Post by Paul Sylvain on Mar 5, 2014 21:56:21 GMT -5
Well, as we know it now, anyway?
On this eve of 178th anniversary of the battle and fall of the Alamo, I began thinking about what the true importance of the Alamo might be. Yes, it became the rallying cry for the Texian's sweeping defeat of Santa Anna at San Jacinto, but it kind of struck me that there might never have been a San Jacinto or Texas, for that matter, had the Medina not flooded, preventing the Mexicans from launching a surprise attack on the Texian's as they partied in San Antonio.
I don't usually like to entertain "what ifs", but this might be something to ponder and discuss. Here's where I'm coming from.
While I find it hard to believe that Travis was totally unaware of Santa Anna's proximity to Bexar, we have heard it said that no one expected his arrival until spring and not the third week in February. Looking beyond Bexar, I can only assume that Houston, who was trying to raise and train an army, didn't know either. So, am I crazy to think that if the Mexicans had attacked and killed or captured the Texian defenders in town, before they could retreat inside the Alamo, that Santa Anna and the bulk of his force might just have gone on and caught up with Houston and, thus, put down this revolution before it could even get off the ground?
Without being tied up in a nearly two-week siege and the resulting losses to his force. I'm guessing Santa Anna could have turned his full attention and a nearly intact army toward finding and destroying Houston and his fledgling army? I mean, at some point we might have eventually acquired whole or in part the territory we now know and love as Texas, but not when we did in 1836.
Obviously, we will never know, so we are left to ponder how things could have turned out much differently for Texas and the United States had there never been a 13-day siege and a bloody battle to the death of every Alamo defender on the morning of March 6, 1836. It's sad to think that without the death of great men like Crockett, Bowie, Travis and 200 or so other men of the Alamo there might not have been a Texas. A sad but necessary loss, for sure. I think Houston and his force would have been doomed without it.
Remember the Alamo!
Thoughts?
Paul
On this eve of 178th anniversary of the battle and fall of the Alamo, I began thinking about what the true importance of the Alamo might be. Yes, it became the rallying cry for the Texian's sweeping defeat of Santa Anna at San Jacinto, but it kind of struck me that there might never have been a San Jacinto or Texas, for that matter, had the Medina not flooded, preventing the Mexicans from launching a surprise attack on the Texian's as they partied in San Antonio.
I don't usually like to entertain "what ifs", but this might be something to ponder and discuss. Here's where I'm coming from.
While I find it hard to believe that Travis was totally unaware of Santa Anna's proximity to Bexar, we have heard it said that no one expected his arrival until spring and not the third week in February. Looking beyond Bexar, I can only assume that Houston, who was trying to raise and train an army, didn't know either. So, am I crazy to think that if the Mexicans had attacked and killed or captured the Texian defenders in town, before they could retreat inside the Alamo, that Santa Anna and the bulk of his force might just have gone on and caught up with Houston and, thus, put down this revolution before it could even get off the ground?
Without being tied up in a nearly two-week siege and the resulting losses to his force. I'm guessing Santa Anna could have turned his full attention and a nearly intact army toward finding and destroying Houston and his fledgling army? I mean, at some point we might have eventually acquired whole or in part the territory we now know and love as Texas, but not when we did in 1836.
Obviously, we will never know, so we are left to ponder how things could have turned out much differently for Texas and the United States had there never been a 13-day siege and a bloody battle to the death of every Alamo defender on the morning of March 6, 1836. It's sad to think that without the death of great men like Crockett, Bowie, Travis and 200 or so other men of the Alamo there might not have been a Texas. A sad but necessary loss, for sure. I think Houston and his force would have been doomed without it.
Remember the Alamo!
Thoughts?
Paul