Posted 13 years ago
Stonie
(99 items)
These came from a guy that did the construction in the early 70's around the Alamo, as they dug up the area they would find the cannon balls around the construction site and load them up in buckets, later at his home in Dallas he buried them to preserve them ???? after he passed his wife had them bug back up.
dug :)
If these really are remnants of the Battle of the Alamo, they are priceless. At least to Texacans! You should contach the folks in San Antonio. See what they think.
I have planned to make a trip to San Antonio and take them with me.
If you post accurate weights and circumferences-- it can be confirmed that they are actually cannon balls and not something else.
Scott
I collect unique items like these and I would love to have them in my collection.
I sell some of them every once in awhile on e-bay, it gets old telling everyone how I know they came from the Alamo.
email me at newenglandcollector@hotmail.com
May by this will help:
The Mexican army only had 6 small caliber field guns, 6 lb shot.
Within the Alamo walls there is believed to have been 21 cannons of various sizes, although Colonel James McNeal reported that there were 24 cannons in the mission. The majority of the cannons used by the defenders were captured in December 1835 when Mexican General Perfecto Co's surrendered the Alamo to the mission to Texians prior to his departure from San Antonio de Bexar. They consisted of the famous 18 pounder, 1 x iron 16-pounder, 1 x iron 12-pound gunnade, 1 x 9"pedrero (fired stone balls) , 2 x iron 8-pound guns, 6 x 6-pounders, 3 x iron 4-pounders, 4 x bronze 4-pound cannons and 2 x 2-pounders. The other three cannons were not used and were lying in the courtyard.
Thanks Packrat
follow-up:
"In 1995 the 74th Legislature abolished the Texas Antiquities Committee and made theTexas Historical Commission the legal custodian of the Antiquities Code, and therefore,all cultural resources, historic and prehistoric, within the public domain of the State of Texas. Such diverse resources as historic buildings, shipwrecks, and aboriginal campsitesfall within the jurisdiction of the Commission. These sites may be designated as StateArcheological Landmarks by the Commission."
"Texas currently has the lightest penalties. According to
the Antiquities Code of Texas in 1977, violations will result in a misdemeanor
charge with a fine of $50 - $500 or not more than thirty days in jail, or both. The
right is reserved in this law for the Attorney General’s office to bring civil charges
against the accused (Texas, 1977). Ironically, the state holding the lightest penalties has been the most successful in prosecuting perpetrators. To date, three individuals have been convicted under the 1977 Antiquities Code of Texas. Two of these occurred in Travis County and one occurred for violations on state park lands
(Martin, 2000)."
Personalty, I would be careful how I market these. Tha authorities are always monitering ebay and other selling sites. Construction people are not allowed to remove any dug artifacts from around the Alamo, as all of it is property of the State of Texas, it doesn't matter how they were obtained.
The reason I know this is because I have been metal detecting here in Texas for 38 years and make it a point of knowing where I can and cannot go and what belongs to the state.
Just some randon thoughts.
Think I grew tired of listing them on there anyway and figured I'd pretty much keep most of them.
Hey Stoni are you still around ?