TINCANBANDIT's Gunsmithing : TINCANBANDIT visits the Alamo

In the past I have visited sites like the Little Big Horn battle site and the Veteran's Memorial Museum.

This is another one of those posts, this time we traveled to San Antonio Texas to see what remains of the Alamo.

After a 13-day siege by the Mexican Army, on March 6th, 1836, the Alamo fell, which led to a series of events including a war between neighboring nations, a new country being formed, and eventually new states being added to the Union.

I won't go into the long story of how the battle came to take place at a little mission in Texas, nor will I tell the long tale of how the battle went.

Instead I will just tell a few short stories about the notable people who died there and show you what is left.

We'll start with a couple of the famous people.

James Bowie was a pioneer, soldier and politician. Before the Alamo he was most famous for the knife that he wielded in the infamous Sandbar Fight.

The knife has been researched ad nauseum, but most researchers agree that the legend of his knife and Bowie's mastery of it is mostly true.

Bowie researcher Russell T. Johnson described the knife in his writings: "It must be long enough to use as a sword, sharp enough to use as a razor, wide enough to use as a paddle and heavy enough to use as a hatchet."

Bowie had already served in a few battles against the Mexicans before the Alamo and had moved his relatives with him to the fort before the arrival of the Mexican Army on February 23rd.

During the preparations in February Bowie was elected to be the commander of the Alamo Texians, much to the chagrin of Lt. Col. Travis. Although the two worked out an agreement for joint command, Bowie would lead the volunteers while Travis would lead the regulars (soldiers).

Just before the siege began Bowie came down with an undiagnosed sickness. He was bed ridden during the final assault on March 6th.

There are many stories about Bowie's final minutes, some say he was bayonetted and died in his bed, others claim he was dragged from his bed and thrown onto the funeral pyre still breathing.

However, most agree that Bowie fought from his bed, back against the wall using his pistol and his knife.

When his mother was told of his death, she said "I'll wager no wounds were found in his back". Bowie was just 39 years old.

Davy Crockett was also famous before the battle of the Alamo, a frontiersman, politician and soldier. He was an elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives and by all accounts earned his title of "King of the Wild Frontier".

Crockett came to Texas for a couple of reasons, one was to separate himself with politics, as he despised Andrew Jackson and his successor Martin Van Buren, the second reason was to assist with Texas Independence. Crockett went to Texas with 30 Tennesse volunteers.

Crockett acted as a scout, messenger and confidant to both Travis and Bowie. During the final assault Crockett made a quick stop in the church to say a prayer and then headed to his post. He and some of his men were caught in the open in front of the small wall in front of the church. Crockett fired his last shot, then used his rifle, nicknamed "Old Besty" to beat the attacking Mexicans, at least that is what most people believe.

There are multiple accounts of Crockett's death. Some say he died fighting on his feet, surrounded by the corpses of dozen or more Mexican soldiers. Others claim he survived the battle and was executed by orders of Santa Ana.

Either way he died, like the rest of the Texians on March 6th, he was 59 years old.

Below is how the Alamo looked at the time of the battle, the building everything thinks of when they hear the name Alamo, was actually an old Spanish church that predated the fort and was in ruins at the time of the battle, it is the H-shaped building on the right.

The small wall in front of it is where Crockett made his last stand, the sick bay where Bowie died was the long skinny building that ran along the front wall, near the half-round parapet.

Here is what it looks like today

The church still remains as do some parts of the walls, but most of the fort is gone, replaced by streets and sidewalks.

The church has undergone much restoration in the last 50 years or so.

The two people standing in front of the grass is about where Davy Crockett fought his last battle.

This monument sits near where the fort's sick bay once stood, this is where Jim Bowie was when he died. The monument sits on the sidewalk along N. Alamo Street.

The pictures below are from the museum, located at the back of the property. Many items were donated by Rock -n- Roll legend Phil Collins, who is very well versed on the battle, he also narrated the battle for a scale model display in the museum.