There has been a lot of talk today from the Drive By Media, they don’t get the tea parties and they don’t get the reason they are having one at the Alamo. So I was watching Glenn Beck and he told the story, a very brief version. I think it deserves a more complete telling.
Many people may not realize the history of Texas. I lived in Texas as a child and we spent more time in 3rd grade history on Texas history than we did U.S. History. The reason is because in many ways Texas still feels “like a whole ‘nother country”. The reason is because it WAS. The Republic of Texas was a sovereign nation in North America between the United States and Mexico that existed from 1836 to 1846 the nation claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S. state of Texas, as well as parts of present-day New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming, Texas did not become a State of the United States until 1846.
But Prior to that, in 1821, Texas was a province of the newly formed nation of Mexico. This lasted from 1821 to 1836, when a Governor of one of the Mexican States, Santa Anna, began to exhibit centralist tendencies, (people were concerned over his massing of power and the strong central government he was creating) As protests spread across Texas, Mexican officials increasingly blamed the settlers from the United States for the discontent. Texas formally declared independence on March 2, 1836. The revolt was justified as necessary to protect basic rights and because Mexico had annulled the pact that made Mexico a Federation of Independent states. (Interesting that Mexico won independence from Spain due to Tyranny. Then Texas seceded from Mexico due to Tyranny, isn’t it?) Which bring us to the Alamo. The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) is the most famous battle of the Texas Revolution. After a revolutionary army of Texan settlers and adventurers from the United States drove all Mexican troops out of Mexican Texas, Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna led an invasion to regain control of the area. Mexican forces arrived in San Antonio on February 23 and initiated a siege of the Texan forces garrisoned at the Alamo. The Alamo is a Church Mission, not a fort. It was not built as a Fort. Sam Houston was the President of the Republic of Texas, and
realizing it would be difficult for the Texans to hold the Alamo, Houston ordered Colonel James Bowie (Jim Bowie, of Bowie Knife fame) to remove the artillery from the Alamo and destroy the complex. Bowie soon discovered that the Alamo garrison lacked draft animals, making it impossible to transport the artillery. Bowie was persuaded of the location's strategic importance and was unwilling to simply abandon the fortress. In a letter to Governor Henry Smith, Bowie argued that "the salvation of Texas depends in great measure on keeping San Antonio out of the hands of the enemy. It serves as the frontier guard, and if it were in the possession of Santa Anna, there is no stronghold from which to repel him in his march toward the Sabine (River)." The letter to Smith ended, "We have come to the solemn resolution that we will rather die in these ditches than give it up to the enemy." Bowie also wrote to the provisional government, asking for "men, money, rifles, and cannon powder". Smith ordered a cavalry officer, William B. Travis, to reinforce the Alamo. Travis arrived in San Antonio with 30 men on February 3.
Now for the next part I will quote the lyrics of a Marty Robbins song, because he says it best. This song is very accurate from the perspective of a Cowboy in the late 1800’s.
In the southern part of Texas, in the town of San Antone,
There's a fortress all in ruin that the weeds have overgrown.
You may look in vain for crosses and you'll never see a one,
But sometime between the setting and the rising of the sun,
You can hear a ghostly bugle as the men go marching by;
You can hear them as they answer to that roll call in the sky:
Colonel Travis, Davy Crockett and a hundred eighty more;
Captain Dickenson, Jim Bowie, present and accounted for.
Back in 1836, Houston said to Travis:"Get some volunteers and go fortify the Alamo."
Well, the men came from Texas and from old Tennessee,
And they joined up with Travis just to fight for the right to be free.
Indian scouts with squirrel guns, men with muzzle loaders,
Stood together heel and toe to defend the Alamo.
"You may never see your loved ones," Travis told them that day.
"Those that want to can leave now, those who'll fight to the death, let 'em stay."
[This is where the phrase actually originates to ”draw a line in the sand” Colonel Travis at the Alamo]
In the sand he drew a line with his army sabre,
Out of a hundred eighty five, not a soldier crossed the line.
With his banners a-dancin' in the dawn's golden light,
Santa Anna came prancin' on a horse that was black as the night.
He sent an officer to tell Travis to surrender.
Travis answered with a shell [he fired a cannon] and a rousin' rebel yell.
Santa Anna turned scarlet: "Play Degüello," he roared. [a military call warning that there would be no prisoners]
"I will show them no quarter, everyone will be put to the sword."
185 holdin' back 5000. [There were at least 5000 Mexican troops.]
Five days, six days, eight days, ten;
Travis held and held again.
Then he sent for replacements for his wounded and lame,
But the troops that were comin' never came, never came, never came.
Twice he charged, then blew recall. On the fatal third time,
Santa Anna breached the wall and he killed them one and all.
Now the bugles are silent and there's rust on each sword,
And the small band of soldiers lie asleep in the arms of The Lord.
In the southern part of Texas, near the town of San Antone,
Like a statue on his Pinto rides a cowboy all alone.
And he sees the cattle grazin' where a century before,
Santa Anna's guns were blazin' and the cannons used to roar.
And his eyes turn sort of misty, and his heart begins to glow,
And he takes his hat off slowly to the men of Alamo.
To the thirteen days of glory at the seige of Alamo.
And now you know why Texans say “Remember the Alamo!” It is Holy Ground both Literally and figuratively where men died to proclaim their freedom from an oppressive government. And these idiots in the media do NOT GET IT.
p.s. Hey, to those in D.C. , "The Eyes of Texas are upon you!"
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