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During the weekend of October 16th, Mike and I actually found ourselves with some time on our hands and seeking a destination from the big city atmosphere of Houston, Texas. So we checked out the map and realized we could easily make the drive from Houston to San Antonio and spend some time exploring The Alamo and the Riverwalk Area. The Alamo itself is impressive for what it stands for .. The grounds and the Mission Building have been restored by The Daughters of the Republic of Texas through private donations. While the Mission itself remains standing and some of the surrounding walls, most of what was the original area has been swallowed up in the growth of San Antonio over the years. The Riverwalk was a treat we hadn't expected. Originally picked as an office location as early as 1941 it became a major restaurant and shopping area about 1981. As we walked along the banks of the river, barges carried tourists from shop to shop and restaurant to restaurant and in the evening the barges even served as places to dine. The tropical growth among the signs of civilization made even the hot and humid day a pleasant one with enough of a breeze to make the day tolerable and the evening delightful. On Sunday we were treated to a cold front where temperatures dropped dramatically and the rain started to fall. We retreated back to Houston early in the day because of the rain but soon outran the rain and arrived back in the hot and humid big city. We stopped at the movies to see "The Story of Us" and when we emerged it was to find that the cold front had caught up with us. We enjoyed are relaxing weekend after a very hectic couple of weeks in Houston. I came back to San Diego for a short time while Mike remained behind but I will join him again soon for more adventures and hard work. |
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Originally named Misión San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years. Construction began on the present site in 1724. In 1793, Spanish officials secularized San Antonio's five missions and distributed their lands to the remaining Indian residents. These men and women continued to farm the fields - once the mission's but now their own - and participated in the growing community of San Antonio. |
| In the early 1800s, the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the former mission. The soldiers referred to the old mission as the Alamo (the Spanish word for "cottonwood") in honor of their hometown Alamo de Parras, Coahuila. The post's commander established the first recorded hospital in Texas in the Long Barrack. The Alamo was home to both Revolutionaries and Royalists during Mexico's ten-year struggle for independence. The military - Spanish, Rebel, and then Mexican - continued to occupy the Alamo until the Texas Revolution. |
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San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. In December 1835, Ben Milam led Texian and Tejano volunteers against Mexican troops quartered in the city. After five days of house-to-house fighting, they forced General Marín Perfecto de Cós and his soldiers to surrender. The victorious volunteers then occupied the Alamo - already fortified prior to the battle by Cós' men - and strengthened its defenses. |
| October
9, 1835 - General Martín Perfecto de Cos arrives
at San Antonio de Béxar, bringing the number of Centralist
forces in the town to approximately 1,200 October-November 1835 - Texian forces gather outside San Antonio de Béxar - Centralist troops fortify the town, including the Alamo October 28, 1835 - Texians defeat Centralists in skirmish near Mission Concepcion November 26, 1835 - Texians capture pack train bringing forage for Cos' cavalry December 4, 1835 - Colonel Benjamin R. Milam rallies Texians for an assault on Cos' garrison in San Antonio de Béxar December 5-10, 1835 - Battle of Béxar rages as Texians fight their way into town - Cos surrenders his army, which is then paroled December 21, 1835 - Colonel James C. Neill receives orders to take command at San Antonio de Béxar - garrison consists of about 100 men |
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January
19, 1836 - Colonel James Bowie arrives to investigate
the military situation for governor Henry Smith and General Sam
Houston February 2, 1836 - Bowie and Neill vow ". . . we will rather die in these ditches than give it up to the enemy." Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis arrives with 30 men February 8, 1836 - Former Congressman David Crockett arrives in San Antonio de Béxar with 12 volunteers February 14, 1836 - Travis and Bowie agree to share command at San Antonio de Béxar after Colonel Neill received a temporary leave of absence February 23, 1836 - Santa Anna and the Centralist forces arrive and the Siege of the Alamo begins March 6, 1836 - The Alamo falls in a predawn assault March-May 1836 - The Alamo reoccupied by Centralist forces May-June1836 - Centralist forces are ordered out of Texas following Santa Anna's capture at the Battle of San Jacinto - the Alamo's fortifications are destroyed by the Centralist garrison |