cje
Full Member
Posts: 60
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Post by cje on Oct 18, 2012 15:35:56 GMT -5
Did Robert E. Lee ever visit the Alamo and if so, did he ever write or leave any comments about the Alamo? Thanks.
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Post by Herb on Oct 18, 2012 23:25:32 GMT -5
Lee first arrived in San Antonio in Sep, 1846, but only stayed there until the end of the month when Wool's expedition departed during the Mexican War. Douglas Southall Freeman, Lee's biographer, says he visited the Alamo then, but gives no details. Given the size of Bexar, then it would seem strange for Lee not to have visited the Alamo.
Lee returned to San Antonio in 1856 and passed thru the town numerous times during the next several months as he served with the 2d (now 5th) Cavalry in Texas. The last few months he served in Texas he lived in the commander's house in San Antonio (not sure where this was exactly).
Lee returned to San Antonio in 1860 where he commanded the Department of Texas until February 1861 when he was recalled to Washington.
The Menger Hotel next-door to the Alamo (opened in 1859) claims that Lee had a room there.
I have no doubt that Lee visited the Alamo, but without going thru his correspondence from Texas can't really prove it.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Oct 19, 2012 12:38:17 GMT -5
Having been there that many times, and being a professional soldier, I'd be surprised if he did not visit it and have some thoughts about it. I wonder if any of them are recorded anywhere.
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Post by Herb on Oct 19, 2012 14:57:46 GMT -5
His correspondence with his family is pretty extensive and fairly well detailed. Sadly, I don't have access to his pre Civil War letters.
It seems incredible that he didn't at least walk around it in Sep, 46, and given it was an Army Depot during his two other tours and the Menger claim, not to have visited sometime seems impossiible.
R
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Post by TRK on Oct 19, 2012 17:18:03 GMT -5
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Post by Allen Wiener on Oct 19, 2012 20:35:23 GMT -5
Thanks, Tom! Would love to see the citation/source for the info. Anyone got this book?
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Post by loucapitano on Oct 20, 2012 13:36:38 GMT -5
I can't imagine Lee, the consumate battle engineer, could resist exploring the Alamo from a defensive standpoint. I've also stayed at the Hotel Menger, a stone's throw from the gate. I'd like to think that Lee stayed there too.
The fact that the Alamo was an active Army depot, he very likely spent some time there as part of his ordinary officer duties.
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Post by Hiram on Oct 20, 2012 15:43:03 GMT -5
The last few months he served in Texas he lived in the commander's house in San Antonio (not sure where this was exactly). Lee returned to San Antonio in 1860 where he commanded the Department of Texas until February 1861 when he was recalled to Washington. The Menger Hotel next-door to the Alamo (opened in 1859) claims that Lee had a room there.
As for the Menger Hotel claiming Lee had a room there, I don't have any faith in that story. The Menger claims a lot of things, most of which have no documentation. I have this whole thing about the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry (Rough Riders) and the Menger Hotel which I won't belabor at this point.
Oh yes, I almost forgot...the question posed in the thread! I think it is safe to assume based on his numerous travels through San Antonio (mostly as a regimental commander) that the necessities of his duties would bring him to the Alamo. It is less certain that he would be moved to mentioning it in any correspondence. I know this subject has been broached before on the forum, i.e. people in history that we know who traveled or spent time in San Antonio, yet made little or no mention of the Alamo. |
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Post by Herb on Oct 20, 2012 17:41:34 GMT -5
I was a bit careless in the timeline the house was mentioned in as Lee's residence in 1857 before he went on leave to settle the Curtis estate. Would this be the commander's house of the 2d Cavalry? or the Department of Texas? or one and the same? Johnston was serving as both, before he left to command the Mormon Expedition.
In 60 the way I understand it Lee was the acting commander of the Department of Texas (awaiting the delayed arrival of Twiggs the actual commander). When Twiggs arrived (Dec ?) Lee was reassigned as commander of the 2d and moved to Fort Mason. In February as the Lower South seceded Lee was recalled to Washington, passing thru San Antonio for the final time. IF the Menger story is true (I too have my doubts) this would be one of the few times it might make sense. BTW, when Lee arrived in San Antonio this final time Twiggs had already surrendered the Alamo to Texas.
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Post by Hiram on Oct 20, 2012 18:09:09 GMT -5
Charles Ramsdell in San Antonio: a historical and pictorial guide recounts the story of Lee staying at the Read House at the time of the Twiggs' surrender to Ben McCullough and the Committee for Public Safety. The account states that Lee was given a choice of either leaving within 24 hours or joining the cause. The response attributed to REL was thus: "I back no Texas rebels...I stand for Virginia and the Union." He left the following morning for Washington without his baggage, which was never returned to him. Naturally there are no footnotes in Ramsdell's book.
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Post by Herb on Oct 20, 2012 19:15:08 GMT -5
Just looked at Emory Thomas' bio of Lee, he says Lee arrived the 16th of Feb, but the Texans already controlled everything. Twigg's formal surrender was also the 16th, but I understand it was actually agreed to on the 15th. Thomas also says Lee stayed in the "Road" House.
Thomas cites a diary, Mary Caroline Baldwin Darron, that while Lee was in San Antonio he stated that he intended to resign and farm - unless Virginia seceded even though he believed there was insufficient cause for revolution..
Yet in March he accepted promotion to full colonel and the command of the 1st Cavalry. He later met with General Scott, and Francis Blair on Apr 18 where he refused the offered field command of the Union army the very day Virginia seceded. Learning of Virginia's secession on the 19th, Lee wrote his letter of resignation that night.
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Post by sloanrodgers on Dec 21, 2012 23:52:37 GMT -5
Man, think how short the Civil War would have been if Lee had stuck to farming instead of reaping lives in a lost cause.
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