Hi folks,
I've been reading your wonderful forum for the last couple of months or so. Like many of you, I was brought up on tales of Davy Crockett (I'm 57)
American culture, via movies, TV, comics and the like played a great part in our lives here in the west of Scotland. It is strange that when you consider the centuries of history that we have on our own doorstep that we should have such a fascination for the deeds & doings of such a faraway country. I guess it comes down to the media that influenced us as children. My own sons have very little knowledge of the American west & very little interest in the subject, if truth be told. I suppose they in turn grew up with their own media led influences. It pains me that I cannot get them to sit down & watch TV shows such as 'Lonesome Dove' etc. Hell, I can't even get them to settle down long enough to watch 'The Wire' It's too slow' to hold their attention I suppose.
The blessing of the digital age is that it's all out there, the curse is that few seem to have the time to appreciate it.
Working my way through the pages of this forum has been a delight, the depth of knowledge displayed by the membership is a joy to behold, what makes this site so enjoyable is that no opinion is 'sacrosanct' & woe betide the poster who states opinion as fact.
In the 'Morales Question' thread Doc Al said (three posts in) "Thanks, friends, for the straight story! It's good that something is "straight" in so complicated a subject!"
The debate then went on for 13 pages.
I sometimes find myself skipping over some threads....do I really need to know the details of the artillery available at the Alamo? Then I go back in a week or so later & I'm totally hooked (again) some of the ordnance was cast at the Carron Iron works! Less than a half hour drive from my home!
So, now I'm moving into paper products (as if I need more! I have an extensive collection on the ACW & a fair few on the old west) I thought long and hard about whether to go for the latest publications which to a certain extent would negate the purchase of 'older' books on the subject or should I maybe go for the older books first & play catch up. In the end, I decided on the latter course, partly because it's a cheaper introduction (Ebay / Abe Books etc.) & partly because it's better to learn progressively
I bought 3 'older' books recently that I'll read by date published:
'The Alamo' by John Myers Myers. C.1948.
'After the Alamo' by Robert Scott C.2000
'Lone Star Nation' by H. W. Brands C. 2004.
I'm a third of the way through the 'Myers' book, I find it such an easy & informative read, the (slim though it is) history of Texas in the period leading up to the conflict is all new to me and some of the characters involved demand further reading. I'm enjoying it a lot.
One thing I have learned from this site is never to accept anything as fact until further research is undertaken. As I have previously stated, I have browsed this form (and others) extensively & inevitably some of the information sticks in my head. The first book (before those listed above) I bought recently was '1836 Facts About The Alamo' by Mary Deborah Petite, it was a nice read but I found myself questioning some of the 'facts' presented, fairly startling in light of what I have read on these forums. This pleases me, it means that I am retaining at least some of the discussion from this forum.
The problem for me is the overwhelming material presently available regarding the the Alamo, sometimes it is all too much to take in, there are so many facets involved, so much minutiae to consider. I've decided to concentrate on one aspect: the list of defenders. I’ve constructed an Excel spread sheet which I will add to and subtract from as I glean more information from sites such as this and the written word. I do of course realise that that many have went before me on this subject, but it kind of 'grounds' me on one subject, it anchors me in the face of so much other available material. It will give me a base to work from.
Reading an online list of defenders is a rather cold process, it is only when you look behind the names that you appreciate that these men were living, breathing individuals. Three things have leapt out at me so far:
The ages of the defenders, how young most of them were, I suppose it's as true to-day as it ever was, war is a young man's game. My god, what age was Travis? 26? I can hardly credit that. My own sons are around the 30 mark. My youngest, it has to be said, has completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan, he is still a boy in so many ways.
The second thing that I noticed in writing down the names of defenders is that so many of them were named William, why is that, do you suppose? A tribute to the Monarchs of Europe?
The third thing that stood out was the fact that so many defenders were assigned to Capt. Carey's artillery company, it left me wondering who else was left to defend the walls
Thankyou for your time and patience.
Robert.