The Alamo Still Inspires

"It's so small," the woman said. "There was supposed to be a big battle fought here, but it's just a small building."

"That's the point, lady," I thought. In April of 1836, 189 Texans and Tejanos gave their life defending this small mission. That losing battle was the focal point of the Texas fight for independence from Mexico. That's the legacy of the Alamo, the legendary shrine in San Antonio.

That disappointed tourist had a point though. The original compound was about double the size of today's tourist site. Time and commercialization has dramatically reduced its size.

The current structure was little more than the headquarters and a place for women and children to hide during the battle. The original walls of the fort extended out beyond today's Alamo Plaza, but those were overtaken by commercial development years ago.

Today's tourist can visit only the old mission building and the convent barracks - used as a soldier's barracks and hospital by the Alamo defenders. But then, little was left when the defenders first arrived there in 1836.

Built in 1718 as the Mission San Antonio de Valero, the adobe church was already 118 years old and falling into disrepair when the defenders gathered there. Their early days in the facility were spent making repairs and converting its crumbling walls into a defensible fort.

The Texans took control of the mission following a battle in December 1835, when they defeated the Mexican troops in the city. That victory was only temporary, because Santa Anna would soon lead an army to recapture the town and to teach the rebellious gringos a lesson.

The local defenders knew the Mexican general would be coming through San Antonio. The Alamo was their first line of defense. If he could be defeated here, or at least delayed until a full army of Texans could be gathered, they could still win the fight against Mexico.