Worst Outlaw in the History of the American West Inspired Others November 13, 2010

Al Jennings-Worst Outlaw in the West

On This Date in History: Al Jennings was born in 1863 Virginia. His father was a judge and Al began practicing law in the Oklahoma Territory in 1889. Al’s law-partner, brother Ed Jennings, was shot to death in October 1895 by another lawyer named Temple Houston, who was the son of famous Texan General Sam Houston. When Houston was acquitted, Al and another brother Frank vowed vengeance. They took off after Houston but never caught up to him. So, what does any good lawyer who fails at a vengeance killing do? Join a gang. He and Frank robbed a Santa Fe train with their new found friends in 1897. Well, they tried to rob a train. This may be where the scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid comes from because these guys tried to get the guy in charge of the mail car to open it up but he refused, just like Woodcock did with Butch. But, instead of blowing up the rail car, these desperados got chased away by the conductor.

Temple Houston

They tried again. This time they piled up railroad ties across the tracks. instead of stopping, the engineer opened up the locomotive at full throttle and simply plowed through the obstruction. They then tried to rob an express office but a simple phone call from the office brought the town sheriff and a bunch of armed men. The would be robbers fled with nothing. Then they tried a bank but someone must have blabbed because when they arrived, the bank was surrounded by numerous armed men. The bumbling robbers left empty handed. So, they gang decided to return to what they knew best…train robbing!

Cabinet Saloon Where Temple Shot Ed

In another probable Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid inspiration, they tried a 3rd time when they flagged down a Rock Island passenger train and tried to blow up the two safes on board in a box car. The safes did not open but they did manage to blow up the box car. They did get $300 from the passengers though. But, they got no more chances. They were caught and sentenced to 5 years in prison…except for Al, who got a life sentence for robbery with intent to kill.

Jennings Mugshot 1902

Al goes to prison and who does he share a cell with but a guy named William Sidney Porter. After spending time listening to the tales of Jennings, Porter was released and took up the profession of a scribe, taking the pen name, O. Henry. O. Henry is considered one of the finest American short story writers of his time. Through his short stories, Henry managed to rehabilitate the image of Jennings and, On This Date in 1902, Al Jennings was released from prison after his sentence was commuted to 5 years by none other than President William McKinley. Jennings returned to Oklahoma to practice law. So, what does a lawyer who was a terrible train robber do? Why run for office. Not just any office…why not county attorney! In 1912, he ran on the promise that “when was a train robber, I was a good train robber. And if you choose me, I will be a good prosecuting attorney.” Obviously, Al had developed a politicians ability to stretch the truth and it helped because he won the nomination but lost the election. He ran for Governor in 1914 but opposition by newspapers left his campaign in third place when the votes were counted. So, where does a failed train robber and failed politician go? Why to Hollywood!

Jennings with Fatty Arbuckle's Cousin Andrew

O. Henry had encouraged him to write so he went out west and ghost wrote several movies, several of which were supposedly based on his life. The westerns portrayed him as being more treacherous than Billy the Kid, robbed more men than Jesse James and was a participant in nearly 25 face to face shootouts. I would say that there wasn’t much mystery in who the ghost was behind those scripts. Al continued this sort of thing the rest of his life as he was behind many of the B-movie westerns through the 1950′s with the lame scripts that were as phony as the image Jennings created for himself. To perhaps illustrate the level of Al’s position in Hollywood, the photo to the left is not of Al with star Fatty Arbuckle, but instead Fatty’s cousin, Andrew. Nevertheless, it was an interesting and certainly long life for Al, who did not pass away, for real, until 1961. He lived through Reconstruction, the Indian Wars, the closing of the frontier, two world wars and the dawn of the space age. So much to write about yet he chose to write about…himself…and most of that was not true, except his name, Al Jennings. Here is a biography, which is really funny.

Filibuster As Part of American Expansion, Not Legislative Tactics July 12, 2010

Americans Filibustered Numerous Times in the 19th Century at Central America's Expense

On this Date In History: American William Walker was a doctor, lawyer, newspaperman and hypnotist in the middle of the 19th Century. But he became better known as a filibuster.   That does not mean that he was a member of Congress.  Today, we think of a filibuster as an interesting idiosyncrasy of the United States Senate that can hold up the entire process of debating and passing legislation.  However, in mid 19th century America, the word “filibuster” had an entirely different meaning for most Americans than the political procedure known to most people today.   

Instead, the word ”filibuster”  is derived from the Dutch word Vrijbuiter that means freebooter or soldier of fortune.   He was a little guy as he weighed all of about 120 pounds but he had big ambitions.  Initially, the object of his quest was Baja California and Sonora in Mexico.  He wanted to create an independent nation there with the ultimate objective being annexation of that region to the United States that would be a slave state. When that failed, he turned his sites elsewhere.   On This Date in 1856, at the age of 31 he became the only American born citizen to become President of another country….supposedly. At least that is what my source claims. I would suggest that Sam Houston as President of the Republic of Texas was first. Anyway, this guy convinced the head of the Democrat party in Nicaragua to invite him and some “settlers” to come to Nicaragua. In reality, they were a bunch of mercenaries hired to help that party win a civil war that was going on. The ruse of being settlers was set up to avoid entanglement in US neutrality laws. So, he and his band of merry men helped defeat the opposition and he set up a phony election that made him president. He only served two years because he irked the wrong guy.

Walker leading the way at Lake Nicaragua

One of the things he was doing was trying to conquer neighboring countries by hiring more mercenaries and also get support from the slave holding South in the United States by rescinding Nicaragua’s long standing Emancipation order. Well, none of that sat well with Americans in the North and particularly Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt who had a company that ferried freight and passengers across that part of Central America before the canal was built. He even had designs of building a canal across Nicaragua and Walker was in the way. So, he got together a bunch of guys in neighboring Costa Rica and even got help from the British and American Navies. That was the end of Walker who lost a key battle on April 11, 1857 and surrendered on May 1st of that year. He was sent back to the United States where he wrote a book about his adventures. He tried to return and when he did, he was captured again in Honduras by the British Navy who turned him over to local Hondurans who promptly had Walker executed by firing squad at the age of 36 on September 12, 1860.

Walker's Effort Created A Costa Rican National Hero

While we don’t think about William Walker much, his defeat and failure marked a turn around in Central America as it was seen as a pseudo war of independence. His name is one hated as it is held up as a symbol of “Yankee imperialism.” In Costa Rica, there is a national holiday commemorating Walker’s defeat on April 11.   However, Walker’s defeat is not the focus but instead the holiday is set aside to commemorate the exploits of Juan Santamaria, who is said to have done heroic things while barefoot in the battle against Walker.  So, for all his trouble…he got a day in Costa Rica for his failure and they named it for a 19 year-old barefooted soldier: Juan Santamaria Day.   Costa Rica also sports the Juan Santamaria International Airport.  Seems that Walker’s biggest contribution for the Central American country was to place Juan Santamaria in the annals of Costa Rican history.  Take a lesson from this. Don’t try to take over a country. Leave that to the professionals.

Weather Bottom Line:  Rain chances will be elevated for Monday and Tuesday as a shortwave comes out of the Southern Plains.  But, you will note that the chance of rain listed in most forecasts are less than originally posted.  Last night I saw a local broadcast claim a 70% chance of rain today.  I then looked at the data and found that it indicated that the shortwave was not following the track that would give rise to such chances, which means someone didn’t do their homework.  It’s not that there is no chance, but just not as aggressive as had been advertised.  It’s all because of a cold front that is approaching slowly.  So, scattered activity will be in the area for Monday and Tuesday.  The front doesn’t get very far south of us before it slides back north as a warm front and our temperatures and humidity jump for a day or so before another cold front comes down at the end of the week and rain chances go up again.

The Mission That Inspired A Mission March 6, 2010

A Shrine In Texas

Flag That Flew Over Alamo

On This Date in History:

Back in the 18th Century, the Spanish were running around what is now Central and North America, pretty much on a mission of conquest and not so much on a mission of colonization. My take has always been that the main goal of the Spanish was to secure gold and other treasures for the crown rather than develop the territories as on-going concerns. While they were conquering, they also decided that the defeated needed to be saved and so they set out to make the natives Christians. They set up a number of missions where missionaries could “civilize” those who were under the thumb of the conquistadors.

Crockett Coonskin Cap In Hand

One such mission was Mision San Antonio de Valero. Construction on the mission began in 1724. By 1793, the Spaniards decided to secularlize the 5 missions in the area and distributed the lands to the Indians in the region. I’m not sure why they did that but I doubt if it was guilt over taking it in the first place. A guess would be that the “natives were getting restless” and it was a way to appease them so they wouldn’t have a revolt on their hands. What once had been mission lands became their own and they continued their farming. Just after the turn of the century, the Spanish decided that the old mission would make a great fort and so there they stationed a cavalry unit. The solider’s of that unit were from Alamo de Paras, Coahuila. Perhaps they were homesick because they renamed the mission the Alamo, which means cottonwood in Spanish.

During the decade long effort to secure Mexican independence from the Spanish, the fort was held by both revolutionaries and also the Spanish as it changed hands during the fortunes of war. By 1835, things were getting unsettled again in the region of Mexico known as Tejas.

Jim Bowie

The Mexican government had encouraged settlement by immigrants. They got good deals on land and pretty much had a semblance of freedom, provided that they follow the Mexican laws. Most of the immigrants were ex-patrioted Americans. Some were fleeing the long arm of Uncle Sam’s law. Nevertheless, many of the Americans, being a rather independent lot, wanted to separate from Mexico. One item that was in the craw of some of the immigrants was that Mexican law forbade slavery and many of the Americans were slave holders. The Texicans organized volunteers to take up arms against the government and the Mexicans decided it was time to put down the unrest in their territory. The Texicans thought it was time to get more organized and on March 2, 1836 declared independence from Mexico.

Travis Wasn't That Bad of a Guy

Now, the unruly Texicans had gone to battle with the Mexican forces in San Antonio de Bexar in December 1835 and after house to house fighting, forced the Mexicn forces to surrender. The Texicans took up residence in the Alamo which was well fortified and supplied with munitions. Mexican President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna thought San Antonio was a good place to go after the upstarts and on February 23, 1836 he brought thousands of troops to the Alamo. Inside the Alamo were about 150 Texicans led by William Barrett Travis. He was in charge of the small professional Texas soldier but Jim Bowie led a group of volunteers as did David Crockett and his men from Tennessee. The vastly outnumbered Texicans held out for 13 days. They refused to surrender. Travis wrote a letter that is famous in Texas folklore in which he begs for reinforcements and says that he had answered the Mexican call for surrender with a cannon shot. The Texas State Archive Commission provides more information regarding the letter of William Barret Travis at the Alamo, including an additional note and verbiage written on the envelope.

Letter From Travis

 Only 32 volunteers showed up halfway through the seige to bring the total to 189. No reinforcements came. On this date in 1836, the Alamo fell. All of the men were killed, though modern historians uncovered a letter from a Mexican soldier that claims that a few men were taken prisoner and taken back to Mexico City where they were tortured and killed. One of those men reported to have been captured was  Davy Crockett. I do not believe that this account has been totally accepted by historians though I also do not think it has been totally dismissed either. But, it does fly in the face of John Wayne’s version of the Alamo in which Crockett is one of the last defenders to die and dies taking out several men and blowing up the munitions, in true John Wayne hero manner.

Sam Houston Was Away from his Army

As with many things in history, particularly items as heroic as the Alamo, myths have become fact. Let’s explore a few with the Alamo. It was often been portrayed in film that the Alamo defenders died while “buying time” for Sam Houston to train his army. Truth is that Houston on January 28 was given a furlough to take care of some business. He went and negotiated a treaty with the Cherokee Nation and then served as a delegate to the constitutional convention until March 6. It was at that time that he was reconfirmed as commander in chief of the Texican volunteer and regular army. Travis is often portrayed as a pompous man who was disliked by many of the volunteers, particularly Jim Bowie. Travis was really a very likeable and outgoing fellow.

Alamo Seige-Travis With Sword

The story of the dislike comes from the volunteers refusing to take his orders, but that was more out of loyalty and respect for their own commanders, such as Crockett and Bowie. There were some survivors of the Alamo but they were all women, children and slaves. The weather was not part of one of the coldest winters in Texas history. That rumor came about because the Mexican Army ran through a brutal and freakish snowstorm on their march to the Alamo. A couple of cold fronts came through during the seige but they only took the temperatures into the 30′s. Two days after the seige was over the weather was described as “fine weather.” And finally, the 400 men of James Fannin at Goliad, just 100 miles away, could not have come to the rescue because they had another Mexican Army in the area that they had to deal with.

Heroic Crockett With Musket as Club

Nevertheless, the Texicans ended up getting the last laugh. In late April, with shouts of “Remember the Alamo,” the Texican Army under the command of General Sam Houston, routed the Mexican Army near present day Houston in 26 minutes. They forced Santa Anna to surrender, not only his army but also sign documents that ceded Texas to the revolutionaries. It is said that Santa Anna was distracted in his tent by the beautiful woman spy, the Yellow Rose of Texas. About 10 years later, Santa Anna was at war again over Texas with the United States over the border of Texas…seems Santa Anna believed his definition of Texas only went to the Nueces River, whereas the Americans and Texans determined that the documents that Santa Anna signed at San Jacinto took Texas to the Rio Grande. Santa Anna lost that war too and ended up losing most of the Southwestern United States in the process.

Don't Mess With Texas, Oz!

The Alamo is a shrine today in Texas and millions of people from around the world come to San Antonio each year to visit. One visitor was Ozzy Osbourne who in 1984 was arrested. At 11 am he was spotted drunk, pulling up a dress he was wearing, urinating on the Alamo. He found out the hard way what the Alamo means to Texans. He was banned from the city.

No matter what….this is a great and historic day for Texans around the world!

NAM Shows Pretty Good Instability From OK to SE Texas Late Tuesday

Weather Bottom Line:  Weekend outlook looks on track. Highs in the mid 50′s…maybe even upper 50′s on Saturday for some folks.  We’re back to the mid 50′s on Sunday as a lead shortwave comes out ahead of the main storm.  Rain activity looks to be around Sunday afternoon into Sunday night.  Now, the main show will come out and I am pretty confident that there will be some severe weather in the midwest Sunday or Monday and then Tuesday or Wednesday in the South.  I”ll tell you what though..the latest runs want to bring the main short farther North.  Consequently, it’s not out of the question for Thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon or Tuesday night around here…nor is it a totally foreign idea that the area of rough weather in the South just may expand closer to Louisville. I do however expect any watch areas to be primarily in Dixie.  We’ll have to see.

Republic of Texas’ President, Governor, Senator, Raven and Big Drunk March 2, 2010

Sam Houston's name First word spoken from the Moon

Rather Aristocratic Looking Sam Houston

On This Date in History:  There is only one man in United States history to have been elected and held the office of Governor in two different states.  He was also a member of the House of Representatives, a United States Senator and the President of a Nation.  He also spent a time as a member of the Cherokee Nation.  The Indian name he was given was said to have translated to “Big Drunk.”  He was a military hero, a general and a revolutionary.  His name is attached to the 4th largest city in America and it was the first word spoken by men from the surface of the moon.  On this date in 1793 he was born near Lexington, Virginia but the name Sam Houston is synonymous with Texas.

Relatively Young Sam Houston

In 1807, after the death of his father, the family moved to Maryville, Tennessee but when he was 16, he ran away and lived with the Cherokee Nation who subsequently adopted him under the name Colonneh, which translates to “the Raven.”  19-year-0ld Sam returned to Maryville in 1812 and supposedly opened a one room school house, the first  built in Tennessee.  That is questionable to me and the City of Maryville says the first schoolhouse there opened in 1797.  Anyway, a few years later,  young Samuel Houston served under the command of Andrew Jackson in the Creek Indian wars of the War of 1812.   He had showed great courage and bravado and his willingness to fight despite being wounded several times caught the attention of Old Hickory.  He and Jackson became friends. Jackson helped Houston gain a position as an Indian Agent to the Cherokee.    He resigned his commission, studied the law and was soon elected Attorney General of Nashville.  In 1823, he was elected to Congress from Tennessee.  After serving two terms in Congress, Houston was elected as the 7th Governor of the State of Tennessee at the age of 34. 

Artist Quite Flattering to Tiana

The next stage of his life is sketchy.  He planned to run for re-election in 1828 but he married 18-year-old Eliza Allen.  It is suggested that the marriage was forced by Miss Allen’s father.  Almost as soon as it began, rumors swirled of infidelity and drunkeness.  Houston resigned as Governor and went to the Cherokee lands in Arkansas.  There, he married a widowed Cherokee woman, Tiana Rogers Gentry.  He set up a trading post but apparently drank half the profits because he got a new Cherokee name: Big Drunk.  In 1830, he went to Washington, DC to be an advocate on behalf of the Indians.  He encountered a man from Ohio who opposed then President Andrew Jackson.  

Key Defended Houston After Penning Star Spangled Banner

Ohio Congressman William Stanbery took to the House floor and spoke indirectly against Jackson, by speaking ill of Houston by making accusations that Sam used his influence with Jackson to gain a contract  providing rations to Indians being removed to the Indian Territory on the Trail of Tears.  So, Houston met up with Stanbery on Pennsylvania Avenue and beat him with a cane.  Houston was arrested and pleaded self defense since Stanbery had pulled his pistol.  Now, Stanbery only pulled the weapon after Houston had attacked and, when he fired it into Houston’s chest, the gun misfired and spared Houston’s life.  Sounds like Bill Stanbery was the one doing the self-defending.    Sam hired Francis Scott Key, of Star Spangled Banner fame, as his lawyer but he was found guilty.  Nevertheless, intervention by influential men like future President James K. Polk resulted in just a light reprimand.  Stanbery then took him to civil court where a judge found Sam liable and ordered Houston to pay $500.  Instead of ponying up the money,  Houston fled the country.

General Sam Houston Took Charge

Houston decided to go to Texas, which was then controlled by Mexico.  His wife didn’t want to go but he left anyway.  Later, she married a guy named Sam McGrady.  Tiana died in 1838 of pneumonia.  By that time, Sam had set himself up pretty nicely in Texas and got involved in the independence movement of ex-patrioted Americans.  In 1835, he was made Major General in the Texas Army and a year later, named Commander in Chief.  The defenders of the Alamo gained hero status in the annals of Texas as they held out for 13 days in the small mission at San Antonio de Bexar against a far superior force under the command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.  While Crockett, Travis and Bowie and their men were going out in a blaze of glory,  Houston was building and organizing his army.  In April of that year, Houston surprised the Mexican Army which was camped near present day Houston.  It had been less than 8 weeks since the Alamo and so, with the attackers screaming “Remember the Alamo,” the Battle of San Jacinto lasted just 18 minutes.   Houston forced Santa Anna to surrender and give Texas it’s independence.  The battleground is marked today by the tallest free standing column in the world. It was patterned after the Washington Memorial but a giant granite Texas star was put on the top to make it 15 feet taller. 

Just like America chose General Washington as it’s first president, General Sam Houston became the first President of the Republic of Texas.  Mirabeau Lamar followed him as the chief executive but Houston returned to office in 1841.  Houston engineered the recognition of Texas by the United States and also brought order to the economic and political condition of the fledgling country.  In 1846, Texas was annexed by the United States as the 28th state and Houston was elected to the United States Senate where he represented Texas until 1860.  Houston was a staunch unionist and could not stand having the Lone Star State vote for secession.  Though Houston was a slaveholder, he said that secession was illegal.  Nevertheless, the Texas Legislature voted for secession on February 1, 1861 and Houston was thrown out of office on March 16, 1861 after he refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.  General Sam went home to Huntsville, Texas north of the small town of Allen’s Landing…the very town that would later bear his name. 

Sam Stands 67 Feet Tall on 10 Foot Base

Back in 1837, he finally got around to officially divorcing his first wife and in 1840 married Margaret Moffette Lea.  I suppose one could say that he still had an eye for the young girls; he was 47 and she 21.  He was still pretty prolific though because the couple had 8 children.  She brought him to Christianity and he became Baptist.  Supposedly, she got him to temper his drinking ways but it is said he still consumed spirits in the name of medicinal purposes.  He developed pneumonia and died on July 26, 1863. His dying words were said to be “Texas! Texas! Margaret!”  That quote is on his tombstone in Huntsville Texas.  Sam Houston has many monuments to him including a memorial museum, a U.S. Army base, a national forest, a historical park, a university, and the largest free-standing statue of an American figure.  The State of Texas has included his statue in Statutory Hall in the the US Capital and Neil Armstrong put the name Houston in the history books forever when he said “Houston, Tranquility Base Here. The Eagle Has Landed.” 

Sam in Statutory Hall

Just think what might have happened if he had not survived his wounds in the battles with the Creek Indians or if Congressman Stanbery’s pistol had not misfired.  Not sure if it would have changed the fact that Texas gained independence and later become part of the United States, but I do know it would have been different and certainly Texas would have been lacking perhaps the most colorful and decorated man in its long history.  Beside that, Houston sounds much better than Allen’s Landing.  Armstrong might have said, “Allen’s Landing…Tranquility Base Here..The Eagle has landed.”  Just doesnt have the same ring to it.

Weather Bottom Line:  It’s lame.  Upper 30′s, low 40′s Wednesday but we get better as the week ends with sunshine showing up and temperatures moving through the 40′s to upper 40′s by Friday afternoon. Then Saturday its low to mid 50′s.   Maybe some rain Sunday but…it’s a longshot…but I wonder about the potential for t’storms on Tuesday…maybe some tough weather someplace…not a forecast..but something that raises an eyebrow.  Hey..the season is near.

4th Coldest October In US History, Worst Outlaw in US History November 13, 2009

Biggest Denver October Snow in 12 years

Oct 2009 Avg Temp rank by State

While Global Warming cannot be determined by any one set of data from any one country, I’m sure Global Warming enthusiasts will find a tougher time in the states arguing their point. That is because October  2009 was the 4th coldest October in recorded US history, which dates back to 1895. It was also the absolute wettest October in US history. Only Florida was decidedly hotter than averge with its October 2009 coming in as the 105th coolest month, or the 11th hottest. Oklahoma checked in with the coldest October on record. As I mentioned, by itself this data is irrelevant to climate trends. But, if this had been the 4th hottest October on record, don’t you think that it would make headlines? I wonder if the media doesn’t think that cold temperatures are just as newsworthy as hot temperatures.

Al Jennings-Worst Outlaw in the West

Crime Pays Or the Worst Outlaw in the West? Al Jennings was born in 1863 Virginia. His father was a judge and Al began practicing law in the Oklahoma Territory in 1889. Al’s law-partner, brother Ed Jennings, was shot to death in October 1895 by another lawyer named Temple Houston, who was the son of famous Texan General Sam Houston. When Houston was acquitted, Al and another brother Frank vowed vengeance. They took off after Houston but never caught up to him. So, what does any good lawyer who fails at a vengeance killing do? Join a gang. He and Frank robbed a Santa Fe train with their new found friends in 1897. Well, they tried to rob a train. This may be where the scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid comes from because these guys tried to get the guy in charge of the mail car to open it up but he refused, just like Woodcock did with Butch. But, instead of blowing up the rail car, these desperados got chased away by the conductor.

Temple Houston

They tried again. This time they piled up railroad ties across the tracks. instead of stopping, the engineer opened up the locomotive at full throttle and simply plowed through the obstruction. They then tried to rob an express office but a simple phone call from the office brought the town sheriff and a bunch of armed men. The would be robbers fled with nothing. Then they tried a bank but someone must have blabbed because when they arrived, the bank was surrounded by numerous armed men. The bumbling robbers left empty handed. So, they gang decided to return to what they knew best…train robbing!

Cabinet Saloon Where Temple Shot Ed

In another probable Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid inspiration, they tried a 3rd time when they flagged down a Rock Island passenger train and tried to blow up the two safes on board in a box car. The safes did not open but they did manage to blow up the box car. They did get $300 from the passengers though. But, they got no more chances. They were caught and sentenced to 5 years in prison…except for Al, who got a life sentence for robbery with intent to kill.

Jennings Mugshot 1902

Al goes to prison and who does he share a cell with but a guy named William Sidney Porter. After spending time listening to the tales of Jennings, Porter was released and took up the profession of a scribe, taking the pen name, O. Henry. O. Henry is considered one of the finest American short story writers of his time. Through his short stories, Henry managed to rehabilitate the image of Jennings and, On This Date in 1902, Al Jennings was released from prison after his sentence was commuted to 5 years by none other than President William McKinley. Jennings returned to Oklahoma to practice law. So, what does a lawyer who was a terrible train robber do? Why run for office. Not just any office…why not county attorney! In 1912, he ran on the promise that “when was a train robber, I was a good train robber. And if you choose me, I will be a good prosecuting attorney.” Obviously, Al had developed a politicians ability to stretch the truth and it helped because he won the nomination but lost the election. He ran for Governor in 1914 but opposition by newspapers left his campaign in third place when the votes were counted. So, where does a failed train robber and failed politician go? Why to Hollywood!

Jennings with Fatty Arbuckle's Cousin Andrew

O. Henry had encouraged him to write so he went out west and ghost wrote several movies, several of which were supposedly based on his life. The westerns portrayed him as being more treacherous than Billy the Kid, robbed more men than Jesse James and was a participant in nearly 25 face to face shootouts. I would say that there wasn’t much mystery in who the ghost was behind those scripts. Al continued this sort of thing the rest of his life as he was behind many of the B-movie westerns through the 1950′s with the lame scripts that were as phony as the image Jennings created for himself. To perhaps illustrate the level of Al’s position in Hollywood, the photo to the left is not of Al with star Fatty Arbuckle, but instead Fatty’s cousin, Andrew. Nevertheless, it was an interesting and certainly long life for Al, who did not pass away, for real, until 1961. He lived through Reconstruction, the Indian Wars, the closing of the frontier, two world wars and the dawn of the space age. So much to write about yet he chose to write about…himself…and most of that was not true, except his name, Al Jennings. Here is a biography, which is really funny.

Weather Bottom Line:  Still looks good for the rest of the week and really, I think, the majority of the weekend.  Look for highs Friday with lots of sunshine creeping to the low to mid 60′s after a cool start.  Then Saturday we mayget to 70 or so ahead of a very deep low pressure area.  I don’t think that we get rain until Sunday evening but clouds will be increasing during the day on Sunday.  Now, this low tends to get cut off in the Southern Plains.  After several days in that region, it is progged to move north-northeast and stay to the west of our area.  I’m skeptical of this solution.  We’ll see.  Either way, we wil be in the 50′s for next week so get out and enjoy the next few days.

A Better Chance to Win a House than an American had winning a country July 12, 2009

We’re nearing the time for the big drawing. IT’S A CHANCE TO WIN A HOME ….a nice suburban home. These good folks are raffling the home but, they are doing so to raise money for mission work. They are setting out to bring clean water to the impoverished of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Therefore, they tell me the purchase of a ticket is tax deductable. Great opportunity to win, great opportunity to give. At least take the time to click on the links and check it out.

On this Date In History: American William Walker was a doctor, lawyer, newspaperman and hypnotist in the middle of the 19th Century. But he became better known as a filibuster, which is from the Dutch word that means freebooter or soldier of fortune. He was a little guy as he weighed all of about 120 pounds but he had big ambitions. On This Date in 1856, at the age of 31 he became the only American born citizen to become President of another country….supposedly. At least that is what my source claims. I would suggest that Sam Houston as President of the Republic of Texas was first. Anyway, this guy convinced the head of the Democrat party in Nicaragua to invite him and some “settlers” to come to Nicaragua. In reality, they were a bunch of mercenaries hired to help that party win a civil war that was going on. The ruse of being settlers was set up to avoid entanglement in US neutrality laws. So, he and his band of merry men helped defeat the opposition and he set up a phony election that made him president. He only served two years because he irked the wrong guy.

Walker leading the way at Lake Nicaragua

One of the things he was doing was trying to conquer neighboring countries by hiring more mercenaries and also get support from the slave holding South in the United States by rescinding Nicaragua’s long standing Emancipation order. Well, none of that sat well with Americans in the North and particularly Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt who had a company that ferried freight and passengers across that part of Central America before the canal was built. He even had designs of building a canal across Nicaragua and Walker was in the way. So, he got together a bunch of guys in neighboring Costa Rica and even got help from the British and American Navies. That was the end of Walker who lost a key battle on April 11, 1857 and surrendered on May 1st of that year. He was sent back to the United States where he wrote a book about his adventures. He tried to return and when he did, he was captured again in Honduras by the British Navy who turned him over to local Hondurans who promptly had Walker executed by firing squad at the age of 36 on September 12, 1860.

While we don’t think about William Walker much, his defeat and failure marked a turn around in Central America as it was seen as a pseudo war of independence. His name is one hated as it is held up as a symbol of “Yankee imperialism.” In Costa Rica, there is a national holiday commemorating Walker’s defeat on April 11. So, for all his trouble…he got a day in Costa Rica for his failure. Take a lesson from this. Don’t try to take over a country. Leave that to the professionals.

SPC Severe Threat Sun 8am to Mon 8am

Weather Bottom Line:  The weak boundary dropped down (it was a COLD front, not a cool front…there’s no such thing as a cool front) and came through but a quick looksee leads me to believe that we were sandwichced in between shorts…there was one to the northeast and one to the southwest and all that rising air had to sink somewhere so my guess is that it was over our area and it suppressed t’storms in our area Saturday afternoon.  Now the boundary is just to our south and any waves will be running along it.  The SPC has the focus for today just to our southwest.   They’ve probably got a wide enough berth to account for an undulation to the north but, should the boundary set up much farther north, then we may be susceptable.  I’ll give you a hint of what I really think…I watered my flowers.

DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK 
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   0739 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009
  
   VALID 121300Z – 131200Z
  
   …THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS
   INTO THE MID SOUTH/TN VALLEY…
  
   …CNTRL HIGH PLAINS/CNTRL AND NRN PLAINS/MID-MO VALLEY…
   COMPLEXES ONGOING OVER NERN KS AND SERN SD MAY CONTINUE SEWD THROUGH
   THE MORNING ALONG PERIPHERY OF SRN HIGH PLAINS MID LEVEL
   ANTICYCLONE.  REGION WILL REMAIN WITHIN MODERATE TO STRONG NWLY FLOW
   ALOFT AND THEREFORE SUSTAIN SUFFICIENT ORGANIZATION FOR SEVERE
   THUNDERSTORMS…WITH SEVERITY AND LONGEVITY DEPENDING ON AVAILABLE
   INSTABILITY.  THERE REMAINS SOME CONCERN ATTM THAT BOWING COMPLEX
   APPROACHING NWRN MO AT 13Z COULD SUSTAIN ITSELF AND INCREASE SEWD
   TOWARDS THE MID SOUTH TODAY IF SUFFICIENT HEATING CAN BREAK CAP
   ALONG SURGING OUTFLOW.  THIS WOULD SUGGEST A MORE WIDESPREAD SEVERE
   THREAT ACROSS PORTIONS OF MO.  REGARDLESS… ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT
   OF SEVERE STORM CLUSTERS/MCSS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD
   EVOLVING TO THE NORTHWEST INVOF HIGHER TERRAIN OVER THE HIGH PLAINS
   AND/OR INVOF SURFACE FRONT/BOUNDARIES ALONG FRINGE OF STRONG WNWLY
   FLOW ALOFT.  CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY REMAINS REGARDING DETAILS OF
   ACTUAL SEVERE MCS DEVELOPMENT AND TRACKS.  THEREFORE…WILL EXPAND A
   BROAD SLGT RISK AND ACCOMPANYING HIGHER SEVERE PROBABILITIES FROM
   THE HIGH PLAINS REGION SSEWD INTO THE MID SOUTH/TN VALLEY WITH
   LIKELIHOOD OF SEVERAL ROUNDS OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS CONTINUING
   THROUGH EARLY MONDAY.
  
   …ERN CAROLINAS/SE VA/SRN MD…
   AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH IS FORECAST TO MOVE EWD ACROSS THE NERN STATES
   TODAY AS A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS IN PLACE EWD FROM THE
   CNTRL APPALACHIANS INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC. ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE
   BOUNDARY…MODERATE INSTABILITY IS FORECAST AND SEVERAL MODELS
   DEVELOP THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE INSTABILITY AXIS THIS AFTERNOON.
   FORECAST SOUNDINGS LATE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SERN VA AND ERN NC
   SHOW 30 TO 40 KT OF VERTICAL SHEAR SUGGESTING AT LEAST A THREAT OF
   SEVERE STORMS…INCLUDING SUPERCELLS AND SMALL LINES INTO THE
   EVENING.
  
   …PACIFIC NW/NRN ROCKIES…
   FAIRLY STRONG MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH NOW OFF THE PAC NW COAST WILL
   OVERSPREAD THE PAC NW THROUGH THE PERIOD…ENHANCING SWLY FLOW ALOFT
   ACROSS THE NRN INTERMOUNTAIN REGION/NRN ROCKIES.  IN
   ADDITION…FETCH OF MODEST PWS EVIDENT THIS MORNING AHEAD OF THIS
   IMPULSE WILL SUPPORT SCATTERED TO WIDELY SCATTERED HIGH-BASED TSTMS
   ACROSS THE REGION…INCREASING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
   FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE STRONG VERTICAL SHEAR AND STEEP
   MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES…SUPPORTIVE OF A FEW MARGINALLY SEVERE
   STORMS.  HAIL AND DOWNBURSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER
   STORMS.
  
   ..EVANS/HURLBUT.. 07/12/2009

A Hallowed Day For Texas! Remember the Alamo! March 6, 2009

A Shrine In Texas

 

 

 

 

Flag That Flew Over Alamo

On This Date in History: 

Back in the 18th Century, the Spanish were running around what is now Central and North America, pretty much on a mission of conquest and not so much on a mission of colonization.  My take has always been that the main goal of the Spanish was to secure gold and other treasures for the crown rather than develop the territories as on-going concerns.   While they were conquering, they also decided that the defeated needed to be saved and so they set out to make the natives Christians.  They set up a number of missions where missionaries could “civilize” those who were under the thumb of the conquistadors.

Crockett Coonskin Cap In Hand

One such mission was Mision San Antonio de Valero.  Construction on the mission began in 1724.  By 1793, the Spaniards decided to secularlize the 5 missions in the area and distributed the lands to the Indians in the region.  I’m not sure why they did that but I doubt if it was guilt over taking it in the first place.  A guess would be that the “natives were getting restless” and it was a way to appease them so they wouldn’t have a revolt on their hands.  What once had been mission lands became their own and they continued their farming.  Just after the turn of the century, the Spanish decided that the old mission would make a great fort and so there they stationed a cavalry unit.  The solider’s of that unit were from Alamo de Paras, Coahuila.  Perhaps they were homesick because they renamed the mission the Alamo, which means cottonwood in Spanish. 

During the decade long effort to secure Mexican independence from the Spanish, the fort was held by both revolutionaries and also the Spanish as it changed hands during the fortunes of war.  By 1835, things were getting unsettled again in the region of Mexico known as Tejas.  The Mexican government had encouraged settlement by immigrants.  They got good deals on land and pretty much had a

Jim Bowie

semblance of freedom, provided that they follow the Mexican laws.  Most of the immigrants were ex-patrioted Americans.  Some were fleeing the long arm of Uncle Sam’s law.  Nevertheless, many of the Americans, being a rather independent lot, wanted to separate from Mexico.  One item that was in the craw of some of the immigrants was that Mexican law forbade slavery and many of the Americans were slave holders.  The Texicans organized volunteers to take up arms against the government and the Mexicans decided it was time to put down the unrest in their territory.  The Texicans thought it was time to get more organized and on March 2, 1836 declared independence from Mexico.

Travis Wasn't That Bad of a Guy

Now,  the unruly Texicans had gone to battle with the Mexican forces in San Antonio de Bexar in December 1835 and after house to house fighting, forced the Mexicn forces to surrender.  The Texicans took up residence in the Alamo which was well fortified and supplied with munitions.  Mexican President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna thought San Antonio was a good place to go after the upstarts and on February 23, 1836 he brought thousands of troops to the Alamo.  Inside the Alamo were  about 150 Texicans led by William Barrett Travis.   He was in charge of the small professional Texas soldier but Jim Bowie led a group of volunteers as did David Crockett and his men from Tennessee.  The vastly outnumbered Texicans held out for 13 days.  They refused to surrender.  Travis wrote a letter that is famous in Texas folklore in which he begs for reinforcements and says that he had answered the Mexican

Letter From Travis

call for surrender with a cannon shot.  Only 32 volunteers showed up halfway through the seige to bring the total to 189.   No reinforcements came.  On this date in 1836, the Alamo fell.  All of the men were killed, though modern historians uncovered a letter from a Mexican soldier that claims that a few men were taken prisoner and taken back to Mexico City where they were tortured and killed.  One of those men was reported to be Davy Crockett.  I do not believe that this account has been totally accepted by historians though I also do not think it has been totally dismissed either.  But, it does fly in the face of John Wayne’s version of the Alamo in which Crockett is one of the last defenders to die and dies taking out several men and blowing up the munitions, in true John Wayne hero manner. 

As with many things in history, particularly items as heroic as the Alamo, myths have become fact.  Let’s explore a few with the Alamo.  It was often been portrayed in film that the Alamo defenders died while “buying time” for Sam Houston to train his army.  Truth is that Houston on January 28 was given a furlough to take care of some business. He went and negotiated a treaty

Alamo Seige-Travis With Sword

with the Cherokee Nation and then served as a delegate to the constitutional convention until March 6.  It was at that time that he was reconfirmed as commander in chief of the Texican volunteer and regular army.  Travis is often portrayed as a pompous man who was disliked by many of the volunteers, particularly Jim Bowie.  Travis was really a very likeable and outgoing fellow.  The story of the dislike comes from the volunteers refusing to take his orders, but that was more out of loyalty and respect for their own commanders, such as Crockett and Bowie.  There were some survivors of the Alamo but they were all women, children and slaves.  The weather was not part of one of the coldest winters in Texas history.  That rumor came about because the Mexican Army ran through a brutal and freakish snowstorm on their march to the Alamo.  A couple of cold fronts came through during the seige but they only took the temperatures into the  30′s.  Two days after the seige was over the weather was described as “fine weather.”  And finally, the 400 men of James Fannin at Goliad, just 100 miles away, could not have come to the rescue because they had another Mexican Army in the area that they had to deal with.

Heroic Crockett With Musket as Club

Nevertheless, the Texicans ended up getting the last laugh.   In late April, with shouts of “Remember the Alamo,” the Texican Army under the command of General Sam Houston, routed the Mexican Army near present day Houston in 26 minutes.  They forced Santa Anna to surrender, not only his army but also sign documents that ceded Texas to the revolutionaries.  It is said that Santa Anna was distracted in his tent by the beautiful woman spy, the Yellow Rose of Texas.  About 10 years later, Santa Anna was at war again over Texas with the United States over the border of Texas…seems Santa Anna believed his definition of Texas only went to the Nueces River, whereas the Americans and Texans determined that the documents that Santa Anna signed at San Jacinto took Texas to the Rio Grande.   Santa Anna lost that war too and ended up losing most of the Southwestern United States in the process.

Don't Mess With Texas, Oz!

The Alamo is a shrine today in Texas and millions of people from around the world come to San Antonio each year to visit. One visitor was Ozzy Osbourne who in 1984 was arrested.  At 11 am he was spotted drunk, pulling up a dress he was wearing, urinating on the Alamo.  He found out the hard way what the Alamo means to Texans.  He was banned from the city.

No matter what….this is a great and historic day for Texans around the world!   

Sat AM to Sun AM

Weather Bottom Line:  Forecast is generally on track.  We made it all the way to 68 on Thursday, which is 37 degrees warmer than it was on Monday and this in spite of a bunch of clouds.  Similar day on Friday as Thursday as we push toward 70, lots of clouds but perhaps a few showers.  Saturday in the mid to upper 70′s.  Chance of T’storms and rain develop late and carry over into Sunday.  SPC has the threat for severe weather to our west.  Timing of the wave of energy running along the front to our north is no good, though a few storms still could be in the area.  We cool a bit for the first part of the week.  By mid to late week, a cold front finally comes through but right now, the data does not support a huge push of cold air and the models that do suggest cold air pushing through very far to the south don’t keep it around for long…and again…its not that cold…just perhaps slightly below seasonal norms.  Rain chances will be back with the approach and passage of the front.  Here’s the severe threat discussion for Saturday and Sunday.

   DAY 2 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK 
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   1258 AM CST FRI MAR 06 2009
  
   VALID 071200Z – 081200Z
  
   …THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAINS
   AND LOWER/MIDDLE MO VALLEY…
  
   …SYNOPSIS…
   AN INITIALLY NEUTRAL TILT UPPER TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO STEADILY
   TRANSITION EAST-NORTHEASTWARD FROM THE EASTERN GREAT BASIN/FOUR
   CORNERS REGION EARLY SATURDAY…TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS/MIDDLE MO
   VALLEY BY EARLY SUNDAY WHERE IT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ON MORE OF A
   NEGATIVE TILT. AT THE SURFACE…FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO
   STALL/BECOME ESTABLISHED IN A GENERAL WEST-EAST CORRIDOR FROM KS TO
   THE MIDWEST/OHIO VALLEY. LEE-SIDE SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS WILL OCCUR
   DURING THE DAY ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS…WITH A GRADUALLY DEEPENING
   SURFACE LOW AND SHARPENING COLD FRONT/DRYLINE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
   EASTWARD ACROSS PORTIONS OF KS/OK/TX SATURDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT. IN
   THE PREFRONTAL WARM SECTOR…BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE WILL REMAIN
   MODEST…WITH RETURN LIMITED IN THE WAKE OF LAST WEEKENDS DEEP
   FRONTAL PENETRATION INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO.
  
   …MIDDLE MO VALLEY TO IL/INDIANA SATURDAY MORNING…
   SIMILAR TO THE LATE DAY 1 SCENARIO…SCATTERED ELEVATED
   STRONG/POTENTIALLY SEVERE TSTMS WILL BE ONGOING AT THE BEGINNING OF
   THE PERIOD SATURDAY MORNING VIA A 50 KT LOW LEVEL JET AIDED WARM
   ADVECTION/ELEVATED MOISTURE TRANSPORT REGIME. AMIDST AMPLE SHEAR
   THROUGH THE CLOUD BEARING LAYER FOR UPDRAFT ROTATION…A STEEP LAPSE
   RATE ENVIRONMENT AND ELEVATED MUCAPE TO 500-1000 J/KG WILL SUPPORT A
   CONTINUED HAIL RISK DURING THE MORNING ACROSS NORTHERN MO/SOUTHERN
   IA INTO IL/INDIANA. THESE TSTMS AND ANY ASSOCIATED HAIL THREAT
   SHOULD GRADUALLY SHIFT EAST-NORTHEASTWARD DURING THE MORNING ALONG
   THE SURFACE-850 MB BAROCLINIC ZONE…WITH THE HAIL THREAT EXPECTED
   TO WANE THROUGH MID/LATE MORNING AS THE LOW LEVEL JET WEAKENS/VEERS
   WESTERLY.
  
   …KS/OK/MO SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING…
   AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH CROSSING THE ROCKIES…KS/OK SHOULD REMAIN
   CAPPED MUCH OF THE DAY. HOWEVER…SUFFICIENT HEATING AND ONSET OF
   LARGE SCALE HEIGHT FALLS COULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR ISOLATED SURFACE
   BASED TSTM DEVELOPMENT AS EARLY AS MID AFTERNOON…BUT IT MUCH MORE
   LIKELY SATURDAY EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL/EASTERN KS INTO OK
   ALONG/AHEAD OF THE ADVANCING SURFACE LOW AND COLD FRONT/DRYLINE.
   WARM SECTOR SURFACE DEWPOINTS WILL LIKELY TO BE LIMITED TO THE
   LOWER/MIDDLE 50S F ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAINS/MO VALLEY
   SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING…AND THIS WILL BE THE PRIMARY LIMITING
   FACTOR FOR A MORE APPRECIABLE SEVERE RISK. REGARDLESS…INCREASINGLY
   STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ATOP MODEST BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE
   SHOULD RESULT IN 500-800 J/KG OF MLCAPE BY LATE AFTERNOON. BENEATH
   50+ KT OF SOUTHWESTERLY MID LEVEL FLOW…STRONG SHEAR/AMPLE VEERING
   WOULD SUPPORT A RISK OF WELL-ORGANIZED TSTMS INCLUDING
   SUPERCELLS…WITH THE PRIMARY RISK OF SEVERE HAIL. IN SPITE OF A
   RATHER DYNAMIC SCENARIO WITH STRONG SHEAR…THE LIMITED MOISTURE
   SHOULD FAVOR A QUICKLY DECOUPLING BOUNDARY LAYER WITHIN AN HOUR OR
   TWO OF SUNSET…WITH A NOCTURNAL TENDENCY FOR TSTMS TO BE BASED
   ABOVE A SHALLOW STABLE LAYER.
  
   …SOUTHERN OK/NORTH TX SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING…
   AS THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE APPROACHING UPPER TROUGH/LARGE
   SCALE HEIGHT FALLS…TSTM POTENTIAL/COVERAGE AND ANY ASSOCIATED
   SEVERE THREAT BECOMES MUCH MORE CONDITIONAL WITH SOUTHWARD EXTENT
   ACROSS SOUTHERN OK INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL TX. IF/WHERE TSTMS
   DEVELOP SATURDAY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING…MODEST INSTABILITY
   AND FAVORABLE SHEAR PROFILES WOULD CONDITIONALLY SUPPORT A RISK OF
   SUPERCELLS WITH MAINLY A SEVERE HAIL RISK.
  
   …NORTHEAST KS/SOUTHEAST NEB TO IA/NORTHERN MO/IL LATE…
   AS THE UPPER TROUGH REACHES THE CENTRAL PLAINS…AN INTENSIFYING LOW
   LEVEL JET /50-55 KT/ AND ASSOCIATED WARM ADVECTION REGIME SHOULD
   AGAIN INCREASE HAIL POTENTIAL ACROSS THE MIDDLE MO VALLEY/MIDWEST
   SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY.
  
   ..GUYER.. 03/06/2009

Rain, Storms and the Republic of Texas March 3, 2008

Late Sunday the SPC identified an area well to our south for a moderate risk of severe weather for Monday night through early Tuesday. The map above is from Sunday evening. We are not in the slight risk. As I’ve been telling you for days, an area of low pressure will form along the front in East Texas. As it moves our way, rain chances will increase. We will probably get in the neighborhood of 1-3 inches of rain. In other words, its developing just as we’ve been saying for the better part of a week. There may be some minor flooding with this event. On down the line, we may need to keep an eye on the Ohio River as rain and snow melt early this week will cause a water rise toward the end week. Snow will be minimal and basically worthless as ground temperatures will be too warm to support much accumulation. We will have a fair amount of wind energy aloft that may come down to the surface in scattered t’storms late Monday, most likely Monday night or early Tuesday. That is why we are in the 5% range but not the slight risk. We will get so much rain that it should dampen our chances for rough weather and the best dynamics will be to our south. My guess is that the areas in the lower Mississippi Valley that had the biggest thumping from tornadoes on Feb 4 will be under the gun again. Our biggest threat will come from gusty winds and perhaps some hail. Rain amounts will be problematic in our area. Stay tuned to newschannel 32 for updates Monday on how this thing shakes out. Jay will really nail it all down for you.

On This Date in History: On this date in 1836, about 187 men were huddled in a mission at San Antonio de Bexar in the Mexican Republic. They were a band of Texicans…mainly expatriated Americans living as Mexican citizens. The Mexican government under the rule of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna who had welcomed the new residents provided that they lived under Mexican law. Trouble was, these settlers to Texas were an independent sort and wanted to do things their way, which was often the American way. At that time, many Americans had slaves and these Texicans wanted to keep their slaves but Mexican law forbade slavery. This was one of the issues the Texicans had with the Mexican government.

Santa Anna had sent various armies into the region to restore order and make certain the settlers were well healed. But, his surrounding and siege of the Alamo put the Texans to the test.

On March 1, the leaders of the region got together and in one day wrote a declaration of independence. It was signed on this date in 1836 by many men, included Sam Houston. The former United States Senator from Tennessee and potential United States presidential candidate was put in command of the fledgling Texas Army and was made General. But he needed time to raise and train his army. So the men at the Alamo, with Texas heroes such as David Crockett, James Bowie and William Barrett Travis held out instead of retreating. Just 4 days after Texas declared its independence, the Alamo fell as the victorious Santa Anna gloated over the death of all 187 defenders.

The Texans got their revenge though because in April of that year, after weeks of retreating and running, General Sam Houston led his men to a site on Buffalo Bayou near the city that today bears his name. The Mexican Army was resting at its camp with Santa Anna said to have been in his tent with the famous spy, the Yellow Rose of Texas. Though far outnumbered, Houston’s Army defeated the Mexican Army and captured Santa Anna in just 26 minutes. Santa Anna was forced to capitulate and sign papers recognizing Texas’ Independence. Not to be a poor sport, Houston allowed Santa Anna to return to Mexico City. But, just like the Brits didn’t really accept America’s independence until the War of 1812, Santa Anna didn’t really accept the terms of Texas’ independence until he was defeated in the Mexican War of 1846 which was fought in a dispute between the US and Mexico over the boundaries of the then 28th state of the Union.

Prior to that date, Texas was an independent nation for ten years. It’s president…..Sam Houston. After becoming a state, Sam Houston served as a Senator; the only man to serve in the United States Senate from two different states. Houston then was elected governor of Texas but resigned at the outset of the Civil War after Texas seceded. Texas joined the Confederacy and lost the father of the country…just for a time. Today, Texans proudly recall the exploits of Sam Houston, who along with others Texas patriots, declared his independence on this date in 1836.

The flag above was the one flown at the Alamo. The 1824 was a reference to the United States of Mexico as recognized by a liberalized Constitution in 1824. The Texicans, or Texians, were initially in support of a larger revolutionary movement throughout Mexico that said its aim was to force the largely totalitarian government of Santa Anna to follow the Constitution.

Snow White says this sounds too much like a textbook and too much Texan-like. I say, so what…It’s Texas Independence Day!!!