Prelude to the Battle of the Alamo...
Item # 708040
January 30, 1836
NILES WEEKLY REGISTER, Baltimore, Jan. 30, 1836
* Battle of the Alamo close
* San Antonio, Texas victory
* Texas War for Independence
This issue has a great deal of reporting: "From Texas" giving the latest information on their struggles during this significant year.
The first report with a subhead: "Declaration of the Victims" beginning: "We the undersigned prisoners of war, condemned to be shot on Monday next..." and more taking over a full column.
This is followed by a report from New Orleans which begins: "St. Antonio, the last fortress of the despot Santa Anna, in Texas, has fallen!!...On the Saturday previous, 300 of the colonial troops entered the town of San Antonio....Here they remained battling...until...the 9th when they forced their way into the square and drove the enemy across the river into their fort called the Alamo...the battle continued until Thursday 10th when the enemy capitulated. By the capitulation upwards of 1000 yielded to less than 300. The town itself was surrendered with 24 pieces of brass artillery...This glorious conquest was achieved with a loss on the part of the conquerors of only 3 killed & 30 wounded..." with more.
These were more pleasant days when the Texans were victorious in removing the Mexicans from San Antonio, but the tide would turn in a few months with the memorable "Battle of the Alamo".
Sixteen pages, 6 1/4 by 9 1/2 inches, nice condition.
Background: The capture of San Antonio in December 1835, as detailed in the Niles’ Weekly Register, represents the high-water mark of Texian confidence and a pivotal turning point in the Texas War for Independence. By forcing General Martín Perfecto de Cos to surrender the city and the Alamo fortress, a small volunteer force effectively cleared Mexican centralist troops from Texas soil, leading many to erroneously believe the conflict was won. However, this "glorious conquest" sowed the seeds of the coming disaster; the departure of many volunteers following the victory left a skeleton crew of roughly 150 to 200 men to defend the sprawling mission. This strategic vacuum set the stage for General Santa Anna’s rapid retaliatory march northward, transforming the Alamo from a site of triumph into the setting of the legendary siege and massacre in March 1836. Consequently, the reports in this January issue capture a fleeting moment of Texian hegemony that directly precipitated the "Remember the Alamo" rallying cry that would eventually secure Texas's independence at the Battle of San Jacinto.
As noted in Wikipedia, this title: "...(was) one of the most widely-circulated magazines in the United States...Devoted primarily to politics...considered an important source for the history of the period."
* Battle of the Alamo close
* San Antonio, Texas victory
* Texas War for Independence
This issue has a great deal of reporting: "From Texas" giving the latest information on their struggles during this significant year.
The first report with a subhead: "Declaration of the Victims" beginning: "We the undersigned prisoners of war, condemned to be shot on Monday next..." and more taking over a full column.
This is followed by a report from New Orleans which begins: "St. Antonio, the last fortress of the despot Santa Anna, in Texas, has fallen!!...On the Saturday previous, 300 of the colonial troops entered the town of San Antonio....Here they remained battling...until...the 9th when they forced their way into the square and drove the enemy across the river into their fort called the Alamo...the battle continued until Thursday 10th when the enemy capitulated. By the capitulation upwards of 1000 yielded to less than 300. The town itself was surrendered with 24 pieces of brass artillery...This glorious conquest was achieved with a loss on the part of the conquerors of only 3 killed & 30 wounded..." with more.
These were more pleasant days when the Texans were victorious in removing the Mexicans from San Antonio, but the tide would turn in a few months with the memorable "Battle of the Alamo".
Sixteen pages, 6 1/4 by 9 1/2 inches, nice condition.
Background: The capture of San Antonio in December 1835, as detailed in the Niles’ Weekly Register, represents the high-water mark of Texian confidence and a pivotal turning point in the Texas War for Independence. By forcing General Martín Perfecto de Cos to surrender the city and the Alamo fortress, a small volunteer force effectively cleared Mexican centralist troops from Texas soil, leading many to erroneously believe the conflict was won. However, this "glorious conquest" sowed the seeds of the coming disaster; the departure of many volunteers following the victory left a skeleton crew of roughly 150 to 200 men to defend the sprawling mission. This strategic vacuum set the stage for General Santa Anna’s rapid retaliatory march northward, transforming the Alamo from a site of triumph into the setting of the legendary siege and massacre in March 1836. Consequently, the reports in this January issue capture a fleeting moment of Texian hegemony that directly precipitated the "Remember the Alamo" rallying cry that would eventually secure Texas's independence at the Battle of San Jacinto.
As noted in Wikipedia, this title: "...(was) one of the most widely-circulated magazines in the United States...Devoted primarily to politics...considered an important source for the history of the period."
Category: Pre-Civil War
