Chapter 44 The Alamo’s All-Star Defenders
Goliad, Old John's Pub.
William Travis pushed open the cypress leaf spring door of the bar, and he was greeted by the spicy smell of alcohol and the choking smell of cigarette smoke, mixed with the smell of foot odor and inferior perfume.
The soldiers were having fun with the prostitutes, and the crowd knitted wildly to the cheerful music.
The soldiers carried the prostitutes on their shoulders. The bold prostitutes did not care at all about the sudden release of spring. Everyone was still immersed in the joy of victory. Now Goliad, San Antonio, and even Texas belonged to them.
Just three months earlier, they had destroyed a 40-man Mexican garrison and successfully captured Goliad.
But now Tasan Anna is about to arrive with a Mexican army of 8,000 people. If you include the remaining soldiers gathered along the way, the newly recruited black slaves, and the Indians, the total number may not be more than 10,000.
Now William Travis was upset and wanted to find the volunteer commander James Bowie immediately.
As William Travis searched inside, he also had to avoid drunks and prostitutes who might bump into him at any time. The wet floor under his feet was stained with oil and rum, which made him almost slip.
William Travis shouted "Colonel James Bowie, are you here? I'm Colonel William Travis and I need to talk to you."
But no one answered. William Travis was so angry that he took out the pistol from his waist and fired two shots at the ceiling.
"Bang! Bang!" Two gunshots stopped the noisy crowd, but the ring-shaped candlestick with candles hanging from the roof fell down, immediately knocking down a drunkard.
"Carry him away. Who is James Bowie?"
A dwarf raised his hand, and William Travis asked with some confusion.
"Are you James Bowie?"
The dwarf answered with a quick shake of his head.
"Colonel Bowie is upstairs, but I don't think he wants to be disturbed."
William Travis was a little annoyed.
"I'm Colonel William Travis, the top military commander here, and I'm going to see him now."
The dwarf shrugged and pointed to the second floor.
William Travis angrily walked to the room on the second floor, kicked open the door, and found Colonel Bowie doing something indescribable, so he had to close the door and wait outside.
About three minutes later, Colonel Bowie opened the door.
"Colonel William Travis, please wait."
"Not long, just three minutes."
The two sides smiled awkwardly, but the relationship unknowingly got closer.
"Let's go to other rooms to talk and let her rest for a while." Colonel Bowie suggested.
James Bowie is more famous for the knives he invented than for him personally. The Bowie knife with an upturned tip and a guard was later called the Bowie knife, which is the American military knife we most often see. .
James Bowie and William Travis came to the kitchen, Bowie picked up two glasses and handed one to Travis.
"Have a drink first. You can't talk about it if you have a dry mouth."
Then Bowie opened a bottle of rum and poured a glass for Travis and himself.
Travis said as he pushed the glass away.
"I don't drink, those people outside can't fight at all, and I have bad news to tell you, no one will come to save us, and Tasang Anna brought ten thousand people, and we only have two Colonel and two hundred soldiers.”
"Oh, I heard it. So what if there are ten thousand people?" Bowie drank down the glass of wine nonchalantly.
"We lack enough soldiers and weapons. We only have three old antique cannons left by the Mexicans."
"Believe me, Travis, the Mexican cannons are no better than ours." Bowie said with a smile, because he knew that the Mexicans were still using Spanish antiques.
"But my people, plus your volunteers, are only 200 people. How can we fight against Tasang Anna's army."
"I'm not afraid of death, but if I die I will let the Mexicans know that I am not to be trifled with. I will tear off a piece of meat from their body and eat it in one bite with butter on it."
James Bowie did not lie. He was indeed not afraid of death. Everyone who met him praised him as a true western cowboy and an outlaw.
"But I don't want to die pointlessly."
"Then give me your command, sir. Now the big guys are studying the founding of the country, and we want to stop Tasang Anna. It's that simple."
Bowie went to get Travis' wine glass again, but Travis snatched it away.
"I'm not afraid of death, but I want to say Texas can't live without San Antonio, and history will prove me right."
Travis drank the wine in one gulp and then coughed it out.
"Yes, he is a tough guy, haha!"
"Bowie, I have a request?" Travis hesitated.
"Say it like a man."
"I hope you will remain silent. I want to tell the soldiers that General Houston is on the way with 2,000 reinforcements. I'm afraid those cowards will escape. Our mission is to buy the big shots enough time."
Bowie hesitated and nodded.
"Well, I'm not going to expose you. But if someone wants to leave, that's their freedom and you can't stop it."
"Whatever you want, I don't think Houston would be that stupid to give up on San Antonio. You and I both know how important San Antonio is to Texas. As long as Tasan Antonio takes San Antonio, it will be invincible .”
However, in history, Tasan Anna, underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly after the Alamo Battle, was finally succeeded in a surprise attack by the militia led by the settler businessman Houston. As a result, all efforts were in vain. In the end, Tasan Anna himself was forever nailed. On the pillar of shame.
One day later, American legend David Crockett arrived in Goliad with 20 Tennessee volunteers.
According to legend, David Crockett could tear apart wolves, fight brown bears, repulse an attack by 300 Indian warriors, and single-handedly foiled a British plot to assassinate the President of the United States.
Such a legendary figure and the only American officer to surrender to Tasan Anna at the Battle of the Alamo.
Historically, twenty Tennessee volunteers led by David Crockett were the last reinforcements to reach the Alamo.
But in fact, a 400-man troop was stationed just a dozen kilometers away from the Alamo, led by Colonel Maning.
But this group neither aided Travis at the Alamo nor obeyed Houston's order to leave San Antonio and join Houston's main force.
These men stood by and watched the Alamo garrison perish, then became Tasan Anna's punching bag.
Their only role in history was to give Tasan Anna the reputation of killing prisoners.
A force of 1,000 volunteers had just set out from Boston, but it would be two months before they arrived.
Sorry, there was a problem with the system just now, so I sent the draft directly.