As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I see no reasonable way to celebrate defeat nor to utilize it to inspire and motivate others. Revenge is a fitting principle, but the reality is, the Alamo could have been a victory for the Texicans.
The reality is the 1836 Mexican military was absolutely no different than the 1845 Mexican War military, no more than the Mexican military which Frontier Freemont routed with the Californians for their American annexation.
The Mexican could and would be a ruthless brute, but it also had no stomach for a fight in when pesky Americans actually did show up and show their metal, the Mexican was always defeated in combat.
In that, the Alamo was a logistical failure in Sam Houston sent James Bowie to destroy the outpost, and as the fort had artillery with no transport of the cannons, Bowie soon was the commander in an effort to hold the strategic location.
The incompetence of both Bowie in staying without a battle plan and the incompetence of Houston in not providing for a defense of a strategic location, are only compounded by the fact that the Mexican under Santa Anna lost 1/3rd of their forces at 4 to 6 hundred casualties with the number of Texicans and Americans dead at 182 in the slaughter.
In examination a Mexican force of 2000 should have been capable of being repulsed, but Bowie had no real battle plan. A plan against superior numbers is not something not known by the Americans of that period, as the great General, Andrew Jackson employed such tactics against the southern Indian empires and against that great British Empire in the Battle of New Orleans.
What should have been employed for certain success and a much greater rallying cry was the addition of 12 cannon, 1000 pounds of powder, ball and canister, 500 rolls of newspaper, fuse and 50 shovels.
The reality is Santa Anna brought his cannon up at 1000 feet, which was quite close, and the Americans as in 1812 at New Orleans should have been able to knock these armaments out with their own direct fire.
In the meantime, as General Jackson employed against the British at New Orleans, a deliberate attack should have been made upon the Mexican army while in quarters by sappers.
A simple strategy would have been to under the cover of darkness to plant newspaper rolls which had packed inside 3 pounds of powder with bits of metal, in crude shrapnel devices placed directly by Santa Anna's headquarters.
Further charges would have been laid in the Mexican powder stores.
As a diversion, Rangers under Davey Crockett would have began driving in the Mexican pickets on the far side of the camp to draw the troops there, and to awaken Santa Anna's headquarters, whereby the bombs would have detonated, killing or wounding the leadership.
As a third act, the Mexican powder stores would have been blown causing a most deafening blast inside the Mexican lines.
With taking place, Sam Houston could have then kept his cannons and reinforcements, because another attack would have taken place with 50 Texicans upon the Mexican cannon positions in literally killing the cannoneers and bringing the cannons and supplies into the Alamo.
This would have pulled the Mexican's fangs and left Santa Anna waiting for more 12 pounders, which would have been a disaster as the Comanche had been attacking him, his troops were sick and it was very cold and no one was prepared for those battle conditions.
The Alamo would have been then supplied for a seige, and with shovels produced earthen firing platforms which would have introduced long canister or exploding bombs to the Mexicans assembled.
Such night attacks would have unnerved the Mexicans, who in the battle were shooting themselves and each other, and demoralized them. A wounded staff not able to command those troops or a dead Santa Anna would have proved an absolute success for the Republic of Texas.
Even if the assembled Mexicans still came for the infamous 5:30 AM attack which was repulsed twice, the reality is assembled cannons with grape shot, would have been a slaughter field.
The only reason the Mexicans gained the Alamo was the pickets were asleep as there was not a rotational pattern of rest which should have been implemented. That is the reality of the Alamo in Santa Anna did exhaust the men there, but the reason he was able to was there was absolutely no leadership either from Houston or Bowie in attempting to take advantage of the enemy as has been the historic norm in America from George Rogers Clarke to George S Patton.
It is simple things done effectively, which produces victories in battles. The Alamo was something which should have been a victory if it had had a few minor additions implemented.
This was a wasted opportunity and wasted lives of brave people.
A well regulated or trained militia would have ripped the Mexicans to shreds, as they later did in the capture of Santa Anna. It simply requires keeping an armed enemy off balance as you take things from it, in making their position extremely expensive, whereby they lose morale.
Effective artillery use, use of combat engineers or sappers to disrupt the enemy in stores, sleep and leadership, and the Alamo would have been a devastating victory for the Texicans.
If Travis, Bowie Neill and Crockett had provided the leadership which was required, there probably never would have been a Houston, Texas or a Sam Houston leading Texas first.
It would now be a history of President Travis and Bowie Texas.
The Alamo was a defeat for lack of regulation or training in the militia with no inspired leadership. That was the case in the American army in the War of 1812 on land while the American navy, except in one incident with it's midline frigates blew the British out of the water or out ran their mainline 74's consistently.
Americans have never died or lost battles for lack of bravery. They die because of lack of preparation, intrigue or worse, lack of inspired leadership. That is the reality in the examination of the Alamo. The Mexican should have been tried for incompetence as they failed constantly and simply if the Americans had punched them hard, they would have recoiled back in defeat.
Such waste I detest. It was unnecessary and should not have been. With effective defense and appropriate offense, the Alamo would have stood with the men and supplies on hand, by utilizing Mexican stores and tactical advantages present.
nuff said
agtG
