With all the force of a 12-pound cannon shot, the great Alamo debate is under way. Tourists are milling about Alamo Plaza as the 158th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo is commemorated with re-enactments and solemn ceremonies.
Meanwhile, a new Battle of the Alamo has begun - with historians, City Council, an American Indian group and the venerable Daughters of the Republic of Texas publicly debating the future of the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
"I want to find out the best way to present the Alamo to the public and how to best recognize the history that has taken place on the plaza - pre-colonial, colonial, the battle and all that has happened since," Councilman Howard Peak said after a two-hour panel discussion.
The meeting, sponsored by the First Friday Forum, brought together the DRT, Councilman William Thornton, Inter-Tribal Council of American Indians President Gary Gabehart and former Bexar County archivist John Leal.
Peak, who with fellow Councilman Roger Perez will co-chair the 22-member Alamo Plaza Study Committee, said the panel must determine who will finance any changes to Alamo Plaza.
Mayor Nelson Wolff appointed committee members last week, after the San Antonio Express-News presented a four-part series that sparked debate over the history and future of the 1836 battle site.
The controversy is expected to rage until Oct. 1, when the panel is to present its findings to City Council.
During the forum, panelists re-stated their positions on the future of Alamo Plaza East and the campo santo, where more than 1,000 early San Antonians are believed to be buried.
Archivist Leal said: "The old custom in Texas was to bury as close as possible to the chapel or to the church. The reason was to try to get those that died buried as close as possible to the altar."
Gabehart said the current Alamo Plaza debate is about history - not race or minority status.
"This is an issue concerning the first and original founders of San Antonio," Gabehart said.
Thornton said the city must take advantage of an opportunity to accurately and properly showcase the Alamo for the benefit of today's visitors, as well as those who will tour the shrine in centuries to follow.
DRT member Erin Patrick reiterated the group's stance that all bodies have been removed from the Alamo grounds. She also said the mission cemetery has been relocated several times, making it difficult to determine its current location.
During a Saturday meeting of the Alamo Battlefield Association, historians and an archaeologist presented differing views of Alamo history and the debate about Alamo Plaza.
Waynne Cox, research associate at the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas in San Antonio, said precautions were taken to avoid the supposed burial site during a proposed well dig at the Alamo.
"At this point, we don't have any concrete evidence" that bodies are buried at the site, Cox said.
Cox said the city asked the center to develop a plan to determine whether the cemetery exists and its exact location. Methods include auger testing, ground-radar testing and archaeological digs at specific sites, he said.
He said the center will provide advice and archaeological expertise, with the city determining what method - if any - is used to locate the cemetery.
Meanwhile, Peak said he hopes the committee will remain focused on its mission, which includes:
* Evaluating the numerous Alamo Plaza plans.
* Determining the best way to permanently close Alamo Plaza East to vehicular traffic.
* Researching available data to establish historical and factual information concerning Alamo Plaza.
* Preparing recommendations for City Council on the best longterm plans for the plaza, including the proper historical interpretation; respect and recognition for area burials; determining the proper placement of signs, pedestrian and vehicle traffic and visitor loading and unloading; access for the disabled; and other pertinent issues.