"Texas Rising"

[TinCan]

I watched part 2 this morning and shake my head every time I see those mountains. I agree with Andy, uniforms were not a big part of the Texan Army in 1836. Most of the paintings you see of Texan commanders such as Fannin, Travis, etc. in a uniform, were painted long after the war was over.

 

[Mr. King]

Supposedly they were from the garrison of Fort Jessup located almost on the U.S./Louisiana border with Tejas/Mexico. (A little west of modern-day Nachitoches.) They were "offered" a furlough if they would "volunteer" to serve as part of the Texican army! Houston wasn't in Texas by any accident, but on a mission sent by Jackson.

In a sidelight on these shady dealings, one reason Houston and others at the time really weren't concerned about going to save the Alamo was the makeup of its garrison - too many were political opponents interested more in actual independence than annexation by the U.S. David Crockett in particular was the sworn enemy of Andy ByGod Jackson and his protege James K. Polk. All 3 were Tennesseeans, but Jackson and Polk were patricians who looked down on the rusticated Crockett. William B. Travis was an attorney and newspaperman who opposed the more moderate ideas of those who were in power outside San Antonio and recognized Houston as the tool of Jackson and the Democrats. William C. Davis goes into all this in detail in his weighty tome Three Roads to the Alamo.

The waiting had far less to do with the victorious Texans and a whole lot to do with political opposition from the Whigs and particularly the New England abolitionists for reasons that should be familiar with almost all the readers of this forum. They feared Texas would naturally be admitted to the Union as one (or even broken up into more) of the slave states.

You literally answered 3 or 4 questions that arose in my head, one by one, as they appeared. The Houston - Jackson connection, which led to the Crockett vs Jackson hatred, which meant that Crockett must also hate Houston, which means that Houston ain't in a big hurry to relieve the Alamo.

That was weird.

Houston really won out big with the loss of the Alamo. It was the cause he needed to rally troops and gather donations and supplies. He would naturally have had to face Crockett in a popularity contest in the future, too.

Travis, God Bless Him, has always seemed to be riding the coat tails of the other mean, such as Bowie and Crockett. He has my respect for his actions, but I'm never really sure what to think about him....

 

[Mr. King]

Because, like a twenty-something, it's fun to be independent and on your own until you find yourself broke and have to move back in with the parents.

Well then, I guess we can go ahead and start a rough draft for an apology letter to Queen Elizabeth. It's going to be hard for everyone to learn how to drive on the opposite side of the road once we move back in with the British Empire.

 

[James N.]

... Travis, God Bless Him, has always seemed to be riding the coat tails of the other mean, such as Bowie and Crockett. He has my respect for his actions, but I'm never really sure what to think about him....

From reading Davis I got a better appreciation of Travis, even though he was hard to like at first when he was bumbling around in Alabama. By the time the siege got underway, he appears to have been the undisputed leader of the Alamo garrison; whatever was wrong with Bowie's health, he seems to have fallen out of the picture quickly. Although Travis was angry with him for a drunken episode early on, there seems to be nothing to indicate it was lasting - most conflict between them has probably been the invention of screenwriters. Travis was certainly the youngest of the trio but had been agitating for independence the longest. (If you think about it, 27 was reasonably old, considering average lifespan at the time!) Crockett, though internationally famous, was a newcomer to Texas, having only arrived a short time before.

 

[Mr. King]

This is a uniform from 1836


Expired Image Removed This is a uniform from the American Civil War - 1860's

Did anyone in the US Army really ever wear a shako?

Also, I was thinking that I saw a few Mexican War era jackets while watching this.

I think I saw too many modern Stetson cowboy hats as well. I mean, really... look at the blurry guy farthest to the left... Is that Charlie Daniels? And the next guy to the right of him.... I think he stole that hat from George Straight....

 

[kepi]

I was thinking that I saw a few Mexican War era jackets while watching this.

I think I saw too many modern Stetson cowboy hats as well. I mean, really... look at the blurry guy farthest to the left... Is that Charlie Daniels? And the next guy to the right of him.... I think he stole that hat from George Straight....

You did

 

[Mr. King]

Here is General Gaines, who was commanding troops in Louisiana during the Texas Revolution.
He died in 1849, so this uniform could be from anywhere from 1820 to 1849 for all I know. I think it looks much more like what Houston should be wearing, though.

 

[kepi]

Here is General Gaines, who was commanding troops in Louisiana during the Texas Revolution.
He died in 1849, so this uniform could be from anywhere from 1820 to 1849 for all I know. I think it looks much more like what Houston should be wearing, though.

Great photo. I have not seen that before. Do you know the color of the buttons?

 

[Mr. King]

Great photo. I have not seen that before. Do you know the color of the buttons?

I have not a clue.... I ran across this on Wikipedia. I knew of General Gaines, and had seen this before somewhere, though I can't recall.
I just submitted it for a colorizing request... we'll see where that goes.

I'd expect those buttons to be brass. just a guess though.

This guy could be Andrew Jackson's twin. They definitely went to the same barber...

 

[kepi]

US uniforms of the Mexican War.

 

[Nathanb1]

So what I got last night from watching was that supposedly Sam Houston was worried about Emily West (who had a fine pair of melons) and that's what led to San Jacinto.

O.M.G.

 

[Nathanb1]

I'm thinking the folks who have died so far in the series have helped by not reproducing and lowering the general IQ of Texans.

 

[wayne jackson]

So what I got last night from watching was that supposedly Sam Houston was worried about Emily West (who had a fine pair of melons) and that's what led to San Jacinto.

O.M.G.

but if they told her to haul butt she would have to make two trips

 

[AndyHall]

I think I know why Rob Morrow took the Fannin role -- he wanted to be out of the picture as quickly as possible.

 

[Mr. King]

US uniforms of the Mexican War.

Does anybody really believe that 1st Lieutenant Patrick Swayze here is going to war in Mexico armed with nothing but a sword? Not even a grand-daddy colt?

 

[kepi]

Does anybody really believe that 1st Lieutenant Patrick Swayze here is going to war in Mexico armed with nothing but a sword? Not even a grand-daddy colt?

The mushroom hat should be enough to scare off the enemy.

 

[Mr. King]

That's how I picture Texan revolutionaries... Pick a fight with the be-spectacled nerd in the middle... He'll eat your liver.

 

[Nathanb1]

To everyone who has enjoyed it so far. Be happy, happy, happy you don't teach Texas History and didn't have MY teachers and professors. (And apparently you're very uncritical as far as movies go. I refer to 18th Virginia's post--she was right--I was trying to be nice).

And @JPK Huson...............I can't print what I'd really like to say, because it's a family forum. And I'm pretty sure we'd still be citizens of Mexico if everyone had been sitting around talking about.......well, unprintable stuff. I got the impression they were trying to be another Lonesome Dove. Hey, History Channel! You failed miserably! See Larry McMurtry on how to write funny stuff about s-e-x.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

To everyone who has enjoyed it so far. Be happy, happy, happy you don't teach Texas History and didn't have MY teachers and professors. (And apparently you're very uncritical as far as movies go. I refer to 18th Virginia's post--she was right--I was trying to be nice)

I am critical of movies but I watched the first two episodes not expecting it to be very accurate. This is the "Method of Operation" of the History Channel. I just watched and tried to enjoy it......

Can you recommend a great book(s) on the history of Texas, NB1?

Bill

 

[K Hale]

Because, like a twenty-something, it's fun to be independent and on your own until you find yourself broke and have to move back in with the parents.

The Republic Era, in a nutshell.