The Alamo Myth (1 Viewer)

[trooper]

Just obtained a new book "Exodus from the Alamo", and although this entry should strictly be under the Books and Magazines thread the content is such that I feel this would be a more appropriate space to comment on it. The accepted image of the Alamo is of a fierce final assault with all the defenders fighting grimly to the last inflicting significant casualties upon their foes. The author, Phillip Tucker, gives a different view. In a well documented and heavily annotated volume he gives compelling evidence that the garrison was asleep and the Mexicans were actually over the walls before the alarm was raised. Befuddled by sleep and panicked by the mass of soldiery the bulk of the defenders attempted to break out in an uncoordinated rush and were cut down in the open by the cavalry. Such reistance as was put up inside the fortifications was meagre, the cannons were unloaded and very few were brought into action and were mostly ineffectual as they could not be depressed enough. The entire action lasted but a half hour and the Mexican casualties numbered less that 300, most of which were caused by "friendly fire." He also advances the theory that Travis, and possibly Bowie, commited suicide and that Crockett was killed very early in the fight. Tucker has consulted a lot of hitherto ignored evidence and gives sources for every quote, and is to be commended for a very well researched work but his findings are bound to raise much comment and criticism going so strongly against the accepted canon. Trooper

 

[The Military Workshop]

Don't tell me they had "spin doctors" in the USA in the 1830's.

I think I prefer the myth version as per John Wayne movie.

Brett

 

[Mitch]

I thought Oswald opened the gates!!! and the rest is history!!!!
Mitch

Don't tell me they had "spin doctors" in the USA in the 1830's.

I think I prefer the myth version as per John Wayne movie.

Brett

 

[jazzeum]

Alan,

It wouldn't surprise me as many movies that Hollywood has produced are full of historical inaccuracies.

Brad

 

[Rob]

Alan,

It wouldn't surprise me as many movies that Hollywood has produced are full of historical inaccuracies.

Brad

You can say that again

Rob

 

[jazzeum]

I was about to add that sometimes the truth is much more interesting than the pap they come up with. An example is the movie the Conspirator.

 

[johnnybach]

Don't tell me they had "spin doctors" in the USA in the 1830's.

I think I prefer the myth version as per John Wayne movie.

Brett

No - just "Hollywood"

 

[Scott]

No - just "Hollywood"

The Billy Bob Thorton ending is "satisfying" if the Crockett surrender account is "true."

 

[Combat]

Given that almost everyone inside the Alamo was killed there will always be speculation about the details. And many people bring their own political and cultural agendas to these discussions to fill the void. The attack did occur in the early morning, the fight was brief, but beyond that it's difficult to sort out many of the specifics. Travis had a slave who survived the battle who indicated that Travis was shot in the head while defending one of the walls. That would seemingly be the best evidence that he did not commit suicide. For all we know Bowie was dead even before the battle started. A number of Alamo defenders did attempt to flee but were cut down by Mexican cavalry. This is one of those events where myth and reality are intertwined.

 

[lancer]

This book has been discussed under the 'What are members reading' section. Just search Alamo Myth. I found the book interesting but felt the author had an agenda to prove that only his version of events could be true and that every other previous history was wrong. He was big enough to allow that Huffines "Blood of Noble Men" had some points correct. This myth busting also took to task every aspect of what had been accepted about the Alamo. All the defenders were there for self-serving reasons, not the independence of Texas. The defenders never planned to fight to the end and that they were incompetent soldiers. As mentioned, the defenders were caught asleep, panicked and the great majority attempted to flee, getting caught and killed outside the Alamo. The fight last 20 minutes with the Mexicans suffering 300 total casualties (62 KIA). The thing that bothered me about the book was the way the author kept professing to know what the defenders were thinking and how and why they acted in certain ways because he felt it was logical to do so. Big assumptions. Never the less, it is a thought provoking book, but as I said in an earlier discussion, I doubt it is a very popular book in Texas. If ever a history was revisionist, this is it. -- Al

 

[Terp152]

I would caution against a book finding so many new "truths." You don't sell many copies by rehashing long ago events unless you "discover" new evidence and conclusions. Chris

 

[trooper]

Don't tell me they had "spin doctors" in the USA in the 1830's.

I think I prefer the myth version as per John Wayne movie.

Brett

I think there have been "spin" doctors ever since man developed a coherent language, certainly in this case the best possible senario was in the interests of Houston and Austin to acheive their aims. Much truth in the old saying "when truth interferes with the legend, print the legend." However, like you, I prefer the John Wayne movie. Trooper

 

[trooper]

I would caution against a book finding so many new "truths." You don't sell many copies by rehashing long ago events unless you "discover" new evidence and conclusions. Chris

In general I agree, but in Tucker's defence I must say I was impressed by the meticulous notations and the fact that he listed all his sources. No doubt the truth lies somewhere in between the two extremes but as Al says, I doubt it will be popular in Texas. Trooper

 

[lancer]

I have, as I said, problems with this book, but I also think it represents a good deal of work and research that deserves to be read. People who think they know the Alamo story should read this book, even if it angers them (and it did me, in certain respects). It is a reasonbly well built argument for an alternate theory on the Alamo, even if one doesn't agree with some or all of it's conclusions. It certainly isn't boring. -- Al

 

[Scott]

I just ordered a copy from Amazon. Reviews are REALLY mixed on the Amazon site! {eek3}

 

[lancer]

I just ordered a copy from Amazon. Reviews are REALLY mixed on the Amazon site! {eek3}

With good reason! -- Al

 

[Warrior]

You know, I always wondered when I visited the Alamo about 15 years ago why the chapel was still standing because afterall, in the John Wayne version, Crockett takes a lance through the chest, staggers towards the chapel, throws a lit torch into the powder magazine and blows the chapel to pieces...............:rolleyes2:

My Dad likes to say when he'd go on a call to a bar to break up a fight in his police officer days, he'd have one guy stand in one corner of the bar, the other guy in the far corner and go back and forth asking them questions as to what happened and when I asked him why, he'd say "Because one guy had one version, the other guy had another version and somewhere between where the two of them stood lied the truth"..................much like the "legend" of the Alamo, the truth lies somewhere between the Disney Fess Parker Crockett swinging away at Mexicans climbing ladders towards him and this book that contents most of the defenders died in heaps outside the fort cut down by lancers.

And no, I can't imagine this book is too popular in Texas either; hey, when I visited the Alamo, I never did get to see the basement either..............

 

[Ragnar]

Reading Alamo books kinda killed it for me,I was a HUGE fan of the Wayne film {and still am} way back when i was about 8 years old.
And it was not until in my mid twenty's that i started reading about the Alamo in various books, now dont get me wrong i respect the historical.
Events but sometimes i wish i could go back to that point in time were the only Alamo i know is with a Bowie who takes out 5 Mexicans with one shot from his.
Volly Gun not to mention Crockett pulling a lance out of his chest then blowing up the chapel..or what about that Mexican Grand Battery i think even.
Napoleon himself would have been impressed.

 

[wds0855]

I have not read this book, so I am not familiar with the contents. One book I would highly recommend on the Alamo is "The Alamo Reader". After reading that book, I am pretty well convinced a substanial defense was put by the defenders. It does relate that some tried to escape and were cut down, which I am sure happened to some degree. But like others have already said, the truth lies somewhere between an all out defense and an all out rout.

Walt

 

[Scott]

With good reason! -- Al

I'm looking forward to seeing if it's a bad book OR it just steps on toes. Look at is this way..... All those Mexican lancer figures from various lines and playsets now will have something to do on the table top but outside the Alamo compound.