An 1813 Alliance Between "Mexican and American ...

... Adventurers," Against Spain?

I understand that it is a work of fiction, but since I am reading 'The Gates of the Alamo' while at the same time learning early-Texas history, it would be helpful to know whether such a confrontation truly occurred.

Stephen Harrigan writes (which he does hauntingly and very well):

While traveling along the Medina River, in the year of 1828, " ... Edmund had stopped to sketch a frostweed flower and had noticed a whitened oval buried at the base of the plant. It was a skull, and when he stood up and inspected the nearby ground he discovered he had come upon an ossuary, a field of bleached human bones -- skulls and jawbones with loose, rattling teeth, scattered vertebrae, splintered femurs, and pelvic cradles. The bones marked the spot where another wave [of revolt] had passed back in 1813, when an alliance of Mexican and American adventurers had come charging into Texas, determined to pry it loose from Spain. Eight hundred of them had died here, their bodies left for the wolves." (page 24)

Might anyone have knowledge of this battle, if indeed, it did take place?
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The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Also, I have read that in this same year -- 1813 -- Texas (then yet combined with Coahuila?) joined with the other provinces of New Spain to declare independence. San Antonio was written to have been designated as the capital. Does someone have more details regarding this action and proposal?
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Joined : 06 Nov 2007 Posts : 9

I think that you well may be correct about this. Had the novel not been titled as it is, and what occured at the Alamo not been generally well-known, the reader could have done well with a waymark at this early point in the story.

Thanks very much for sharing that insight. I had been so caught up (already!) in the 'historicity' of the novel that I was in danger of losing my connection with the literary bedrock (certainly not the fault of the author).

I have been advised that, yes .... this "field of bleached human bones" has a firm place in history. The name of the confrontation is taken from its nearby river. More concerning the Battle of Medina may be read on the following websites:

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/MM/qfm1.html

http://www.geocities.com/jcsrt57/The_Battle_of_Medina.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Medina

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/texas/battle-medina.htm

http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/Spain2.htm

... and numerous others.
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves