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Post by Hiram on Feb 9, 2010 21:10:15 GMT -5
You are correct in that the two drafts have never been published in one volume, in fact the first draft (as far as I know) has never been published in its entirety.
De la Pena wrote the earlier, shorter version while in Matamoros, (1836-1837) and the longer version in Mexico City (ca. 1840) at the old Spanish Inquistion Prison (Cell #11, four cells down from SFA's old pad, Cell #15).
Not having seen the drafts personally, its my impression that the later version is essentially a rewrite or expanded version of the first. And of course the shorter draft does not mention Crockett, but that's a whole different subject.
For me personally, I feel most comfortable referring to the drafts or manuscripts as an "account". De la Pena apparently made his first actual entry a few days after the Alamo battle, and as previously mentioned, the first draft was written after he was in Matamoros, so there is no field journal or diary to speak of. The de la Pena manuscripts are one of several accounts from the Tex Rev which help give us some insights into the events that constructed this part of history, and like all the other accounts that we read, we need to examine them with a sharp eye and keen ear.
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Post by marklemon on Jul 23, 2010 23:01:39 GMT -5
In a conversation recently with a learned Alamo scholar and author who wishes to remain anonymous, he opined that he had heard or read a while back that the San Felipe business from which Travis had ordered his mystery "$5.00" flag, was also known to supply the "star and stripe" ensign for the Texas Navy. As many are aware, this flag has been described as the "defacto flag" of the Texas revolution. Does anyone know anything about this? This reference was the first I have heard about it. If true, it may lend credence to the strong speculation that this mystery $5 Alamo flag was, indeed, the star and stripe.
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Post by garyzaboly on Jul 25, 2010 4:34:06 GMT -5
I've found references to a number of stars and stripes in Texas dating the fall of '35 and well into '36, but also a lot of other flags, too. So it's obvious that they WERE available, although I've never seen evidence for any particular vendor selling them.
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Post by Kevin Young on Mar 10, 2011 14:03:03 GMT -5
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Post by Hollowhorn on Dec 4, 2011 12:32:08 GMT -5
Interesting to note that on Lee Spencer White's Facebook page, the middle one of three photographs of the NOG flag (taken recently in Mexico) clearly shows remnants of the original azure blue colour.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Dec 4, 2011 13:30:28 GMT -5
Those are the best pictures I've seen of the flag; it looks in better shape than I had thought, although most of the original blue is gone. I wonder what became of the two-star (Tejas-Coahulia) flag? I think it's in the Sanchez Navarro sketch of the fort and most likely the one that flew during the siege, rather than the 1824.
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Post by Rich Curilla on Dec 4, 2011 23:57:40 GMT -5
It is revealing (as Walter Lord pointed out in 1961) that Santa Anna's message that accompanied the captured NOG flag referred to it as "one of the flags" captured that morning. Of course, this is the one he would have chosen since it clearly proved that at least some of them were "pirates" and that he was within his rights by international law in executing them. Contrarily, the Twin Star Flag (like the traditional 1824 flag) would have shown him to be the villain that he was. Betcha he burned it with the "pirates."
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Post by Allen Wiener on Dec 5, 2011 8:48:12 GMT -5
That's my guess, Rich. Burned it.
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