Davy, Davy Crockett!

History is one of those things, I have noticed, that people tend to love or hate. Some people (like, uh, me) are fascinated by it, others absolutely hate it because of all those darn names and dates and *gasp* essays. I think I've met maybe one person who was just kind of neutral about it. Maybe I'm just surrounded by passionate people, but history seems to be like liver...you know, love it or hate it.

I love it. I'm sure this is no surprise to anyone, since I spend a good deal of my time thinking about ancient history and languages. But I like modern history too (by modern I mean A.D.). I am taking two history classes this semester...so I am warning you all in advance, these next few months are likely to see many posts containing random historical and anthropological facts and mysteries.

This post is inspired by my Texas History class. I like it a lot...I had heard before the semester started that my professor was a Yankee, so I wasn't expecting much, but when I got to class the first day I realized very quickly that this man cannot be anything but a native Texan. Yay for that. (My friend had confused him with someone else.) He spends a lot of time making fun of New Mexican food and Oklahoma...along with presenting very entertaining lectures on the actual curriculum. Anyway, one of the books we are reading is called Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett's Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution. I enjoy the book, and I just got to the part about Davy Crockett.




Basically, the "mystery" of Davy Crockett's last stand centers around the diary written by a Mexican soldier named de la Pena. Most sources (though not eyewitnesses) who were Texans state flatly that Davy Crockett was killed in the fighting at the Alamo. De la Pena, however, records in his diary that seven Texans surrendered, including Crockett, and a Mexican officer placed them under his personal protection. However, de la Pena says that when Santa Anna found out, he was disgusted with his officer and ordered the prisoners shot on the spot. De la Pena used this event, among many others he witnessed, to try to show how Santa Anna was tarnishing Mexican honor throughout the Texas Revolution. He hated his leader almost as much as the Texans did.

So the question is, do we believe de la Pena? Some people do, others don't. Some people have even tried to claim that the document is a forgery, but it definitely is genuine (for reasons that are long and complicated, we know this pretty definitely), so the only question is whether or not de la Pena was telling the truth.

So here's my question: do you think Davy Crockett died in the fighting like pretty much everyone else, or can you believe that he might have surrendered? And...how much does it matter? If he did surrender, does that invalidate him as a Texas hero?

Personally, I think it likely that de la Pena was telling the truth (after all, before he decided to try to expose Santa Anna he was just writing it as part of his memoirs, and wouldn't have had much motivation for making stuff up), and I am also of the opinion that a surrender would not have been unheroic on the part of Crockett. If the place was already overrun with Mexican troops, the battle decided, his death wouldn't have helped the Texas cause or anyone else. Why not surrender, especially with a Mexican officer asking you to as he promises to protect you? Seems like the smart way to go to me.

But a lot of people have very strong feelings about Crockett's death (as indeed we all have strong feelings about the Revolution). I'm interested to hear what y'all think.