There was, indeed, a Robert Moore in the Alamo when it fell, 175 years ago today. I remember reading his name on the list of those lost there, when I visited that sacred ground in Texas, a few years ago. I doubt that the Alamo’s Robert B. Moore is any relation(*), but he was born in Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia)… which was later a stomping ground of my Moore kin, a bit after Robert B. Moore was born there. I don’t know much about him, but a little can be read about him, here.
On the other hand, my two oldest children can claim a relative, who was present at the Alamo… Davy Crockett. No, they aren’t direct descendants, but Davy’s great-grandfather, Joseph Louis Crockett, was the common tie. One of Joseph’s sons was Jason Spotswood Crockett, father of John Crockett, who was the father of Davy. My oldest are descended from one of Jason’s brothers, James Edward Crockett. Nine months to the day of Davy’s doom at the Alamo, James Edward Crockett’s grandson, Anthony (a veteran lieutenant colonel from the Rev War), died in Franklin County, Tennessee. Eventually, this line of Crocketts also made their way to Texas. I wonder if they were inspired to move to Texas by Davy’s death, or it was just a coincidence.
Anyway, this is one of my favorite scenes from the modern version of The Alamo. It may not be historically accurate, but it’s darn entertaining! Perfect day to watch the DVD, I think… especially with all the rain falling here today (boy howdy, but I’d sure love to be on the Riverwalk today!).
Here’s to the brave defenders of the Alamo, who came from as far away as here, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (one of a number of Virginians present, but some came from even more distant locations; see a list here). My hat’s off to you…
*I am curious, however, as to what the “B” stood for in Robert B. Moore’s name. My third great grandfather (Cyrus) named one of his sons, Robert B. (Blocker) Moore. Coincidence, relation, or a matter of intrigue, on the part of Cyrus, in that a Moore was in the Alamo? I’m betting on coincidence, and suspect that only the most popular names of the Alamo defenders were remembered, over twenty-two years after the fall. Hence my interest in learning the middle name of the Alamo defender, and putting curiosity to rest.
Andy Hall
March 6, 2011
Great post. Although my family tradition holds that my relatives took part in the Texas Revolution, I haven’t been able to trace any of them back quite that far — and specially not the branch of the family supposedly there. But I haven’t given up, either.
Two books I’d strongly recommend on the physical layout of the Alamo itself:
The Illustrated Alamo 1836: A Photographic Journey, by Mark Lemon
and
The Alamo: An Illustrated History by George S. Nelson and Alicia Beigel Pais
Robert Moore
March 6, 2011
Thanks, Andy. Thanks also for the books. Hopefully, I can get back to San Antonio someday. Awesome place.
Mike Simons
March 7, 2011
It was several rememberances across the State even though the day fell on a Sunday.