"DEGUELLO!" The Fall of the Alamo (3 Viewers)

[Spitfrnd]

Gritty, thrilling, and inspiring as I have come to expect from these posts. This set is brilliant and totally absorbing. The only bad thing about it is that it seems to be nearing and end. Then what will we enjoy here for fun? Hopefully you have some new ideas up your sleeve but until then keep these coming mate. Muchas gracias mon amigo.

 

[Harrytheheid]

Gritty, thrilling, and inspiring as I have come to expect from these posts. This set is brilliant and totally absorbing. The only bad thing about it is that it seems to be nearing and end. Then what will we enjoy here for fun? Hopefully you have some new ideas up your sleeve but until then keep these coming mate. Muchas gracias mon amigo.

Oh, there's no doubt whatsoever in my mind that BJ has something new up his sleeve for our further enthrallment.
Please do keep them coming Bob - I don't care what it is; if its the events leading up to, the actual events, and the bloody aftermath of an average Rangers vs Celtic football match, or the average night out on the town in the city centre of Aberdeen. As long as I get my regular "fix" of your diodramas - I'll be a happy chappie.

Cheers
Harry

 

[Rob]

Gritty, thrilling, and inspiring as I have come to expect from these posts. This set is brilliant and totally absorbing. The only bad thing about it is that it seems to be nearing and end. Then what will we enjoy here for fun? Hopefully you have some new ideas up your sleeve but until then keep these coming mate. Muchas gracias mon amigo.

Yes am very much looking forward to what Bob may turn his attention to next.

Rob

 

[UKReb]

THE FINAL CHAPTER

Bowie's door finally gave way and a horde of screaming soldados rushed into the room. Bowie got off one pistol shot which toppled one of the assailants.

They quickly engulfed him in a wild frenzy of bayoneting and stabbing. Somehow the delirious Bowie managed to fire his second pistol-winging another soldado. But by the time a Mexican officer fired his pistol at Bowie's head splattering his brains across the wall-he was already dead.

Meanwhile the fight in the chapel compound was nearing it's end Harrison could see the day was lost. In accordance with a pact struck among some of the men he shouted an order to Robert Evans the Alamo's ordnance officer

"Blow the powder magazine"

But as he uttered what would be his final words he took a bayonet to the back. His last sight would be of Evans falling having been shot three times his lighted torch dropping from his lifeless hands.

There were now no more than a handful left standing as Crockett fired his last pistol he quickly looked around his front-the preacher was down so was Harrison and the three brothers from Tennessee. He ordered those who could still hear him to move inside the chapel.

Two other defenders Floyd and McDowell made it into the baptistry with Crockett but as he turned toward the sacristy he saw the little children huddled against their weeping mothers he called to his two colleagues

"Give it up boys-if we continue to fight those damm Meskins will kill the wimmin and young-uns"

As the Mexicans moved forward Crockett raised his hands.

Hands tied behind their backs they were dragged into the compound and kicked into a kneeling position. All around lay the bodies of their fellow defenders. General Santa Anna now entered the compound and in Spanish addressed Colonel Almonte who in turn said to the trio in English

"His Excellency Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna aks if you have any last words"

Crockett looked up and stared at the splendidly dressed General
"You're Santanna"
Santa Anna understood him and nodded
Crockett smiled and said
"Thought you'da been taller"

Crockett continued
"You tell the Heneral to have his men put down their weapons and I promise to take you to General Houston and try my dangest best to get him to spare all of your miserable lives. That said Ol' Sam's a mite prickly.......so no promises!"
Alamonte was stunned this gringo was completely insane

"TELL HIM!" shouted Crockett

Turning to the general Alamonte stammered
"Su Excelencia...la Americano....quiere renunciar..a nosotros!"

The smile faded from S.A's face he visibly bristled and shook finally shouting

"EJECUTAR INMEDIATAMENTE"

Officers barked orders and from front and back the execution squads swiftly carried out their commanders orders.

The ladies and children of the Alamo were escorted out of the chapel. On some of their faces the women wore a defiant expression and threw the two silver pesos they had been given at the feet of Santa Anna's white horse.

As their wagon creaked across the plaza they passed the bodies of their men heaped onto funeral pyres that would burn for three days. On February 25th 1837, Jean Seguin returned to the Alamo and gathered and buried the few remaining bones left by the fire. Within years, the marker Seguin placed at the grave deteriorated. Today, no one knows where the remains of the Alamo dead lie

But what of Crockett? Did he surrender? Was he executed? No one knows for certain only that his body was thrown on one of the funeral pyres with his fellow Alamo defenders.
But from those ashes rose a legend of towering proportions. Crockett for so long the symbol of Democratic America had now perished in the defense of the very virtues he symbolized.

His reward was to be a glorious immortality.

"He heard of Houston and Austin so
to the Texan plains he jest had to go
Where freedom was fighting another foe
An' they needed Davy at the Alamo
Davy, Davy........................you know the rest


GUYS! THAT'S A WRAP!

 

[The Lt.]

Beautifully done and Beautifully ended Reb....The Lt.

 

[damian]

Reb you are a bit of a master.
Well done.
That blood looks pretty real.
Made me feel queezy, you know how i cannot stand the sight of it.

 

[Spitfrnd]

THE FINAL CHAPTER
.....

But what of Crockett? Did he surrender? Was he executed? No one knows for certain only that his body was thrown on one of the funeral pyres with his fellow Alamo defenders.
But from those ashes rose a legend of towering proportions. Crockett for so long the symbol of Democratic America had now perished in the defense of the very virtues he symbolized.

His reward was to be a glorious immortality.

"He heard of Houston and Austin so
to the Texan plains he jest had to go
Where freedom was fighting another foe
An' they needed Davy at the Alamo
Davy, Davy........................you know the rest


GUYS! THAT'S A WRAP!

Espléndido, apasionado y totalmente absorbente; bravo mate bravo, otra vez, otra vez. I have run out of superlatives in describing this series so I will simply add (again)
AWESOME

Here's to you Bob for all your effort in creating and sharing this with us.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Nicely done, Reb!! Thank you for a wonderful history lesson. Frankly, if I knew as much about the details of the battles you have addressed with you fantastic diodramas, I could teach history!

 

[mestell]

A BIG BIG standing ovation over here at my end Bob - just outstanding.
Mike

 

[VanguardFC007]

Great work Reb. You do justice to my Texan ancestors.

 

[eborris]

Wow!!!!!!! I think old Davey would have been proud, you can surely spin a yarn.

 

[aujj65]

Bob,

I would like to add my congratulations for a superb final chapter

There seems to be many splendid figures in this last part are they specially commissioned or made by yourself?

Jeff

 

[eborris]

Bob,

I would like to add my congratulations for a superb final chapter

There seems to be many splendid figures in this last part are they specially commissioned or made by yourself?

Jeff

I think Bob would be better qualified to answer that question, but I would guess both.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Bob.....................final chapter my butt.

You already have Santa Anna and enough soldados,

I want the Battle of San Jacinto next.

"Remember the Alamo"

Just a thought Bob.

That was one of the most entertaining reads and amazingly depicted versions of the Alamo I have ever seen.

I have seen all the displays in the city of San Antonio and yours tops them all.

Outstanding final chapter, great read from post 1 all the way through.

I knew you spent a ton of time, posing, writing script, researching, making dioramas, scenes and photo editing.......................thank you.

I love the quotes you used at the end from,

The Alamo 2004 version............"I gotta warn you.......I'm a screamer!"

KING BOB the best.

 

[UKReb]

Bob,

I would like to add my congratulations for a superb final chapter

There seems to be many splendid figures in this last part are they specially commissioned or made by yourself?

Jeff

Thanks for the comments guys-I enjoyed putting it together it was a real blast and I personally like the ending rather than the duke blowing the Alamo to smithereens which we know never happened.

Jeff throughout the dio I used dozens of specially commissioned pieces from here and from the States-just using what's available from off the shelf would make it impossible to tell the story as I have done.

There is also a good number of conversions especially with the Mexican troops. As some of the guys on here are only too aware I have a good chum who is an absolute artist in converting with museum standard of painting on anything Napoleonic. So Alamo Mexicans fitted the bill for his particular skill-the Alamo women and kids I bought just before sitting down to have a beer with you last March-they needed quite a bit of converting from Russian peasants into Spanish-but nothing is impossible with this hobby of ours that can't be fixed with some metal putty and Vallego paint .
I'm particularly pleased in how the ladies turned out ranging from expressions of fear to defiance.

But of course the main bulk of the figures were K&C and Conte (which you can't get in the UK now for love nor money) I have had RC's sets for about 5 or 6 years bought them as a job lot but never used them just stored them in the loft but when K&C released their superb series-I thought this whole heroic Texan saga just has to be told as a story so rather than just post continual single photographs of the action which don't really tell the viewer very much except confuse them-well 8 or 9 chapters later on you know the rest.

Thanks for your interest-now let me at those Zulus cos there's a splendid story just waiting to be told there

Bob

 

[Rob]

Stunning ending Bob simply stunning.Along with your ACW work this has to be the best work of art and narrative ever laid out before us on the forum.Its educational,entertaining and enthralling,i'm running out of words starting with e!.Oh here's another 'E'mazing!!.

Very much looking forward to whatever you do next,see you on Saturday mate.

Rob

 

[eborris]

Thanks for the comments guys-I enjoyed putting it together it was a real blast and I personally like the ending rather than the duke blowing the Alamo to smithereens which we know never happened.

Jeff throughout the dio I used dozens of specially commissioned pieces from here and from the States-just using what's available from off the shelf would make it impossible to tell the story as I have done.

There is also a good number of conversions especially with the Mexican troops. As some of the guys on here are only too aware I have a good chum who is an absolute artist in converting with museum standard of painting on anything Napoleonic. So Alamo Mexicans fitted the bill for his particular skill-the Alamo women and kids I bought just before sitting down to have a beer with you last March-they needed quite a bit of converting from Russian peasants into Spanish-but nothing is impossible with this hobby of ours that can't be fixed with some metal putty and Vallego paint .
I'm particularly pleased in how the ladies turned out ranging from expressions of fear to defiance.

But of course the main bulk of the figures were K&C and Conte (which you can't get in the UK now for love nor money) I have had RC's sets for about 5 or 6 years bought them as a job lot but never used them just stored them in the loft but when K&C released their superb series-I thought this whole heroic Texan saga just has to be told as a story so rather than just post continual single photographs of the action which don't really tell the viewer very much except confuse them-well 8 or 9 chapters later on you know the rest.

Thanks for your interest-now let me at those Zulus cos there's a splendid story just waiting to be told there

Bob

Bob,

Are you really serious about doing a Zulu theme? Better stock up on dead Zulu's, even in their greatest victory they suffered heavy losses. When they lost they were wantonly slaughtered. Of course there is also the threat of someone going PC on your thread too.

 

[UKReb]

Bob,

Are you really serious about doing a Zulu theme? Better stock up on dead Zulu's, even in their greatest victory they suffered heavy losses. When they lost they were wantonly slaughtered. Of course there is also the threat of someone going PC on your thread too.

Ed

I'll leave the Drift in the very capable hands of Joe (the Lt) and his fantastic collection which he has covered admirably here on the forum.

However, yes I would love to do the full story of Pulleine's disastrous collapse at Isandlwana which has not been covered in full on here. Why? you know me Ed I am the original American Patriot with my collecting habits and interests and Isandlwana is very much akin to the Little Big Horn-Kindred Fights and Kindred Follies and only two and half years apart.

Same land grab as Manifest Destiny cooked up by Sir Bartle Frere and Chelmsford just like Grant and Sheridan. Same arrogance-same mistakes-same results. Even the Isandlwana battlefield looks a lot like the LBH-some years ago I made a lightening visit whilst on a business trip to SA and forwarded Joe a whole travelogue of the visit. It's another eerie place with that looming lump of rock as an ominous background and all those little piles of white cairns very similar to the white markers in Montana.

Subsequently that's my interest. Regards the politics! actions after the Drift were not the proudest moments of the British Empire so as long as one avoids the wholesale slaughter meted out to the Zulu people culminating at Ulundi a dioramist should be OK.....but then again.........

Reb

 

[eborris]

Ed

I'll leave the Drift in the very capable hands of Joe (the Lt) and his fantastic collection which he has covered admirably here on the forum.

However, yes I would love to do the full story of Pulleine's disastrous collapse at Isandlwana which has not been covered in full on here. Why? you know me Ed I am the original American Patriot with my collecting habits and interests and Isandlwana is very much akin to the Little Big Horn-Kindred Fights and Kindred Follies and only two and half years apart.

Same land grab as Manifest Destiny cooked up by Sir Bartle Frere and Chelmsford just like Grant and Sheridan. Same arrogance-same mistakes-same results. Even the Isandlwana battlefield looks a lot like the LBH-some years ago I made a lightening visit whilst on a business trip to SA and forwarded Joe a whole travelogue of the visit. It's another eerie place with that looming lump of rock as an ominous background and all those little piles of white cairns very similar to the white markers in Montana.

Subsequently that's my interest. Regards the politics! actions after the Drift were not the proudest moments of the British Empire so as long as one avoids the wholesale slaughter meted out to the Zulu people culminating at Ulundi a dioramist should be OK.....but then again.........

Reb

I will grant you that it is interesting. What I find curious is even though there were a number of survivors there are various reasons contemplated as the reason for the disaster and once again we see that fatal flaw of dividing ones forces. In the end though no matter what the reason for the defeat it was rather a disastorous day for the British Empire.

 

[Rob]

Ed

I'll leave the Drift in the very capable hands of Joe (the Lt) and his fantastic collection which he has covered admirably here on the forum.

However, yes I would love to do the full story of Pulleine's disastrous collapse at Isandlwana which has not been covered in full on here. Why? you know me Ed I am the original American Patriot with my collecting habits and interests and Isandlwana is very much akin to the Little Big Horn-Kindred Fights and Kindred Follies and only two and half years apart.

Same land grab as Manifest Destiny cooked up by Sir Bartle Frere and Chelmsford just like Grant and Sheridan. Same arrogance-same mistakes-same results. Even the Isandlwana battlefield looks a lot like the LBH-some years ago I made a lightening visit whilst on a business trip to SA and forwarded Joe a whole travelogue of the visit. It's another eerie place with that looming lump of rock as an ominous background and all those little piles of white cairns very similar to the white markers in Montana.

Subsequently that's my interest. Regards the politics! actions after the Drift were not the proudest moments of the British Empire so as long as one avoids the wholesale slaughter meted out to the Zulu people culminating at Ulundi a dioramist should be OK.....but then again.........

Reb

Bob,do you think Rorkes Drift has become as famous as it is because of the fact that Isandlwana was such a disaster that the high ups grabbed at Rorkes Drift as a 'cover up' if you will.I read someone somewhere say that although the troops at RD were heavily outnumbered they were well armed,had plenty of ammo and were well entrenched behind mealie bag walls and as a result could well have been expected to hold off a much larger force.Could the fact that there were relatively few deaths indicate that perhaps the defence of Rorkes Drift was more straightforward than we think?.I am not for one second taking away any bravery from those young men who stood firm that day,they did a wonderful job.But could it be they were always going to win?.

Rob