• Mood: working
• Music: Deep in the Heart of Texas

Just feeling some pride, 'sall

169 years ago today, delegates at Washington-on-the-Brazos declared Texas free from Mexico and became its own nation. Still reeling from the overwhelming loss at the Alamo, (roughly 200 Tejans to 4000-6000 Mexican troops - still, they held on like sumbitches, didn't they?) help from British allies (a General by the name of Featherstonehaugh, and my ancestor - he helped the Tejanos get their guns for the Alamo battle) helped outfit General Sam Houston (who, by the way liked to wear ladies silk underwear and had an opium habit) and one month later, had a rousing victory at San Jacinto.


We DID have a Govenor named Hogg, and he DID name his daughter Ima. Eura and Wera are myths. But lord, that would be terrible/hilarious.

Santa Anna amassed such a large number of troops simply by taking his regular army from Mexico City and marching straight up towards (now) San Antonio, grabbing men out of their beds and shoving a gun in their hands. Their women would follow, singing and weeping, comforting their men at night.

The guns Santa Anna equipped his men with were too large (designed for Caucasians, av. 6 feet tall - the Hispanioles av. 5' 4" at the time) and the men were not skilled. They rested their rifles at their hips and shot blindly, and actually killed more of their own men - by virtue of blowing off the backs of their heads - than the troops at the Alamo did.

Santa Anna also had a wicked opium addiction.

The famous "hump" of today's Alamo was added by the US Army in 1848. And there's no basement at the Alamo.

Jim Bowie died of illness before the Alamo fell, he didn't die fighting, as legend says.

There were women and children at the Alamo, and the Mexicans spared them, gave them shelter, and released them.

If any of this is interesting to you, you should pick up Jeff long's book, Duel of Eagles. There's my regionalism showing again... :-)

Pee Wee Herman was right: you can go anywhere in Texas, start singing this song, wait at the right time, and the crowd WILL clap and finish the song. I fucking love where I live.

Proud of my roots, folks: those Ragin' Cajuns who crossed the Sabine for drier land, those native Indians who married them, stuck up for their rights, and called Texas home over 169 years ago. I'll drink a Mojito to them later tonight. Don't Mess With Texas. ;-)

[ETA] To make sure I remain friends with smashsc *wink* I'll say that South Carolina was its own nation for a period of 5 weeks - Dec.20, 1860 - Feb. 4, 1861 when it joined the Confederate States. Vermont also was its own state for a short period before signing the US Constitution in 1776, but Texas was the only internationally recognized nation that later became a state. This PSA is brought to you by Resistol Hats and Bee-Hives, and we now return you to your regularly scheduled *headdesk*.