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Post by loucapitano on Nov 21, 2015 17:33:23 GMT -5
We all like to wonder about history's "What Ifs." One that entered my mind recently is: What if Santa Anna did the sensible thing and waited until April before marching into Texas? His army would not have suffered the Winter storms and might have been much better rested. His heavier artillery might have arrived with the main body and they might have been able to surprise San Antonio. At the same time, Texas may have decided to reinforce the Alamo and San Antonio through the beckoning of Colonel Neill who would likely have been back from his temporary leave. Travis would have remained a subordinate in charge of the cavalry. If Bowie recovered he could have remained the head of volunteers and Crockett would be...oh hell, who knows what he would be doing? It's hard to figure if Houston would have supported a massive reinforcement of the Alamo given his objections to the lack of mobility with fixed positions. Perhaps Santa Anna could have been lured into a trap at San Antonio while Houston and Fannin attacked from behind. I'm just playing a game with my mind, but it's fun. Lou from Long Island.
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Post by kerrville on Nov 22, 2015 13:40:36 GMT -5
So if Fannin had stayed put in La Bahia instead of being chased once out in the open,would Urea have enough of an army to lay siege in Goliad,or again,could a sacrificial force have been left behind at both La Bahia and at the Alamo to delay the Mexican force while Fannin and Travis could have taken the majority of their garrisons and report to Houston?
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Post by Rich Curilla on Nov 22, 2015 15:14:31 GMT -5
My guess is that, if Fannin had continued to the Alamo with his 300 men, he would have been in deep doo-doo. Santa Anna's order of February 29, 1836, to General Sesma said, "It is a very good idea for you to go out in search of the enemy since they are so close by. However, I consider it necessary for you to take with you the Jiménez battalion, and at the same time ten boxes of cartridges for your guns; ammunition always stands one in good stead. Try to fall on them at dawn in order that you may take them by surprise. In this war you know that there are no prisoners..." [Hansen, page 335]
Fannin would have formed a Roman square out in the middle of nowhere, like he did later, and would have been obliterated without ever getting near the Alamo.
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Post by loucapitano on Nov 25, 2015 17:18:05 GMT -5
I guess the Waynamo got it right (in its own perverse way) when Bonham (Patrick Wayne)jumps the stockade and delivers the shattering news that Fannin was ambushed and wiped out. Of course the timing was off a few weeks, but that's exactly what happened to the potential relief force from Goliad. Santa Anna's quote to Sesma may have been prophetic in his opinion that dawn attacks were preferable. It might help account for his rationale in thinking Houston would not attack in the afternoon and he could wait until the next dawn before battling the Texans.
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Post by Rich Curilla on Nov 25, 2015 19:34:59 GMT -5
I guess the Waynamo got it right (in its own perverse way) when Bonham (Patrick Wayne)jumps the stockade and delivers the shattering news that Fannin was ambushed and wiped out. Of course the timing was off a few weeks, but that's exactly what happened to the potential relief force from Goliad. Santa Anna's quote to Sesma may have been prophetic in his opinion that dawn attacks were preferable. It might help account for his rationale in thinking Houston would not attack in the afternoon and he could wait until the next dawn before battling the Texans. Yep. Once a dawn attack hasn't happened, break out the siesta!
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Post by daverothe on Dec 2, 2015 21:12:40 GMT -5
So interesting thought.....Fannin makes a decision, marches to San Antonio, Urrea follows, Fannin, by sheer luck makes it to SA, Urrea links up with Santa Anna. It would have been really interesting to see the dynamic between Fannin, Bowie, Crockett, and Travis. Of course the addition of Urrea to the Mexicans at the Alamo would have proven to be beyond belief for the defenders.
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Post by stuart on Dec 5, 2015 11:24:54 GMT -5
At this point I need to smile a wicked smile and remind folks that Santa Anna's decision to enter Texas when he did wasn't a random whim. Decisive action at that point in time was needed because the Texians were not his only problem. The whole point of the Matamoros expedition was that an even bigger rebellion was brewing in Tamaulipas, Coahuila and some of the other northern states aimed a creating a breakaway Republic of Rio Grande. Santa Anna simply couldn't afford to wait for the Spring. Do that and he would not only be facing a Texas revolt strengthened by even more substantial American support, but like as not he'd be embroiled in a civil war in the north. He was able to avert this only by moving swiftly against the Tamaulipas revolutionaries and exploiting the American connection with the Texian rebels to turn that revolt into a patriotic war rather than a civil one.
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