The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 64, July 1960 - April, 1961 Page: 464
574 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 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
The rain stopped presently, and through the long, quiet hours
of early morning, the Texans sat beside campfires, cleaning their
weapons and waiting for what they expected to be a good fight.
The biting February wind caused them much discomfort. Some
had coats, others were in shirt sleeves, and a few were wrapped in
saddle blankets and old shawls. With the first rays of the sun came
the order to move, and the eager troops filed quietly into town.
They crept through the morning shadows of the buildings and
took positions on the roofs of stores encircling the Alamo.4 Inside
the fortress, the Federals watched the stealthy movements of the
blurred figures. The commander in charge, thinking the situa-
tion hopeless, surrendered the stockade to McCulloch without the
firing of a shot.5
As the United States flag was lowered from above the old
Alamo, the Texans whooped and shouted and, waving their guns
above their heads, ran to the Grand Plaza, where they celebrated
the first victory of Southern cavalry in the Trans-Mississippi.
When agents of the state took charge of the Alamo on February
19, the services of the volunteers were no longer needed and they
disbanded to return to their homes.6 Many of them, including
their distinguished commander, would join the Confederate
Army in the months that followed.
Shortly after the capture of the Alamo, the Texas Committee of
Public Safety7 authorized John S. Ford and Henry E. McCulloch,
colonels in the Army of 'Texas, to raise two more regiments of
volunteer cavalry. Their instructions were to capture Federal
property and munitions for the state. Henry McCulloch gathered
4Caroline B. Darrow, "Recollections of the Twiggs Surrender," in Battles and
Leaders of the Civil War (ed. by Robert V. Johnson and Clarence C. Buel; 1st
pub., 1887-1888; facsim. reprint, 4 vols., New York, 1956), I, 34-35; Blackburn, "The
Terry Rangers," Southwestern Historical Quarterly, XXII, 38-39.
5Documents concerning the surrender of Union forts in Texas in 1861 may be
found in The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Oficial Records of the
Union and Confederate Armies (70 vols. in 128, Washington, 188o-19o1), ser. I,
vol. I, 502-636; vol. LIII, 618-666. Hereafter referred to as Oficial Records.
eBlackburn, "The Terry Rangers," Southwestern Historical Quarterly, XXII, 39;
Oran M. Roberts, "Texas," Confederate Military History (ed. by Clement A.
Evans; 1i vols., Atlanta, 1899), XI, 25.
7This committee was set up by the Texas Secession Convention to prepare the
state for war. It raised a state army with which to fight the Federals and ensure
the safety of Texas citizens until the Confederate Army should become effective in
Texas. Roberts, "Texas," Confederate Military History, XI, 16-ig.464
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.
Related Items
Other items on this site that are directly related to the current periodical.
The Texan Archive War Of 1842 (Text)
Front cover of an article reprinted from an issue of the Southwestern Historical Quarterly.
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. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 64, July 1960 - April, 1961, periodical, 1961; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101190/m1/501/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.