In honor of the 159th anniversary of the Alamo, students at Anderson Elementary School and Anderson Middle School recently were treated to a presentation from local experts on the subject.
While speaking to the kids, Mike Patrick, of Anderson, Andy Patrick, of Fayetteville, Ark., and Carlos Valdez, of Centerton, Ark. painted an image with their legitimate apparel and equipment. All the details, such as a hatchet, powder horn, lead ingots, canteen and bullet mold were addressed and explained.
Mike Patrick was wearing the uniform of a Texas soldier, potentially an officer, while Andy Patrick was sporting the attire of a Texas settler who would have been with the local militia. Valdez, on the other hand, was donning the uniform of a seasoned Mexican soldier.
The Patrick brothers and Valdez frequently do war re-enactments for state and national parks including the Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove battlefields in Arkansas as well as Wilson's Creek battlefield in Missouri. They all possess extensive knowledge on the Revolutionary War, Civil War and the Texas Revolution and have appeared on-screen in History Channel presentations in addition to various documentaries. A few of the films they have performed in are Glory, The Alamo and Gods and Generals.
The gentlemen depicted a suspenseful, heroic tragedy. Arriving a month sooner than the Alamo's defenders expected, General Antonio López de Santa Anna's army arrived in San Antonio on Feb. 23, 1856, with 6,000 troops. The Texans had only 277 men yet protected the mission for 13 days of nearly non-stop seiging. Among those that fought for Texas independence are legendary names such as Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.
Although the Alamo was ultimately captured and the courageous troops executed, the Battle of the Alamo created a ripple of rage that eventually led to independence. On April 21, 1863, Santa Anna encountered Sam Houston's army at San Jacinto. Charging the Mexican camp and yelling "Remember the Alamo," Houston's men forced Santa Anna's troops to retreat. The next day, Santa Anna, "Emperor of the West," was captured and Texas was free of Mexico's reign.
After a hands-on history lesson, the speakers answered questions from the curious students.
"How did the Mexican Army show rank?"
"You said 6,000 troops fought for Mexico at the Alamo, how many left Mexico on the march to Texas?"
"I know hand-to-hand combat wasn't common then. So what were the swords for?"
Before the gentlemen left, they motivated students to learn more about their history.
"If you don't care, no one else will," stressed Mike Patrick. "Read books. Study them so one day you can carry on the legacy of America's history."
General News on 04/23/2015