main Alamo Plaza, of which the convent formed a part of the east wall and some low buildings, used as barracks, formed a part of the west wall.
The main plaza, enclosed with walls, was 154 yards by 542 yards. The different enclosures occupied between two and three acres, ample accommodations for l000 men. The outer walls are 2 1/2 feet thick and 8 feet high, though, as they were planned only against the Indians, the fortress was destitute of salients and dominant points in case of a bombardment.
A ditch, used for irrigation, passed immediately in the rear of the church; another touched the northwest angle of the main square. The armament was as fellows: Three heavy guns, planted upon the walls of the chapel, one pointing north toward the old mill, one of the stones of which you will find in the chapel today; one west toward the city, and one south toward the village of La villita.
Two guns protected the stockade, between the chapel and the prison; two protected the prison, and an 18-pounder was planted at the southwest angle of the main square; a 12-pounder cannon proteced the center of he west wall, and an 18-pounder was planted in the northwest angle; two guns were planted on the north wall of the plaza, in all, 14 inposition.
Over the chapel floated the flag of the provinsional government of Texas, the Mexican tri-colores, with the numeral 1824 in the place of the angle in the white stripe. Today the visitor can see the chapel, the convent walls and the courtyard, but the other walls which surrounded the plaza has been torn down.
The old confessional room is one of the most historic spots in the building. Here James Bowie, lay ill on a cot at the time of the siege, and it was here that he made the heroic decision to be carried over the line a line drawn by Colonel Travis with the sword, just outside of this door, when Colonel Travis asked those who preferred to die fighting to stepover this line, and every man, including Bowie, who was sick, came over with one exception. There is no later record of this man, so no one knows whether he was killed trying to escape or whether he managed it successfully. History does state that no one escaped, and it is taken for granted that he was killed.
The siege began on the 23rd day of February, 1836, and so stubbornly did Travis and his men resist the Mexicans that not until Sunday, March 6, did the Alamo fall. The Mexicans began the attack at about 4 o'clock in the morning, and the Texans fired a shower of grape and musket balls. Santa Anna cirected the fight from behind a building about 500 yards south of the chapel. Twice the assaliants fell back in dismay. Rallied again by Constrillon, (who fell at San Jacinto), according to Fillisola, the columns of the western and eastern attacks meeting with strong resistance in reaching the tops of the small houses forming the walls of the fort, by a movement to the right and to the left, swung northward until the columns united, and led by their offricers, succeded in forcing entrance into the enclosed yard. Abouth ths same time a column on the south made a breach in the wall and captured one of the guns. This was immediately turned on the convent.
The cannon on the center of the west wall was still held by Texans and did fearful execution upon the Mexicans who had ventured into the yard. But the small garrison could not hold out against overwhelming odds. Travis fell early in the fight, shot in the head as he was firing a cannon on the roof. After the shot he had sufficient strength left to kill a Mexican who was about to spear him.
The bodies of most of the Texans were found in the buildings, where hand-to-hand fighting took place. The body of Crockett was found in front of the door of the room in which Bowie lay ill on his cot, and there were a number of dead Mexicans to prove that his defense was heroic. Bowie was killed in his bed after the door was broken in. Mrs. Dickenson and her daughter and a young negro boy, servant of Colonel Travis were the only occupants who remained to tell the tale of the Alamo.
The bodies were taken out in front of the Alamo and burned.

THE SECOND FLYING COMPANY OF ALAMO DE PARRAS Š1996,1997, Randell Tarin. All Rights Reserved.