Problem in Texas History that nesd to be addressed.

Hello everyone,

The problem is with David Crocketts death.
I need to find what what most likely happened?

I have the first account that he was one of the first to die at the Battle of the Alamo,that night he went down bravely.
For over 100 years peoiple thought this happened, but I understand this is now rejected in Texas History.

Second account, according to a Mexican Lieutenant's diary (or something like that). He and five or six other men survived and were captured and ordered exceuted at about 6AM at or near the Alamo (definatly in Texas can't quite remember exactly).
*This seemed to me to be the correction to the first account.

The third account, according to a Mexican Liuetenant's diary (or something like that), he was captured and taken to Mexico, and died in a prison there.
Outside of the Alamo. This came out on the discovery channel (but I haven't seen it).
WHAT!!!

I took Texas History class and was taught the 2nd account. After hearing the third account which has similarity, I thought my memory failed me, but I checked on-line and in my text book and I END UP WITH THE 2ND ACCOUNT!


Help Me!

-- Texian
 
Frankly, there is no real answer to the question - except what we choose to believe. The distance of time and the heavy influence of myth certainly has muddled the whole incident. Thats one problem when there are no survivors.

I would draw your attention to a fairly similar occurance, the downing of the third airliner on September 11th, 2001 in the country of Pennsylvania (or where ever). The aircraft and passengers associated with the saying "Lets Roll". I think we would all like to believe that the brave passengers stormed the cockpit and forced the plane to earth in a struggle in the cockpit. However, there is no way to directly prove this. There may have been a struggle just by the cockpit crew alone or the hijackers may have goofed and lost control.

Myths are hard to kill. Just look at the perception we had of Custer at the Little Bighorn. For years we figured he had been gallantly wiped out surrounded by his entire force. Research and diggings have proven that the idiot had divided his forces and they were individual destroyed.

How did Crockett die in the latest movie?
 
Crockett survived through the night and was executed in the morning JUST LIKE ACCOUNT #2.
Account #2 is on the Texas handbook on-line and in my Textbook.
But, of course that dosent mean it happened.

I am sure there is no way to completly answer this question and
perhaps this is not the best place to post this question.

However, someone who is deeply knowledgeable about Texas history(different from US) would be able to tell us something convincing.

If I can find enough info to convence me to accept or turn away from the major account, I will go which ever way history leads me.


Tx.
 
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Crockett's death is debated every year, and until we get a working time machine, chances are we'll never know for sure. There was indeed a Mexican officer's diary that claimed that Crockett surrendered only to be butchered (along with 5 others) by Santa Anna's staff. However, this account is disputed, as several people have noted that the diary goes out of it's way to disparage the Americans in Texas, and this might be one more case of it, putting America's favorite son at the time to death in such a manner. He may have died fighting (several people thought so), he may have surrendered ignominously (it was reported in more than one source, even immediately after the fall of the Alamo), or it maybe something different; maybe he was overcome by the enemy even though he tried to fight to the death (he was over 50 at the time).
The recent movie got several things right and several things wrong. Crockett did indeed wear normal civilian clothes and coat, instead of the buckskins they always show in the movie. However, he actually did wear a coonskin cap; several people who saw him on his way to TX and others who survived the Alamo remarked upon it. Even if he actually did survive the fall of the Alamo only to be killed later, it wasn't the bayonets of the ordinary soldiers that did it. All accounts that claim Crockett surrendered say that it was Santa Anna's staff who did the killing, with their cavalry swords, trying to impress the boss.....
 
Dave,

Thats right,
What gets me is him being taken to a Mexican prison and dying there.
Have you ever heard that?
I heard it in my French class when Crockett came up in a conversation, and another class mate told me it was on the discovery channel.

On the www.tsha.utexas.edu what you mentioned is the accpeted account that he surrendered and was exceuted right after with the 5 other men.
A myth is mentioned of him dying as a slave in a Mexican slat mine, but that appears to have little merit.
Also, if we can both agree that he was exceuted (or at least somekind of death at the Alamo) would his body have been burned with all the others?

Tx.
 
Crockett died at the Alamo; there's little doubt of that. Susanna Dickinson, one of the survivors, clearly remembered seeing his body by the chapel... as well as his coonskin cap (one of those funny little details that stick in your mind at times of grief, I suppose). He didn't get captured and taken to Mexico.. that was wishful thinking on the part of Americans who regarded Crockett as a living legend. The only real question is how he died there. There are good arguements either way for his dying in battle or being captured and executed. It is mentioned in several contemporary sources that he surrendered... yet this is disputed because the main source (that Mexican officer's diary) has an air about it that the author is sneering at the Americans, basically saying, "Ha ha Yankees, your great hero Crockett surrendered like a coward and got butchered". However, another officer recorded basically the same event, without the disparagement, and he seemed rather disgusted with Santa Anna for ordering the killing of the prisoners... who, he said, met their ends with dignity. So, it seems likely that Crockett did surrender only to be executed later... but it still isn't a proven fact by any means....
 

Raymann

Banned
I will tell ya'll exactly how Crockett died; he died fighting for his people and his new country. He died fighting for what he belived in and for the lives of his men whom he swore to protect. That is the truth and all that matters.
 
Dave,

We very much see eye to eye.

One way to look at Americans(Texians) being smeared by the Lietenants account is considering the fact that Crockett took out several Mexican soldiers.
After all the Mexicans suffered about nine times the casualties, considering the superior position, weapons, and command of the Alamo defenders.

And some of those Alamo defenders were Mexicans themselves (that is not to be overlooked).

Tex-Mex
 

Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Raymann said:
I will tell ya'll exactly how Crockett died; he died fighting for his people and his new country. He died fighting for what he belived in and for the lives of his men whom he swore to protect. That is the truth and all that matters.

Its not a very historical answer, and it ignores the legal ambiguity of Texas ever since 1835. Mexico had always viewed it as a rebellious province, now I guess in many ways that is somewhat analogous to Taiwan. But Mexico had continued to impose on Tejas/texas with raids etc, in attempts to impose elements of sovereignty.

Santa Anna by military logic should have ignored the Alamo and starved them out in his rear, but he wanted a quick success and as a political figure did not feel he could leave a position untaken.

So clearly, whilst Crockett may have been a Texas patriot and the rest, its obviously not ALL that matters unless you want ignore the fact that history is by definition full of grey areas

Grey Wolf
 
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