The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 37, July 1933 - April, 1934 Page: 18
330 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Southwestern Historical Quarterly
wall of the long barracks, thus enclosing a patio, or inner court
about 54 yards square. From the southwest corner of the chapel,
a strongly built stockade extended 75 feet to a building called "the
low barracks." This was a one-story building 114 feet long by 17
feet wide, having in the centre a porte-cochere which passed through
it and divided it into two separate parts; one part being used as
the fort prison, the other for soldiers' quarters. This building
formed a part of the south wall of the main area, of which the
long barracks formed a part of the east wall, and some other low
buildings, also used as barracks, formed a part of the west wall.
The main area, enclosed by these buildings and walls, was a plot
of ground 154 by 54 yards. It was not a perfect parallelogram,
however, for the north end was considerably longer than the one
on the south. These various enclosures covered more than two
acres of ground, a space that would have required more than a
thousand men to defend with the kind of fortifications the Texans
had.
Although Green B. Jameson, the engineer of the fort, had done
what he could to put the Alamo in repair, it remained at the time
the siege began in March, 1836, in about the same condition as
General Cos had left it in December, 1835. Altogether there
were 18 or more guns mounted.4" There were three 12-pounders
on a scaffold in the church; four 4-pounders were on the stockade
of the entrenchment in front of the church; the porte-coohere on
the outside was covered by a lunette of stockades and earth,
mounted with two guns; an 18-pounder was located at the south-
west corner of the large area; in the center of the west barrier
wall were two more 8-pounders. Near the northeast angle of the
main area a breach had been made in the wall; another 8-pounder
was placed there to protect that weakness. After the siege was
ended, Travis's lifeless body was found on this gun. Jameson, in
4"R. M. Potter, The Fall of the Alamo, 3; Yoakum, History of Teas,
II, 76; Fortier and Ficklen, Central America and Mexico, 311; and all
writers who follow these authorities, give the number of mounted guns
as 14. Santa Anna, in his official report in 1836, said 21, but in his
Memoirs, he said 18; Mrs. Dickinson, whose husband was in command
of the artillery at the Alamo (Morphis, History of Texas, 147), and
Green B. Jameson Plats (see Amelia Williams (thesis), University of
Texas Archives), both say 18; but John Sutherland (Dallas News, Feb-
ruary 5, 1811) says: "They had some 30 or 40 pieces of various cali-
ber, including an 18-pounder, most of them having been taken from the
enemy in December, but not more than 20 of these guns were mounted
during the siege."
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association & Barker, Eugene C. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 37, July 1933 - April, 1934, periodical, 1934; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101094/m1/26/?rotate=90: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.