The FReeper Foxhole Revisits The Fall of the Alamo - April 10th, 2004

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/858143/posts ^

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


...................................................................................... ...........................................

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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

The Fall Of The Alamo (1836)

Day One – Tuesday February 23, 1836

The garrison's sentries spot the advance of Santa Anna's Cavalry units. After scouts confirm the Mexican army's presence, Colonel William B. Travis orders a withdrawal into the Alamo compound.



In a parley with Mexican Colonel Juan Almonte the Texians are ordered to surrender or be put to the sword.

Travis answers the Mexican's terms with a volley from the 18-pounder.

Day Two – Wednesday February 24, 1836

The second day of the siege began early with the Texians facing a newly established battery erected by the Mexicans during the night. The battery consisted of two eight-pounders and a howitzer and was located approximately 400 yards to the west of the fort. It was known as the River Battery.

The defenders were busy that night as well. They had captured at least one Mexican soldier and six pack mules during a nighttime patrol. According to Enrique Esparza, the defenders used the captured soldier to decipher bugle calls for the Texians throughout the siege.

Sometime around eleven that morning, Santa Anna began his survey of the Alamo fortifications and surrounding area to familiarize himself with the area.

The Mexican army pillaged the Texian's stores in Béxar and began the bombardment of the Alamo in earnest. The Texian artillery returned fire with no obvious results.

James Bowie, in command of the garrison, fell ill. The garrion's surgeon described his illness as a "A peculiar disease of a peculiar nature." Jim Bowie relinquished his command of the garrison to Travis.



The Alamo's well proved inadequate in supplying the garrison's water needs. This forced the defenders to obtain water from the acequia and reservoir to east of the compound setting the stage for several skirmishes.

Travis penned his "To the people of Texas and all Americans in the world" letter. Defender Albert Martin carried the letter from the Alamo and added his own comments to the back of the document.

Historians consider this letter to be one of the most stirring documents in American history because it helped to establish the Texian national identity.

Day Three – Thursday February 25, 1836

The morning of February 25, 1836 dawned with summer-like temperatures opening one of the most eventful days of the siege.


William Barret Travis

The Mexicans launched an attack with approximately 400 - 450 soldiers personally led by General Castrillon. The Matamoros Battalion and three companies of cazadores made up the attacking force. They came from the area of the river battery through Pueblo de Valero's jacales and buildings advancing to within 50-100 yards from the Alamo's walls.

After two hours of fighting, The Texians finally forced a Mexican withdrawal using the ditches and outworks. They inflicted only light casualties on their attackers. Sometime during the fighting, Texian sorties burned the jacales closest to the Alamo. At the same time, the Mexicans established new fortifications near the McMullen house.

As the Mexicans advanced through the pueblo, they discovered a young woman and her mother in one of the houses. Although already married, Santa Anna took advantage of the situation, arranged a false marriage, and quickly consummated the relationship.



That night, the temperatures dropped into the 30's. Under the cover of darkness, William B. Travis sent Colonel Juan Seguin to find General Houston and ask for help. The defenders ventured out again burning even more jacales. There is some evidence that at least nine men deserted the garrison and gave information to Santa Anna where the Texians had hidden at least 50 rifles.

The day's fighting was not a victory for the Texians. The Mexicans had established artillery and infantry entrenchments in La Villita and the Alameda, but the Texians proved that as unorganized as they were, they could fight.

Day Four – Friday February 26, 1836

The Texians burned more jacales during the night. It soon became obvious that the Alamo's water well would not supply the needs of a 150+ people in the garrison. They would have to obtain water from the nearby acequia.

The overnight arrival of a norther dropped the temperatures to near freezing. As daylight broke, a Texian foray went outside the walls to obtain water and wood. A small skirmish erupted with the Mexican troops under General Sesma. Mexican casualties were slightly heavier than in earlier fights due to the Texian's eastern-facing cannon.

Day Five – Saturday February 27, 1836

The fifth day of the siege was again cold with temperatures ranging in the 30s.

Having exhausted their own supplies, the Mexicans pillaged BŽjar of foodstuffs and perishables. When they in turn depleted these, they sent troops to nearby ranchos to forage livestock and corn.



In a decisive move, the Mexicans cut off the eastern acequia's water supply at its source: the San Antonio River. Not only did this end the minor skirmishes that had taken place from the beginning of the siege; it essentially eliminated the defender's major source of water.

The Matamoros battalion began work on trenches to the South of the Alamo compound. These entrenchments did not pass Santa Anna's inspection and so he ordered his men to dig new entrenchments closer to the Alamo under the direct supervision of General Amador.

Throughout the day, the Texians maintained constant fire on the Mexican work party. According to General Filisola, the Texians were seen working frantically on their own ditch inside the parapet of the cattle pen. This effort later proved fruitless and was harmful to the Alamo's defense by undermining the walls, essentially removing any walkway the defenders might have had exposing them to Mexican fire.

General Gaona received Santa Anna's letter of the 25th requesting him to send three battalions as quickly as possible. Gaona immediately complied, yet failed to forward any heavy siege guns because Santa Anna neglected to include this request in his dispatch.

Day Six – Sunday February 28, 1836

Mexicans receive intelligence that 200 Texian reinforcements from Goliad are en route to the Alamo.



The morale within the compound is high. According to Mrs. Dickinson, Crockett took up a fiddle and challenged John McGregor, a Scot with bagpipes, to a contest of instruments.

Day Seven – Monday February 29, 1836

The Mexican's Jimenez battalion and the cavalry under command of General Ramirez y Sesma are ordered down the Goliad road to intercept any reinforcements that might have been sent by Fannin.

The Mexicans propose a three-day armistice and several Tejanos leave Alamo during the cease-fire.

Day Eight – Tuesday March 1, 1836

Thirty-two reinforcements from Gonzales arrive.


Davy Crockett

General Sesma advances towards Goliad to seek out Texian reinforcements coming to the aid of the Alamo. Finding none, he returns to Bexar.

The Alamo's 12-pound gunnade fires two shots, one of them hitting Santa Anna's headquarters.

Day Nine – Wednesday March 2, 1836

Travis receives a report that there is corn at the Seguin ranch. He sends a detatchment headed by Lt. Menchaca to retrieve it.

Mexican forces discover a hidden road within pistol shot of the Alamo and post the Jimenez battalion there to cover it.

Unknown to the defenders, Independence has been declared at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

Day Ten – Thursday March 3, 1836

James Butler Bonham arrives with news of reinforcements. He reports that sixty men from Gonzales are due and that an additional 600 would soon be en route.



The Texians fire several shots into the city in celebration.

Santa Anna receives word of Mexican General Urrea's victory at San Patricio. In celebration, the Mexcians ring church bells and there is revelry in the camp.

The lead elements of General Gaona's Brigade arrive. These are reinforcements needed for a successful assault.

Day Eleven – Friday March 4, 1836

Santa Anna gathers his officers for a council of war.

It is decided that when the final assault takes place, that they will take no prisoners. The time for the assault will be determined tomorrow.


Jim Bowie

Having been consolidated into two batteries, the Mexican artillery, is brought to within 200 yards of the compound.

More Texian reinforcements arrive in the late hours.

Day Twelve – Saturday March 5, 1836

Santa Anna issues orders for the assault to begin on the following day utilizing four assault columns and one reserve column.

Santa Anna calls for reconnaissance to determine Mexican attack positions and approaches.

A messenger arrives at the compound with the grim news that reinforcements aren't coming.

Travis gathers his men and informs them of their options.

At midnight the Mexicans begin moving into attack position.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Mayor.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. Here ya go!

The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

[Soaring Feather]

Oh thank you snippy, not seeing Hagar at his post just about shot my day!!

[Professional Engineer]

LOL. We're going to the Mooooooon.

ROFL. Now there's an idea!

[SAMWolf]

Good morning Mayor. Thanks for the kind words on the Favorite Freeper thread, we rerally appreciate it.

[SAMWolf]

:-( Snippy had problems with the Vetscor graphic last night so she skipped the whole post.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. I tried to give him the day off but he insisted he be at post, he missed Helga. :-)

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on April 10:
0401 Theodosius II the Younger, Eastern Roman emperor
1512 James I king of Scotland (1513-42)
1583 Hugo Grotius Holland, jurist, father of international law
1755 Samuel Hahnemann German physician/originator of homeopathy
1794 Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry opened Japan
1797 Claude Ambroise Seurat Troyes France, (World's skinniest man)
1806 Leonidas Polk Lieutenant General (Confederate Army), died in 1864
1823 Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
1827 Lewis Wallace Major General (Union volunteers)/lawyer/diplomat/governor NM/author (Ben Hur)
1829 William Booth founder (Salvation Army)
1833 David McMurtrie Gregg Brevet Major General (Union volunteers)
1833 James Edward Rains Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1862
1847 Joseph Pulitzer Hungary, publisher (St Louis Post-Dispatch, New York World)
1857 Henry Ernest Dudeney mathematician/puzzle maker
1882 Simon F H J Berkelbach Van der Sprenkel theologist (Fear & Religion)
1891 Tim McCoy Saginaw MI Cowboy Actor
1903 Clare Boothe Luce former US ambassador to Vatican
1910 Eddy Duchin Cambridge MA, society pianist/bandleader (Eddy Duchin Orchestra)
1912 Roy Hofheinz engineer (Houston Astrodome)
1915 Harry Morgan Detroit MI, actor (December Bride, MASH, Dragnet)
1921 Chuck Connors Brooklyn NY, actor (Rifleman, Branded, Cowboy in Africa)
1921 Sheb Wooley Erick OK, vocalist (Purple People Eater, Hee Haw)
1926 Johnnie Tillmon activist (National Welfare Rights Association)
1927 "Alvin" Junior Samples Cummings GA, country performer (Hee Haw)
1929 Max [Carl Adolf] Von Sydow Lund Sweden, actor (Hawaii, Exorcist, Dune, Dreamscape)
1932 Hari Rhodes Cincinnati OH, actor (Mike-Daktari, Roots)
1932 Omar Sharif [Michael Shalhoub] Alexandria Egypt, actor (Dr Zhivago, Top Secret)
1933 Robert Rhodes James historian (Gallipoli)
1934 David Halberstam New York Times international correspondent (New York Times/Pulitzer 1964)
1936 John Madden NFL coach (Oakland Raiders)/sports commentator (CBS, FOX)
1938 Don Meredith Mount Vernon TX, NFL quarterback (Cowboys)/Mon Night Football
1941 Paul Theroux American travel book writer (Mosquito Coast)
1951 Steven Seagal Detroit MI, actor(?) (Above the Law, Hard to Kill)
1961 Jeb Adams Hollywood CA, actor (Lieutenant Jeb Pruitt-Baa Baa Black Sheep)
1963 Kirk Lowdermilk NFL center (Indianapolis Colts)
1966 Neil Smith NFL defensive end (Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)
1974 Sherry Johnson Owatonna MN, Miss Minnesota-America (1996)
1988 Haley Joel Osment Los Angeles CA, actor (Cole Sear-The Sixth Sense, Trevor 'Trev' McKinney-Pay It Forward)

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Deaths which occurred on April 10:
0879 Louis II the stutterer, King of France (877-79), dies
0947 Hugo van Arles count of Arles/king of Italy, dies
1008 Notger bishop of Luik (972-1008), dies
1585 Gregory XIII [Ugo Buoncampagni] Italian Pope (1572-85), dies
1712 Yusuf Nabi Turkish poet (Hayriye), dies at about 77
1760 Gerard George Clifford head of East-Indian Company, dies at 75
1784 Simon Fokke book illustrator, dies at 71
1862 William Harvey Lamb Wallace US lawyer/Brigadier-General, dies at 40
1863 Giovanni B Amia Italian astronomer/physicist/botanist, dies at 77
1919 Emiliano Zapata Mexican leader, murdered at 39
1954 Auguste Lumière French photograph/movie pioneer, dies at 81
1956 Clarence Beaumont 1st batter in 1st World Series, dies at 75
1962 Stuart Sutcliffe original Beatles bassist, dies of brain hemorrhage at 21
1965 Linda Darnell dies from burns received in a fire at 41
1966 Christian J Modeste Dutch king of gypsies, dies at 71
1966 Evelyn Waugh British writer (Black Mischief), dies at 62
1975 Marjorie Main actress (Ma & Pa Kettle), dies at 85
1975 Walker Evans US photographer (Fortune Magazine), dies at 71
1991 Natalie Schafer actress (Mrs Howell Gilligan's Island), dies at 90 from cancer
1992 Sam Kinison loud mouth comedian, dies in a car crash at 38
1994 Victor Afanasiev Russia, editor-in-chief of Pravda (1976-89), dies at 71
1995 Chen Yun Vice-Premier of China (1949-75, 79-80), dies
1996 Jessica Dubroff attempting to be youngest pilot, dies in crash at 7

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1967 O'GRADY JOHN F.---NEW HYDE PARK NY.
[EJECTED NO RADIO CONTACT]
1968 CARVER HARRY F.---NEW ALBANY IN.
1968 PADGETT SAMUEL J.---TULSA OK.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0837 Comet 1P/837 F1 (Halley) approaches within 0.0334 astronomical units (AUs) of Earth
0847 St Leo IV begins his reign as Catholic Pope
0879 Louis III, crowned King of France
1512 Pope Julius II opens 5th Council of Lateranen
1516 1st ghetto, Jews are compelled to live in specific area of Venice
1552 Henri II of France occupies Metz
1656 Dutch fleet occupiers Colombo Ceylon
1739 Dick Turpin executed in England for horse stealing
1741 Prussians defeat Austrians at Mollwitz
1790 US Patent system is established
1790 Robert Gray is 1st American to circumnavigate the Earth
1825 1st hotel in Hawaii opens
1825 Nicaraguan constituent assembly meets at León
1841 New York "Tribune" begins publishing under editor Horace Greeley
1845 More than 1,000 buildings damaged by fire in Pittsburgh PA
1849 Safety pin patented by Walter Hunt (New York NY); sold rights for $100
1863 Rebel General Earl Van Dorn attacks at Franklin TN
1864 Austrian Archduke Maximilian becomes emperor of México
1865 At Appomattox, General Lee issues General Order #9, his last
1866 American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) forms
1869 Congress increases number of Supreme Court judges from 7 to 9
1872 1st National black convention meets in New Orleans
1872 Arbor day 1st celebrated in Nebraska, later changed to April 22
1877 Federal troops withdrawn from Columbia SC
1877 1st human cannonball act performed in London
1884 US Senate accepts Belgian administration of Congo
1887 President Abraham Lincoln is re-buried with his wife in Springfield IL
1913 President Woodrow Wilson throws out 1st ball, Senators beat Yankees 2-1
1913 Walter Johnson begins string of 56 consecutive scoreless innings
1916 1st professional golf tournament held
1917 Munition factory explosion at Eddystone PA, kills 133 workers
1923 Hitler demands "hatred & more hatred" in Berlin
1924 Tubular steel golf club shafts approved for championship play
1925 Scribners publishes "The Great Gatsby" by F Scott Fitzgerald
1930 Synthetic rubber 1st produced
1932 Paul von Hindenburg re-elected President of Germany
1936 200" mirror blank arrives in Pasadena
1938 Austria becomes a state of Germany
1938 2nd government of Blum replaced by Daladier government in France
1938 New York makes syphilis test mandatory in order to get a marriage license
1939 Colijn's Dutch government opens camp Westerbork for German Jews
1940 Vidkun Quisling forms Norwegian "national government"
1941 German troops conquer Libyan county Cyrenaica
1942 Cigarettes & candy rationed in Holland
1943 12 Jewish patients of Herren Loo-Lozenoord escape Nazi's
1944 "Patrolling the Ether" is shown on 3 TV stations simultaneously
1944 Soviet forces liberate Odessa from Nazi's
1945 US troops land on Tsugen Shima Okinawa
1946 1st election for Japanese Diet
1947 Jackie Robinson became the 1st black in modern major league baseball (Dodgers)
1948 Jewish Hagana repels an Arab attack on Mishmar HaEmek
1953 "House of Wax", 1st 3-D movie is released (New York NY)
1955 Dr Jonas Salk successfully tests Polio vaccine
1957 Suez canal reopens for all traffic
1959 Japan's Crown Prince Akihito marries commoner Michiko Shoda
1960 Senate passes landmark Civil Rights Bill
1961 Adolf Eichmann tried as a war criminal in Israel
1961 New Washington Senators loses 1st regular-season game 4-3 to Chicago White Sox
1962 1st major league game in Houston, Colt 45s beat Chicago Cubs, 11-2
1963 Thresher, US atomic-powered submarine, sinks 220 miles east of Boston
1971 US table tennis team arrives in People's Rebublic of China
1972 7.0 earthquake kills 1/5 of population of Iranian province of Fars
1972 US, USSR & 70 other nations agree to ban biological weapons
1973 Kansas City opens its new park, Royals Stadium, with 12-1 rout of Texas Rangers
1973 Pakistan suspends constitution
1974 American Boccaccio Association is established
1974 Yitzhak Rabin replaces resigning Israeli PM Golda Meir
1974 Magicians Penn & Teller 1st meet
1977 Cleveland Indians set club record for longest, 9 inning game (3:17)
1979 J R Richard throws major league record 6 wild pitches in Astrodome
1981 "Caveman" with Ringo premieres
1981 Computer glitch keeps Space Shuttle Columbia grounded
1981 Imprisoned IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands elected to British Parliament
1983 Baltimore's Eddie Murray hits his 1,000 career hit
1983 Jordan's King Hussein ceases negotiations with PLO
1984 Damaged Solar Max satellite snared by Challenger shuttle
1985 At 80, Leo Sites becomes oldest bowler to score a 300 game
1986 Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan
1988 Herschel Walker performs the Fort Worth Ballet
1991 Last automat (coin operated cafeteria) closes (3rd & 42nd St, New York NY)
1992 25 die in a bus bombing in Sri Lanka
1995 NYC bans smoking in all restaurants that seat 35 or more
1995 Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan, announced his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination.
1996 President Clinton vetoed a bill that would have outlawed "partial birth" abortions. Congress was unable to override the veto.
1997 Onetime fighter pilot and former POW Pete Peterson was confirmed by the Senate as the first postwar U.S. ambassador to Vietnam.
1998 Anti-impotence drug Viagra appears on the market and becames one of the best-selling new medications of all time.
2001 The Netherlands legalized mercy killings and assisted suicide for patients with unbearable, terminal illness.

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
Philippines : Bataan Day
US : National Reading a Road Map Week Ends
National Anxiety Month

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Religious Observances

Fifth Day of Passover
Holy Week Ends
Lutheran : Commemoration of Mikael Agricola, Bishop of Turku
Christian : Holy Saturday

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Religious History
1816 In Philadelphia, church reformer Richard Allen, 56, was elected the first bishop of the newly-created African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. (Previously, in 1799, Allen had been the first black ordained to preach in the Methodist Episcopal Church.)
1838 Birth of Edward Kremser, German chorister. Included among his numerous vocal and instrumental works is the enduring hymn tune KREMSER ("We Gather Together").
1933 Death of Henry Van Dyke, 81, an American Presbyterian clergyman and author. He is still remembered for two writings: a book, "The Story of the Other Wise Man" (1896), and a hymn, "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" (1908).
1945 U.S. Armed forces liberated the prison camp at Buchenwald, Germany. It was estimated that nearly 57,000 prisoners (mostly Jews) perished in the gas chambers of Buchenwald during its eight-year existence as a Nazi concentration camp.
1970 The Russian Orthodox Church in America was granted autocephalic independence by its Mother organization, the Russian Orthodox Church. Headquartered today in Syosset, New York, membership in this religious body currently numbers approximately one million.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"A wise man can see more from a the bottom of a well than a fool can see from a mountaintop."

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What a Difference 30 Years Makes...
1970: Acid Rock.
2000: Acid Reflux.

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New State Slogans...
Colorado: If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother

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Male Language Patterns...
"You expect too much of me," REALLY MEANS,
"You want me to stay awake."

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Female Language Patterns...
LOUD SIGH:
This is not actually a word, but is still often a verbal statement very misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot at that moment and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".

[SAMWolf]

LOL! did you mean MOOOOOOOOOOOOn shots?

[snippy_about_it]

[SAMWolf]

[SAMWolf]

1925 Scribners publishes "The Great Gatsby" by F Scott Fitzgerald

Man! I hated that book! The only one worse than that was "Great Expectations".

1940 Vidkun Quisling forms Norwegian "national government"

2004 John "Quisling" Kerry tries to form American "national government"

[snippy_about_it]

1932 Omar Sharif [Michael Shalhoub] Alexandria Egypt, actor (Dr Zhivago, Top Secret)



Now here is a fine candidate for my bicyclespankentruppen!

[SAMWolf]

OH NO!!. Now the female contingent will never give me a second look.! :-(

[snippy_about_it]

I think PE has recruited enough ladies to go around. LOL!

[Professional Engineer]

1984 Damaged Solar Max satellite snared by Challenger shuttle

[Professional Engineer]

That's Hilarious! ROFLMAO

[stand watie]

i'm planning to go see THE ALAMO tonight!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

free dixie NOW,sw

[stand watie]

fyi, i was asked to publicly read Travis' IMMORTAL letter on 03/06/1986.

even practicing, i NEVER "got through it" without getting "so choked up" that i couldn't go on.

AND i found someone else to read the letter, W/O weeping, at Washington on the Brazos! (FYI, also, i always wondered afterward "how hard her heart was" in other ways!)

his letter effects LOTS of TEXICANS that way.

free dixie,sw

[SAMWolf]

It's not as PC as I thought it would be. Snippy and I would be interested to hear you opinion on it.