The "real" Deguello at the Alamo?

[Charles L. Cotton]

I have no idea if the text in this video is accurate, but it is interesting. I know that the melancholy Deguello in John Wayne's Alamo was created for the movie, but a quick Google search didn't turn up anything to corroborate or refute Scott Moss' version. You'll have to watch it on YouTube because playback on other sites has been disabled.

Chas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSOwWDEtkh0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[chuck j]

I find this fascinating , having been a student of Alamo history many years it is a great find ! Records from that period in Texas and Mexico's history are very incomplete to say the least . Survivors of the Alamo , Mexican soldiers or almost anyone associated with the battle were not interviewed till 30 years later . That time in Texas history was full of chaos and amazing figures . Mexican incursion , Comanches , pirates , Comancheros , Texas Rangers , the Texas navy , scalp hunters , Americans and other immigrants pouring in (yes, Americans were immigrants) to this new Republic .

The greatest quest for Texas historians for years was to find the flag that flew over the Alamo , in Travis's letter for reinforcements he mentions the flag .

THE TRAVIS LETTER ;



Commandancy of the The Alamo

Bejar, Feby. 24th. 1836

To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World—

Fellow Citizens & compatriots—

I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna — I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man — The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken — I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls — I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch — The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country — Victory or Death.

William Barrett Travis.

Lt. Col. comdt.

P. S. The Lord is on our side — When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn — We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves.

Travis

Short commentary on the flag ;
http://www.texianlegacy.com/1824_2.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jimlongley]

Interesting.

[ddstuder]

Brian Burns has a version of this on his album THE EAGLE & THE SNAKE: SONGS OF THE TEXIANS. He also reads Travis's Letter and has songs about The Alamo and Goliad. This is a great album and should be heard by any Proud Texan!

http://www.brianburnsmusic.com/index.php

[anygunanywhere]

I love this forum and all you folks who hang out here too.

[J.R.@A&M]

My impression of this Dueguello is that is sounds like a Canadian brass tune.

I confess that I am likely a sucker for hollywood inventions, and my favorite would be the eerie, minor-key, dissonant, half-step ascending version of Dueguello in "Alamo -- 13 Days to Glory" starring Alec Baldwin, Brian Keith, and James Arness.

[baldeagle]

Alamo afficionados might find this podcast on Travis interesting. http://brainstaple.com/comeandtakeit/ep ... m-b-travis" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[chasfm11]

From a musical instrument point of view, the clip is very interesting. Bugles used by the military are usually high pitched because higher notes carry better and farther than lower notes. Bugles typically do not have valves or means of changing the length of the tube that produces the sound (some do have tuning slides). That means that all of the pitch changes are done with lip tension. There are acoustical principals (overtone series) which govern which pitches are available. The higher the notes, the closer those pitches can be together.

Listening to the horns on the recording, they sound like longer tubes, in the range of a trombone or a French horn and their notes are closer together suggesting that they are playing in the upper parts of their range. It seems like a curious choice for something that was supposed to carry over a distance. But perhaps I'm just over-thinking it. If the instruments being used have valves, then none of limitations of a more traditional bugle apply.

The melody itself is haunting. Part of that comes for me with how the melody line is overlapped by successive starting players, almost like a round. That must have been something to listen to if it was played that way from multiple points at the same time.

[Oldgringo]

"THE BLOOD of HEROES" by James Donovan is a captivating recap of the last days of the Alamo. Similarly, his book "A TERRIBLE GLORY" recounts the last days of George Armstrong Custer, et al.