Subject: Davy Crockett not so noble
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 13:32:59 -0700
From: T. Earnhart
I once heard that the legendary frontier hero was an "inveterate coward, a liar, a wife beater, and a deserter." Those are pretty strong words, granted, but something tells me that a Disneyesque version of a noble, stalwart citizen dying to protect his county from from people seeking to interfere with their glorious destiny is a fantasy, pure and simple. I'm going to keep poking around until I have enough views - good and bad - on the curious life of this Tennessee legend.
T. Earnhart
Keeping an open mind is always a good approach to historical studies. I tend to think that we throw labels on people in the 19th Century without understanding them or the times.
Yes, Crockett did leave the American Army during the Creek Wars-but only because the volunteers felt their rightful enlistment time was up. A coward--no one calls him a coward in his time, including the Mexican accounts, which note his execution right after the Alamo battle. De la Peña couldn't say enough good things about him. Wife beater? Never heard that before! Thanks to Disney and Wayne, Crockett had become the great frontier icon.
I still tend to think that when people get upset about the idea that Crockett may not have gone down swinging, they are not really thinking of Crockett himself, but the Duke or Fess.
I recommend that you read William C. Davis' new look at Crockett featured in his new triple-biography of Crockett, Bowie and Travis. It's due out in the spring of '98.
Kevin R. Young
Subject: Bowie Baptism
Date: 29/06/97
From: Kevin R. Young
I saw Robert TarÌn 's comments about the Bowie baptism records and enjoyed it very much. A question, if he was not baptized, then how the marriage in San Fernando?
It brings to mind the debate about the Bowie children. Bernice Strong pretty much proved that there was no real record for the children, who, at best, may have died at birth. An author of a recent Bowie bio challenged that, noting records at the Mormon research center, which he apparently did not check in person. Jack Davis, in preparing his new book, did, and found that all the Mormon file had was copy pages from Wellman's novel, "The Iron Mistress"!
Lee Spencer of the Alamo Descendants Association one day challenged me in conversation with the comment, "How do we know that Gregorio Esparza is buried at the Campo Santo?". I noted all the usually sources, including the translation of the Campo Santo Records, to which Lee very correctly noted, "But have you seen the original?". Well, we spent an afternoon at the Church Records Office looking at the real records, and while the translation has Esparza listed, guess what-there is no record in the burial books in 1836 for Esparza. The number given with the record in the translation belongs to someone else! I checked the years before and after, the front and end pages and all of the margins-no Gregorio Esparza listed as being buried in the Campo Santo.
Always learn a lesson-and this one is called check the original against any translation or typescript!
Kevin R. Young
06/30/97
As to the often quoted baptism for Bowie that I referred to .....I have a copy from the original as well as the translation and the original is for James "Ross." Bowie may have been baptized after his arrival in Texas but no record has "yet" turned up in San Fernando.
Robert L. Tarín
06/30/97
I didn't doubt the facts presented-we need to be doing alot more research like this- just interested on how Bowie got married in the Roman Catholic Church without being baptised in it-maybe it happened someplace else.
Kevin R. Young
07/01/97
Have you guys considered looking at the church records for Espada, Concepci—n, San José and San Juan. There were other places he could have been baptized besides San Fernando.
He's not there either....!!!!
Robert L. Tarín
Subject: Mexican Uniforms
Date: 07/07/97
From: Dan Arnsan
I've been searching for some time for an accurate souce of information about uniforms of the Mexican Army at the Alamo. Films and books I've researched so far are lacking.I would appreciate some help from the experts.
Thanks,
Dan Arnsan
For starters, don't consult any of the films! Almost all of them copy each other, and they are based (it appears) on a series of 1826-1828 prints done by an Italian named Lanti. There are those who insist that the Mexican Army would have still been wearing uniforms from that period, however, that would be the exception rather than the rule.
The basic source for Mexican uniform documentation in this period is J. Hefter's El Soldado Mexicano published in 1958. Hefter's work is far from complete. He used what few original uniforms he could find (or bits of them) and the regulations. Hefter was probably working on a major book when he died. El Soldado Mexicano covers Mexican uniforms from 1832 to 1848, so keep that it mind. Mexico changed uniforms in 1832 and 1833. These uniform regulations remained in effect until 1839 when the Army was again restructured. So basically, during the Alamo period, you are dealing with the 1832-1833 pattern uniforms.
Rene Chartrand did an excellent, but all too brief, follow up to Hefter in the current edition of the Company of Military Historians Journal. But again, this tends to use the regulations and does not use original examples(which there are very few of). By Hefter and Rene did consult the Lanti prints, but more importantly, they took a hard look at the 1835 painting, "The Battle of Tampico" done by Manuel de Paris. While this painting depicts an incident in 1829, Paris apparently used real Mexican soldiers in 1835 as models. So, the uniforms and equipment represented are Alamo period.
The Osprey book on the Alamo contains adequete textual documentation concerning the Mexican side, but the color plates are a disappointment. Gary Zaboly's illustrations for Steve Hardin's book, Texian Iliad, are excellent modern interpretations, as was his article on the Mexican cazadores for the Company of Military Historians Journal. While original uniforms are rare: I have only seen bits of one: one period shako (more items of this nature survive from the 1839-1848 period), the metal parts, such as shako plates, cross belt belts, and these kinds of items have been turning up, so we now have a better idea of what they were.
I know that your question is about the uniforms, but we also have good information on their flags and the structure of the army (by regulation and by reality). Remember, there are four types of uniforms: those in the period drawings, those in the regulations, what they really wore and what re-enactors interpret that they wore.
If you have trouble locating any of the above sources, drop me a note at 414A Kings Court, San Antonio, Texas 78212, and I will send you copies.
Sincerely,
Kevin R. Young
Subject: Mexican Uniforms Pt.2
Date: 07/07/97
From: Dan Arnsan
Dear Kevin,
Thank you so much for your detailed letter about sources for Alamo era Mexican uniforms. I too was disappointed in the Osprey book. I'll attempt to Interlibrary loan the sources you suggested. Inspired by Disney's Davy Crockett series and, of course, John Wayne's film, I have grown up with a fascination about the Alamo and a desire to learn as much as possible about the historical truth about the battle. As portion of a research class that I teach, I use the Alamo as an example of how films often mold our perception of historical events and how only careful research can decipher the truth.
I have built a 1/72 scale model of the Alamo with all its defenders. I have painted about 1,000 Mexican soldiers using the Osprey book as my guide, but I really want to be accurate.
Once again, thanks for your help and for responding so promptly. I'm just begining to learn what a wonderful research tool the Internet can be.
Sincerely,
Dan Arnsan
I think for the Mexican Army you can be safe with the Ospry plates. Remember to consult the Mexican battle orders to get the correct ratio of the various companies.
A Mexican infantry battalion, either permanente or activo, consisted of one company of granaderos, one company of cazadores and six companies of fusileros. The various English translations of the battle orders get confusing-cazadores is translated as rifle or light companies while fusilero comes out as "line". This is one reason I recommend to authors not to translate the Mexican military terms, but instead develop an understanding of what the military terms mean. Depending on what part of the battle you are showing could determine what kind of troops and where they are positioned (the south column under Morales was made up of cazadore companies).
By the way, Morales uniform is the Mexican colonel's uniform illustrated in the Time-Life Book, "The Mexican War." It was captured at San Jacinto and is in the collection there.
You might want avoid a typical movie trap that tends to get repeated-the depiction of Mexican troops in the assult wearing the canvas (white) jackets. There were for fatigue details. While the white canvas pants may have been worn in place of the regulation sky blue wool pants, I think we would be hard pressed to document the jackets worn in the assult (they did wear them at San Jacinto since the Mexican Army was on fatigue details).
By the way, cazadore's wore black belts, while the fusilero and granadero wore white.
Kevin R. Young
Subject: New Humanities Class with a focus on Texas History
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 1997
From: Barbara Dorff
This Fall I will be teaching a Texas History/Language Arts class to Masterworks students in the 7th grade. This will be exciting and rewarding for myself as well as the students. I would like to know if there are other Texas History teachers who have taught Texas History with this focus. I would love to exchange ideas.
Barbara Dorff
Subject: Arrival in Bejar
Date: 07/12/97
From: Frank W. Jennings
I was very pleased to learn of what you are doing. I'm interested in San Antonio and Texas history. Of course, the Alamo and all connected with it is vitally interesting. I look forward to learning more about your wonderful venture! I know Kevin Young fairly well, but had never heard until today (from DRT Library) of your (rt) tremendous research effort.
. . .How can you reconcile the date of January of 1803 for the arrival the Second Flying Company's arrival in Texas, when your translation of Bexar Archives Microfilm, Roll3, Frame 266, shows the date of May 1, 1803 for what appears to me to be the beginning of the long trek to San Antonio from the Villa of Geronimo?
Also, do you have a citation on the kind of life and environment the soldiers and their families had in Mexico? How does Villa of Geronimo differ from pueblo San José y Santiago del Alamo? I will be very grateful for your advice.
Frank W. Jennings
If you'll notice at the top of the "translations" list [Archives Section] there is a document dated January 15, 1803. It's in Spanish with no translation. I'm working on that now. However, more importantly, notice from where it's written.
It's a report byFrancisco Amangual, the commandant of the Alamo de Parras Company, from San Antonio de Valero discussing the officers of his company. [BAM Roll 31, Frames 24 and 25]
It 's my opinion that those troops arrived as an advanced contingent in January followed by the remaining troops with their families in the Spring. This was winter (even winter in Texas can get cold) and there were 100 soldiers along with their families and households that had to be moved lock, stock and barrel from Mexico a difficult journey even under the best of conditions.
Several sources cite that they were only there until 11/09/1802. That info comes from the company's Baptismal Records, which would only indicate when the last birth occured at that post. The next birth is at Valero, some months later on April 5th. So, we know that the families had at least arrived by then.
How does Villa of Geronimo differ from pueblo San José y Santiago del Alamo?
They were two different villages.
The company originated in the Pueblo de San José y Santiago del Alamo, from there they moved to several other duty stations, one of which was the Villa de San Geronimo. [See Duty Stations of La Segunda Compañía Volante de San Carlos de Parras]
As to a particular citation for their lifestyle, we only have their baptismal records and some idea how people lived during that time period. Anything else is conjecture.
Randell Tarín
* * *
Subject: Arrival Date of 1803
Date: 13 Jul 1997
From: Kevin R. Young
While the Alamo Company was formed in San José y Santiago del Alamo de Parras, it served most of its pre-Texas career at other duty stations. Randell has done a good job of tracking them, and I have found most of the physical locations of these communities. I even had the pleasure of visiting Viesca, which is Alamo de Parras (the name was changed in 1830).
The Segunda Compañía del Alamo de Parras was stationed in the Mamipi District, one of Mexico's mining areas that happened to be plagued by the Apaches. You have to understand that unlike Presidial Companies, Compañía Volante's were support units behind the existing Presidial Line who were supposed to move around. Of course, after Mexican Independence, this changed.
If the commander was a good soldier (as it appears he was) he would have moved the soldados of the company out first and then made provision for the move of the families. Remember, these troops were being sent to San Antonio because the Spanish feared an American invasion, so the need to get the soldados there quickly was quite apparent.
I think the 1803 date is pretty strong-and by the report, it would appear at least the soldados were already here by January of that year.
I somehow think it appropriate that the name of this Spanish colonial/Mexican republic frontier cavalry unit-whose hometown and namesake was founded by Indians and whose soldados were mostly mestizo is now the most famous Spanish name in the Southwest. Much better than Valero, a Spanish Royal title name of a family connected to the Conquest!
Subject: San Antonio Colonial History
Date: 12 Jul 97
From: Javier Garcia
Where were the lands of the Duke of Bexar and the Marques de Valero? Were they in Spain or Mexico?? Where could I find a map of the lands of the nobles of Mexico?? Or were there titles conferred which did not entail any parcels of land??
I am only curious because we use their names in Bexar county and of course the mission of San Antonio de Valero....etc.
It is my understanding that the lands of the Marques de Aguayo were around the winemaking district in Parras, Coahuila but I had no idea of Bexar and Valero lands.
Respectfully,
Javier Garcia
* * *
Don Baltasar de Zuniga, Sotomayor, Mendoza y Guzman was the second Marquis de Valero, born in the ducal palace of Bejar, province of Salamanca and baptized there Jan 9, 1659.
His elder brother was Manuel de Zuniga, the11th Duke of Bejar. He was born in 1657. He died in the Catholic effort to retake Buda and Pest from the Turks; Baltasar was wounded in the same siege. Manuel was buried in the convent of the Dominican Sisters in Bejar.
According to the New Handbook of Texas, the Marques de San Miguel de Aguayo came to Mexico in 1712 to live with his wife on one of their haciendas, Patos, which included almost half of Coahuila. The same article indicates he died and was buried in the chapel of Santa María de las Parras. The titles Valero and Bejar were passed down to various members of the Zuniga family of the Bejar District in Spain. The family lands are located there.
Miguel, the Duke de Bejar, was a priest who was killed in the last Catholic attempt to push the Turks out of Budapest. His brother Baltazar, the Marquis de Valero was briefly the Viceroy of New Spain at the time Father Olivares founded the Mission of San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo). The expedition to the San Antonio was authorized by Valero, so the presidio was named in honor of Bejar and the Mission in honor of Valero.
Valero returned to Spain at the end of his term. The family is related by marraige to Herman Cortez. It is interesting to note that one of the Valero family killed one of the Aguayo family in a feud during the 1600's.
Subject: Alamo pickets
Date: 05 Aug 97
From: Bob Durham
Green B. Jameson's index to his map of the Alamo complex says that the adobe barracks on the northeast side of the plaza was "picketed throughout". I know that his map is suspect, but I think the descriptive notes are accepted as genuine. I have never seen a drawing or model of the Alamo compound which shows the log picket posts which Jameson says reinforced the barracks. Does anyone have any information as to why this is not generally accepted?
Bob Durham
Both Gary Zaboly and George Nelson's overviews of the Alamo show this, based on both Jameson's key and Sánchez-Navarro. Gary's work can be seen in Texian Iliad and on the new Alamo Wall of History as can George's. Gary was one of the first people to rediscover elements of both Jameson's key and Sánchez-Navarro's notes, including the abatis in front of the palisade.
Subject: Alamo Picketts, Part II
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997
From: Bob Durham
I appreciate the response on my question about the log pickets reinforcing the adobe barracks. I have a copy of "Texian Iliad" but I thought Gary's drawing represented ajacal type structure. I interpreted Jameson to mean that the entire barracks, from the convent to the north wall, was picketed. Thanks for clarifying this for me. I don't think I have seen any of George Nelson's overviews of the Alamo. There are a few things in Gary Zaboly's views of the Alamo in "Texian Iliad" that I've been wondering about. Perhaps you know the sources, or can give me your views, on his interpretations.
1. Gary shows the whole outer surface of the north wall reinforced with logs, instead of just the breach.
2. Gary shows a log tower in the southwest corner of the chapel. Dan Arnsan included it in his scale model of the Alamo compound, the pictures of which appear on one of the other pages of the "Alamo de Parras" WEB. As a side note, Joe Grandee drew a stone tower on the southwest corner of the Long Barracks in an illustration for an article by J. Frank Dobie, "No Help for the Alamo" which appeared in an old issue of "True West" magazine.
3. The two cannon emplaced in the horse corral and cattle pen are both shown mounted on the ground, aimed north through holes cut in the walls. That is the way they are shown on Sánchez- Navarro's map but it seems militarily impractical to have mounted them so that they covered such a narrow range. If they had built a platform to allow them to fire over the wall, as is shown on most other drawings, they would have been able to cover a much greater area.
4. As a practical matter, wouldn't there have been some type of inner enclosure to keep the cattle and horses away from the men manning the walls?
The DRTL made copies for me of the Sep 81 and Dec 81 issues of "Alamo Lore and Myth Organization", containing articles by Jake Ivey; "Southwest & Northwest Wall Gun Emplacements" and "South Wall and Its Defenses", with some excellent drawings by Mike Waters. Both articles were in the bibliography of Jeff Long's "Duel of Eagles". Long's bibliography mentions an unpublished manuscript by Ivey; "Mission to Fortress". The DRTL does not have a copy of this manuscript - do you know if Ivey ever completed it? The length of this is getting out of hand but I just discovered your WEB site and I've had these questions festering on my brain for a long time. How do you resolve the conflicting accounts of Alcalde Ruiz and Susannah Dickinson as to where Crockett's body was found after the battle? Personally, I think one has to be in error, and I favor Ruiz's account. If Ruiz is correct, do you think there is any possibility that the small fort, where he says Crockett's body was found, was one of the two circular trenches with pit and palisade, which Sánchez-Navarro shows along the west wall?
Bob Durham
Bob,
It is always a pleasure to answer any question that you have. Now, let's see if I can make sense of this! The Holy Trinity plus one of people who really know what the Alamo looked like in 1836 is Gary Zaboly, George Nelson, Craig Covner and Jake Ivey. And each will tell you they really don't.
Gary Zaboly has built a model of the Alamo based on all of the available information. He uses it to get perspectives. Regarding the whole outer surface of the north wall being reinforced with logs, he used de la Peña, Filisola and Sánchez-Navarro (which if you look at the battle map, shows this area as almost a double wall).
I would have to agree that any artillery placed through loopholes would be very limited, but often such guns were used in this manner for better effect when firing canister rounds. Remember, the Alamo was not a fortress, but a very improvised defensive position.
Ivey's work is still unpublished. Jake works for the National Park Service out of Santa Fe Regional Office. Also, UTSA Center for Arch. Research may have a copy (Sorry, that is the University of Texas at San Antonio). Good luck!
In regard to Dickinson vs Ruiz: I would have to side with Ruiz, but the problem is that we do not have the original (Spanish version) of this account to check. For that matter we don't have the original English translation to check. What we have is the printed version(everything is taken from the Almanac, including the version in the SA Herald of 1860). You have probably already noted that the battle times are wrong (PM instead of AM). If it is correct, then it is possible that Crockett ended up in that position-remember the only source for the palisade is Sutherland.
The more you think you know about the Alamo, the more you find to learn.
Subject: Greatest Alamo Painting
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997
From: Frank Jennings
On 20 September, Neiman Marcus will celebrate its 90th birthday, I am told, by (among other things) displaying "The Storming of the Alamo," a 10- by 23-foot epic painting of the historic scene by Eric von Schmidt. It's considered the most accurate ever produced. Well-known historians have acclaimed it. Kevin R. Young, president of the Alamo Battlefield Association, was quoted in an article about the painting in the Express-News on December 23, 1996 as saying that the painting was his favorite depiction of the Alamo battle. He said that "all the elements that you always read about, you see them. And there are little fine details and touches."
The painting has not been seen in Texas for more than ten years. It has been rolled up in the artist's studio in Westport, CT since it was first displayed at the Witte Museum in San Antonio in 1986, following its completion there. An article in the March 1986 Smithsonian magazine describes the meticulous research done by the artist during three years in painting the spectacular work.
According to a major feature article in the September 29, 1996 Boston Globe Magazine, Von Schmidt is "a 'Renaissance Man,' — a singer, songwriter, and painter who is better known for his influence on Bob Dylan and Joan Baez than for his own free-wheeling work."
To hear him sing his song, "The Storming of the Alamo," is to be deeply moved by a heartfelt musical tribute to the heroism of the Texians and Tejanos who laid down their lives for the cause of independence.
Sorry, friends, I forgot to mention that the painting will be displayed for several months at the Houston Neiman Marcus store.
Can we (should we) bring this to the attention of history lovers in Houston and elsewhere? Since the artist wants to sell the painting, do you feel that it should end up in San Antonio, elsewhere in Texas, or in the some other state or country? Does it matter?
Frank Jennings
Subject: Greatest Alamo Painting , Response
Date: 14 Aug 1997
From: William R. Chemerka
With regards to discussion of the "Greatest Alamo painting," individuals may wish to read the brief interview with artist Eric von Schmidt (creator of "The Storming of the Alamo") in issue #104 (March 1997) of The Alamo Journal. Eric von Schmidt was kind enough to loan several of his preliminary sketches for his massive painting to the special 1996 Alamo Society Symposium display exhibited at Yale University's Beinecke Library. One of the topics at the symposium was "The Alamo in Art: 1986-1996" [see issue #101 (June 1996) of The Alamo Journal].
William R. Chemerka, Editor
The Alamo Journal
