Left from Famous Battle for Liberty
San Antonio Light, Sunday, April 27, 1924.
A gun believed to be the one used by Moses Rose, French martyr of the Alamo, who died fighting [?] for liberty on March 2, 1836, in the old church that sheltered Bowie, Crockett and Travis, was presented to the Alamo collection on Saturday by F. W. Earnest of Jordan, Texas. The gun was dug up during an excavation of the Alamo's dirt floor, in 1874, and its handsomely engraved and mounted trappings, proclaiming the type of gun used by Napoleon's army, from whence Rose came, place its ownership with the hero who came from a strange country to die that Texas might be free?
U.S. Army men and other gun experts who have viewed the relic place its type as French, of the time of the Alamo battle. It measures nearly six feet in length and contained handsome plates of metal. A secret barrel for shots or gunpowder is still operating on rusty hinges, on the end of the stock.
Carving and places in the stock that may have been initials are too badly worn to be deciphered, and no mark of identification can be traced. However, the fact that Rose was from Napoleon's army, and the corresponding circumstance that French guns of that time were handsome and of the same type, together with the knolwedge that the majority of Texas heroes who fought in the Alamo did not have expensive guns as far as the present generation can tell from historical accounts, seem to conspire in pointing toward Rose as the owner.
According to Mr. Earnest, the old gun was dug up from under the Alamo's surface floor in 1874, by a worker named Nelson. The owner of the Alamo at that time was H. Grenet who had a storehouse there. Nelson gave the gun to F. B. Earnest, in 1889. No publicity was given the find at that time, as sentiment regarding Texas heroism was not as predominant as it is now.
Whether the old gun belongs to Rose or to one of the other immortal men who died in the old shrine, makes little difference to the custodian, Mrs. Small, as a relic from any of the un-named band is above value. However, Mrs. Small believes that Rose was the owner of the gun.
A sabre owned by Mr. Earnest was also presented to the Alamo. This rusty old sword was taken from one of Custer's men, after the Battle of Little Big Horn, by Sergt. Louis Esknof, one of Reno's troopers. An old pistol found near Palo Alto and belonging probably to some adventurer on the Taylor expedition in Mexico, was also given to the Alamo by Mr. Earnest.
Especially prized, however, will be the old gun, as both Bowie's and Crockett's muskets have been lost to Texas. The Alamo has no gun that might have belonged to one of her heroes, except this one.
