The Alamo
Revisited
By Logan Hawkes
 ...I must say as to what I have seen of Texas it is the garden spot of the world. The best land and best prospects for health I ever saw and I do so believe it is a fortune to any man to come here. There is a world of country to Settle... David Crocket
So much has been said about Texas, it's rich and diverse history, and the hallowed Shrine that represents her birthplace. The Alamo is sacred to every Texan, and the state's number one tourist magnet.
But being a Native Texan and raised in San Antonio, I wonder as I watch the thousands who throng through the doors of this monumental artifact of Texas history every day, how many truly know the saga that unfolded within her walls and beneath their feet? How many actually think about the deep, underlying truths of freedom and liberty and the cost involved in the fight against tyranny and suppression as they walk her hallowed halls?
 Paralleling our nation's fight for independence against British rule, the story of the birth of the Texas Republic is one of great drama and personal sacrifice. The events that transpired at the Alamo is but one tale in a string of many in the state's fight for freedom. But because of the unbelievable odds of this lone battle, and the prize it won for the freedom fighters, the Alamo will always be remembered as a focal point for the epic tale of "The Republic."
With each footstep that takes the visitor deeper into the main hall of the Shrine, how many realize beneath them lies the blood stains and bones of the brave and few who fought here? On the nearby grounds are two small sites where funeral pyres burned the bodies of the fallen freedom fighters.
Above you, on the old roof, is where the body of Col. William Bonham was found draped across the old Mission wall, the spot where he gave his life in defending the Texas cause.
The Alamo is a Shrine - yes - and so much more. It is the resting place of heroes; a Hall of the brave and fallen souls; a monument to the noble who paid the ultimate price to win the freedom of their countrymen.
 If you have visited the Alamo, chances aregood that you paused under the cool shade of the trees that populate the garden grounds. But did you know, perhaps on the very same spot, is where David Crocket played his violin, often under the stars in an effort to ease the building tensions within the walls. Legend has it that even the Mexican troops would hush their conversations to listen to the eerie melodies Crocket would play.
History of Mission San Antonio de Valero
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.
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.
On February 23, 1836, the arrival of General Antonio López de Santa Anna's army outside San Antonio nearly caught them by surprise. Undaunted, the Texians and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo together. The defenders held out for 13 days against Santa Anna's army. William B. Travis, the commander of the Alamo sent forth couriers carrying pleas for help to communities in Texas. On the eighth day of the siege, a band of 32 volunteers from Gonzales arrived, bringing the number of defenders to nearly two hundred. Legend holds that with the possibility of additional help fading, Colonel Travis drew a line on the ground and asked any man willing to stay and fight to step over — all except one did. As the defenders saw it, the Alamo was the key to the defense of Texas, and they were ready to give their lives rather than surrender their position to General Santa Anna. Among the Alamo's garrison were Jim Bowie, renowned knife fighter, and David Crockett, famed frontiersman and former congressman from Tennessee.
The final assault came before daybreak on the morning of March 6, 1836, as columns of Mexican soldiers emerged from the predawn darkness and headed for the Alamo's walls. Cannon and small arms fire from inside the Alamo beat back several attacks. Regrouping, the Mexicans scaled the walls and rushed into the compound. Once inside, they turned a captured cannon on the Long Barrack and church, blasting open the barricaded doors. The desperate struggle continued until the defenders were overwhelmed. By sunrise, the battle had ended and Santa Anna entered the Alamo compound to survey the scene of his victory.
While the facts surrounding the siege of the Alamo continue to be debated, there is no doubt about what the battle has come to symbolize. People worldwide continue to remember the Alamo as a heroic struggle against overwhelming odds — a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. For this reason the Alamo remains hallowed ground and the Shrine of Texas Liberty."
If you have never visited this sacred Shrine of Liberty, you haven't really visited Texas. But even if you have walked those hallowed halls, I would encourage you to journey there again. But this time, walk the grounds and explore the many enclaves in somber reflection - and honor - of the events that transpired there. For it is the tale of the struggle of all men who love freedom and defend liberty. And remember as well that most of the men who gave their lives here were not Native Texians, but came from points all across America, in fact, the world.
They are Our Heroes - for all of us that defend the principles of freedom and liberty.
Remember the Alamo!
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Rio Grande Valley