Eyes of Eagles

Thirty-three

The Fifty Day

February 27th, 1836

Crockett had reversed his earlier thoughts of the Alamo being an exercise in foolishness and now confided in a few of his friends that he understood why it had to be.

“We got to hold up ol’ Santy Anner for as long as we can, boys,” he said to a small audience, of which Jamie and Bill Travis were a part. “We got to give them politicians time to palaver ’mongst theyselves and huff and puff and blow off steam.” Which meant, in Davy’s quaint way of speaking, give the Texans time to form a government and raise an army.

“So we die givin’ them time to do all that?” one of his men finally brought the feelings of all out into the open.

Travis held his breath.

“Yep,” Davy Crockett said. “That do just about sum it all up, boys.”

“Wal, hell,” one of the Tennessee volunteers said. “If we’uns is to die for freedom, let’s do it up right. We got to have us a flag to wave.”

“Yeah,” a New Orleans volunteer said. “And not that damn Mex flag, neither.”

All were adamant on that.

“You men think on it,” Travis said. “Then we’ll have the ladies here see what they can do.”

“Mighty fine,” Crockett said. “Back to the walls, boys. We got us a war to fight.”

So now they had resigned themselves to their fate, or at least many of them had. One man hung back and viewed his surroundings with a sour expression. His name was Louis Rose; his nickname was Moses.

Travis continued to send out couriers, pleading for help and for supplies. He received neither. The bombardment from the Mexican cannon continued all day, and the old walls were beginning to suffer from the impacting balls. Travis pulled men from their posts to help shore up the crumbling walls with dirt and timbers. Santa Anna’s army crept closer in a prelude to a charge. But the Mexican infantry was cautious, careful not to get closer than a couple of hundred yards. To crawl any closer meant certain death. Even now, days before the final charge, the area all around the Alamo was stained with Mexican blood and bodies littered the cold ground.

Santa Anna had ordered his men not to attempt to retrieve the bodies during the day, for Crockett and his riflemen just loved that. Not one successful daylight attempt had been accomplished. Even while the Mexican cannons roared, Crockett and his men exposed themselves to blast away at Santa Anna’s soldiers.

Even though the defenders of the Alamo were low on supplies and pitifully, hopelessly outnumbered, on the fifth day of the assault, the men of the Alamo held on. They had no way of knowing, but the small band of volunteers from Gonzales (either twenty-five or thirty-two; it is unclear as to the exact number) were making ready to leave. They were bringing with them much needed powder and shot. But they would not arrive for two more desperate days.

At the convention, meeting at Washington-on-the-Brazos, which officially was not due to convene until the first of March, the still-confused and disorganized government of Texas had not declared independence from nor war against Mexico.

Had they known it, that would have come as a real surprise to the besieged men of the Alamo.

* * *

“Know this well, men,” Captain Albert Martin said to the band of volunteers preparing to ride from Gonzales to the Alamo. “We are marching to die. Any of you who are not prepared for that, step back now.”

Not a man moved. In a few days, Colonel William Travis would draw a line in the dirt with his sword and throw down the same challenge to the men in the Alamo. Only one would refuse to take up the dare.

“We march in thirty-six hours. We know that we must carry as many provisions as we can. So get ready. We’ll meet back here at dawn of the 29th.”

Every man would return with as many provisions for the besieged mission as he and his horse could carry. Every man would return, knowing they were riding to their deaths. For freedom. For Texas.

* * *

Jamie and the other men of the Alamo worked frantically all the rest of that day, shoring up the crumbling old walls, which continued to take a terrible pounding from the cannon fire. Just as dusk began to lay her cloak of darkness over the land, a sentry yelled out, “Good God Amighty, boys! To your posts, to your posts. Here they come!”

Travis leaped to the parapet and stared out in horror at what appeared to be thousands of Mexican troops, all rushing toward the walls of the Alamo.

“Lower the cannons!” Dickerson yelled. “Quickly now, lads. They’re almost on us.”

The muzzles of the cannon were quickly lowered for minimum elevation and loaded with grapeshot. Davy Crockett and his sharpshooter, dozens of loaded rifles at hand, were sighting in, Jamie stood beside Crockett, half a dozen loaded rifles nearby.

At about two hundred yards, Dickerson let the four-and eight-pounders howl. When the smoke had cleared, the area was littered with the mangled bodies of dead and dying.

“Fire!” Crockett hollered, and a dozen rifles roared as Dickerson’s crews worked quickly to reload.

The cannon screamed and the sharpshooters along the walls would fire. After one more unsuccessful charge, the Mexican officers ordered the buglers to sound recall. They had had quite enough of the guns of the Alamo for this day.

“My God!” Travis breathed, when all the smoke had drifted away and the grounds around the old mission were visible in the last rays of the setting sun. The sun glinted off of the bayonets of rifles lying beside the mangled bodies of at least several hundred Mexican soldiers.

“Hold your fire!” Travis yelled, as one defender started to shoot a crawling wounded man. He turned to Jamie. “Jamie, ride out under a white flag and tell the Mexican officer who meets you that we will hold our fire while they collect their wounded.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jamie rode straight up to the enemy lines, only a few hundred yards away from the walls. The lines were now heavily reinforced with earthworks, done at night to escape the bullets from the sharpshooters on the walls.

“My respects to you, sir,” Jamie said to a man wearing a colonel’s epaulets. “My colonel, William Travis, says to tell you that we will hold our fire so you may collect your wounded and see to their needs.”

“Young man,” the voice came from behind the officer.

Jamie noticed the colonel sprang to attention.

“Senor?” Jamie replied from the saddle.

“It took a tremendous amount of courage for you to ride right up to our lines. I thank you for your commanding officer’s kind gesture.”

He was still standing in the shadows and Jamie was not at all sure just whom he was speaking to.

“Would you please dismount and have supper and conversation with me? I give you my personal word that you will not be harmed in any way.”

Jamie swung down from the saddle and a Mexican soldier took the reins. “I’ll have some conversation and coffee with you, sir. And be honored. But I eat only what my comrades inside the walls eat.”

The man chuckled. “I applaud your loyalty, young man. It is rare. Come. We’ll sit in comfort and talk.”

Jamie walked toward the man and was startled to find himself looking General Santa Anna straight in the eyes.

* * *

“They will all die,” Tall Bull was told by the scout just returned from the south. He squatted down by the fire and warmed his hands, accepting the hunk of meat from the spit over the fire.

Tall Bull waited, a warm buffalo robe wrapped around him.

“The whites are barricaded in what appears to be an old place of worship. There are so many soldiers all around them it would be impossible to count them; it would be like trying to count the ants in a hill.”

“Did you see Man Who Is Not Afraid?”

“It would be impossible to get that close.”

“You were gone so long we were worried that you might have been killed.”

“I had to hide my horse and walk most of the way. The soldier patrols are everywhere.”

“You truly feel that the defenders of this worship place are doomed?”

“As surely as we are sitting close to this fire and the night is dark.”

Tall Bull took a stick and drew in the dirt. “The defenders are here. Man Who Is Not Afraid left his home over here.” He jabbed at the earth. We know there is but one trail that the whites travel, a road. It leads to this place called Gonzales. We shall leave in the morning to find a halfway point between the fort and the town. I think a nice place along this river...”

“The Guadalupe,” the scout said.

“The what?”

“Guadalupe River.”

“Stupid name. No matter. If Man Who Is Not Afraid does manage to escape death at the fort, or church, or whatever it is, he must travel this trail. We shall be waiting. I have spoken. Now I will rest.”

* * *

“Why?” Santa Anna asked Jamie, after an aide brought them both steaming cups of strong coffee.

“Sir?”

“Why do you choose to die in that old mission?”

“I don’t choose to die, sir. But if I must die, I can think of no better reason than for freedom.”

“Freedom?” Santa Anna was startled. “From what?”

“From Mexico, General.”

Santa Anna’s aides stiffened, knowing what a volatile temper he had. But the general only chuckled. “You must know that you will not succeed.”

“We might not, sir. But this is only the beginning. Where we fall, where each man falls, ten or twenty or a hundred will take their place. Killing us will only throw grease onto an already raging fire.”

Santa Anna smiled. “Then what would you have me do, young man?”

Jamie paused, then chose his words carefully. “I think, sir, that the destinies of both you and your army, and those men in the mission... and to a larger degree, Texas, have been sealed. I think events are already locked in place and no matter what we say this night, they cannot be changed.”

Santa Anna nodded his head slowly. “I think you are wise beyond your years, young man. What is your name?”

“Jamie MacCallister, sir.”

“Senor MacCallister, you know I cannot offer you or your companions mercy.”

“We understand that, sir. I would ask, speaking for myself, that you do not harm the women and the children in the mission. Or the slaves.”

“I was not aware of any women or children in the fort!”

“Yes, sir. About twenty or so.”

Santa Anna turned to an aide. “Note that. Advise the men that when the final assault comes, no harm is to come to women, children, or slaves.”

“Si, General.”

“Gracias, sir,” Jamie said.

“Por nada.” Santa Anna stood up from the camp chair and Jamie rose with him. The general smiled and saluted Jamie. Jamie returned the salute.

“Buenas noches, Jamie MacCallister.”

“Good night, sir.”

Santa Anna walked off into the darkness.

His horse was brought to him, and Jamie stepped into the saddle. He looked down at the faces of the Mexican soldiers who surrounded him. They were not unfriendly faces, just curious. “Good night, gentlemen.”

He walked his horse away, back to the Alamo, amid a chorus of buenas noches and vaya con Dios. Travis and Crockett met him at the gate.

“We thought they’d taken you captive, lad,” Crockett said.

“Are you all right?” Travis asked.

“Yes, sir. Fine. I had coffee and some conversation with General Santa Anna, that’s all.”

Crockett and Travis were speechless for a moment. And for both men, that sensation was quite a novel experience.

“You did what?” Travis finally found his voice.

Jamie told them of his encounter with the general.

“Incredible,” Travis said.

“Well, I’ll just be hornswoggled,” Crockett said.

“Rider comin’ with a white flag,” a lookout hollered.

“Find out what he wants!” Travis called.

After a moment, the sentry said, “He wants to speak with you, Colonel Travis, and Davy and Jamie. Says Jamie speaks good Spanish and can translate if the courier loses his English.”

The trio of men walked out the south gate and stood in front of the mounted courier.

“General Santa Anna says that he is calling for a cease-fire until noon tomorrow. He is giving you time to reconsider your position and to surrender. My general also wants you all to know that he is aware of the band of men coming from the town of Gonzales to help you. He has ordered cavalry to cut them off.”

Travis, Crockett, and Jamie exchanged glances. That sure was news to them. Good news. They all wondered how many men were coming to their aid.

“You are alone here,” the courier said. “And no help is coming. Your dying will accomplish nothing. My general is not a cruel man. He will accept your unconditional surrender. You have until noon tomorrow. After that time, surrender will not be possible and you will all be killed.”

Travis replied, “Tell General Santa Anna we thank him for the respite, but he knows we cannot surrender.”

“I am sorry, Colonel,” the courier said, real emotion in his voice.

“So am I,” Travis spoke softly.

The courier, a young officer, looked into the eyes of the three men. “When you hear the degüello, pray to God. For it will soon be over for you all.” He saluted, turned his horse, and rode back to his lines.

“What’s the degüello?” Crockett asked.

“It’s a song,” Jamie said. “Means fire and death. It also means no prisoners will be taken.”

“Total annihilation,” Travis added.

“Well, we’ll see about that,” Crockett said. “I wonder how many men is comin’ from Gonzales?”

“Certainly not enough,” Travis said. “But any number will greatly improve the morale of the men. And they’ll be bringing provisions, too.”

“We hope,” Crockett added.

“I’ll go tell Jim the good news,” Jamie said, and walked back into the mission.

“They’re fools,” Bowie said. “They’re marching straight into hell. I admire their courage and love each and every one as I would my brother, but part of me hopes they don’t make it and turn around and go back home.”

Jamie told him about his conversation with Santa Anna.

“You hear that, Sam?” Bowie called weakly. “You don’t fight no more now, you hear me? You just stand back and when the smoke clears, you can walk out with your head held high.”

“Hush up,” Sam told him. “And take your medicine like the doctor told you to.”

“Not only has he turned uppity,” Bowie said with a grin. “He’s turned bossy, too.”

“You hold his head, Mr. Jamie,” Sam said. “And I’ll pour this medicine down his throat.”

“You won’t have to do that if you’ll just put a little whiskey in it,” Bowie said with a laugh.

“You’re a mean and ornery man, Mr. Jim,” Sam said. “I’d leave, ’ceptin’ I knows you can’t get along without me. Now take this here medicine.”

“Will you be quiet if I do?” Bowie asked.

“Yes.”

Bowie held out his hand.