They Forgot the Alamo
- Susan Kilcrease
- Aug 14
- 6 min read
Some years ago, an older cousin gave me a bundle of old letters tied up with a black string from our ancestors in Alabama. These letters were written in the late 1800's to my great great Grandmother, Laduska Kern Shine. The letter in the picture is an 1874 letter written from August Kern in San Antonio to my great great grandmother just before her wedding of November 1874. The letter is obviously in response to a letter she wrote him asking about opportunities in San Antonio for her husband-to-be, Dr Uriah Hix Shine. They, like many people in the Deep South were looking for a place to re-settle in Texas after the Civil War. Times were very tough in Alabama during Reconstruction since Sherman had "Marched to the Sea" at the end of the Civil War right over the tops of their heads!
Cousin Kern did not recommend them coming to San Antonio due to economic distress. (I will transcribe the letter at the end of the post)
Fast forward 20 years where I have found myself doing intense research on The Texas Revolution Exhibit (Opening September 27) when I happened to remember the old letter. This letter was written 38 years after The Battle of the Alamo but I was researching what had happened to the Alamo in the years following the battle. Let me say, the Alamo nearly did not survive following years of neglect and misuse. They sort of forgot the Alamo. But I digress-you will need to come to the Exhibit to find out what happened.
Back to the letter. Since it was written from Cousin Kern's office in San Antonio I was curious if it was located anywhere near the Alamo. Could I learn anything about San Antonio during that time for the exhibit from this letter?
So I pulled the old letter and re-read it with a historian's perspective, not as a family member.
The first thing I noticed was the address--52 Commerce Street. I went to my favorite research tool, Google Earth, and put in the address. That is when it got REALLY interesting!
I suspected the address no longer existed, I have run across this many times, especially in cities. But this time I was wrong! 52 Commerce street still existed! I went into street view and looked at the building at that address. (Third photo) I noticed, as I expected, that while this was an old building, it didn't look like it had been there since 1874. (I was right, it was built in the 1920's) But then I noticed that the building is literally covered in historical markers! So after digitally walking around the building in Google Earth land, I was able to make out the title of each historical marker. Then I googled each one.
The first thing I discovered is that the plaza behind the building had been the site where they expelled the Federal Troops from San Antonio when Texas seceeded from the Union at the beginning of the Civil War!
I was able to find a drawing of the expusion of the troops in 1861 and noticed some familiar buildings in the background. Also, Remarkably the Federal troops were housed in the Alamo, less than a mile away.
I went back to Google Earth to compare the landmarks and did a screenshot. The plaza is still clearly the same as in 1861, with the courthouse in the background--the oldest courthouse in Texas! A little additional research told me that this plaza has been there since (are you ready?) 1719 and was the site of the Spanish Governor's Palace when Spain occupied Texas! This is extremely early Texas history, this plaza was there when Spain and France were stil quibbling about the ownership of Texas, before Mexico, and it is still an active town square for the last 300 years!
It is called "The Old Military Plaza", just a half block up Commerce from "The Main Plaza". Imagine Spanish soldiers in their armature and helmits parading there.
Main Plaza is just as old--an open area where markets and stores sold goods and merchandize--in fact Cousin August Kern sold tobacco and imported liquors to gentlemen there. Next door to his store was a towering Cathedral that I only found walking around in Google Earth. After I googled the church I learned that San Fernando Cathedral was founded on March 9, 1731 by a group of 16 families who came from the Canary Islands at the invitation of King Phillip of Spain and is the oldest continuously functioning religious community in Texas. This church was built on the plaza to be the center of life of the community and it has the distinction of being the oldest standing church in Texas, and for all of its more than 281 years, has been serving the people of San Antonio. The Alamo mission was only 13 years old when San Fernando Church was built less than a mile away.
In 1831, James Bowie married Ursala de Veramendi there. Several times during the Texas Revolution the church served secular purposes. Mexican cannons stood on its roof during the Seige of Bexar in December 1831, when it is well documented that Southeast Texans were there in force as the Mexican Army was driven from San Antonio. After this battle, the Texans flew a flag of victory from it. But as history tells us, the Mexican Army came back for the famous battle of the Alamo. Mexican encampments filled Main and Military Plazas during the seige, and Santa Anna not only used San Fernando as a lookout, but ordered a red flag flown there to signal to the Texans at the Alamo they would be shown no mercy, an ironic place to display such a flag. in 1889 Juan Sequin said the ashes of the Alamo defenders were buried at San Fernando. The ashes of the Alamo defenders were believed to be discovered in 1936 during renovations in San Fernando Church and placed in a sarcophagus in 1938. Many historians dispute this as truth.
This letter was written here in 1874 to my own great great grandparents.
What does this mean?
Our ancestors lived the Texas Revolution, if not directly engaged, they were enveloped within it. It is a part of Texans today. There is no possibility our ancestors were not deeply impacted by the history that surrounded them, which lived silently in textbooks. However, a part of the experiences and emotions have been passed down through the ages to us, through our grandfathers who would defend family land with his life, through great great grandmothers who were willing to travel across the wilderness to Texas.
Texans are, and continue to be the children of the Texas Revolution.
Transcription of Letter:
Office of A.J. Kern
Importer and Dealer in
Foreign and Domestic Liquors, Cigars and Tobacco
No. 52 Commerce Street
San Antonion, Texas November 26th, 1874
Dear Cousin,
I am in possession of your favor of the 11th with the pleasant news of your Engagement to which I tender you my hearty congratulations. I should be certainly pleased to be present at your Nuptuals but the long distance and Hard times combined prevent me from following my inclination.
Regarding your future husband's coming here this is a matter I would hardly advise anybody to do, unless such has sufficient means to start a farm, this occupation being in my estimation the most imprudent (a)more renumerative than merchandizing. Clerking don't pay at all here, young men getting from 25 to 50 a month which wouldn't suffice a married couple. Expenses are as large here as in a large City while the income under the current depressed times is but small. My personal expenses are $1800 (Specie?) per anum although used to good living. I assure you I am not in any way extravagent or frivolous. I have been trying ever since here to manage to buy a small farm for your father to move on as he complains very much in his letters but so far I have been unable to do it. Our fall trade has been unexpectantly droll in monitary matters rather unsafe and it takes all my ingenuity and the use of my friends to pay my debts honorably.
I would at the same time state that (my live?) you and your husband wish to come out here I will do all I can for you though I wouldn't under any circumstances advise you to come here unless your husband has first come here and secured a house. Lord knows (he has) written his name so illegible that I am unable to spell it. Would also like to know what occupation his father follows. I hope to hear from you soon. In the meantime let me wish yourself and husband all prosperity and health so essential for happiness.
Lovingly cousin,
A. J. Kern
Many regards for your intended, father, mother and the children
In another handwriting: August Jacob Kern departed this life April the 4 1876
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