Happy! - April 21

Subject: Happy! - April 21
From: Abby Sale
Date: 21 Apr 05 - 12:11 PM

                     Happy San Jacinto Day!
               (an official Texas State holiday)
  
  On 4/21/1836 General Sam Houston and the Texas team defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna 
  and his Mexican team.  Texas gained its independence and soon handed itself over to the US.
  
          O Santy Anna gained the day
            Hoo-ray, Santy Anna!
          He lost it once but gained it twice       [the Alamo and Goliad]
            All on the plains of Mexico!
  
                  "Santy Anno"
  
  According to Lomax, British & US clipper sailors would fight over whether the capstan chantey goes:
          "Santy Anna gained the day" or "General Taylor gained the day"
  

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: Jim McLean
Date: 21 Apr 05 - 01:01 PM

It's also my birthday!

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: Bloke in the Corner
Date: 21 Apr 05 - 03:00 PM

And my daughter's
And Her Majesty queen Elizabeth II's
All in all, a royal good day for a birthday!

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 21 Apr 05 - 05:31 PM

Don't forget to sing (or play) Yellow Rose of Texas today in memory of Ms. Emily Morgan's great services 169 years ago today

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: open mike
Date: 21 Apr 05 - 11:24 PM

i think it it John Muir's birthday
and Earth Day too!

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: GUEST,Texas Guest
Date: 22 Apr 05 - 12:41 AM

Sorry, but Emily Morgan's involvement on this day is hearsay and has never been established by any major Texas historian or folklorist; it
has, however, been refuted by many - long live Houston, Seguin, Zavala and Deaf Smith.

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 22 Apr 05 - 05:58 PM

OK, but if it ISNT true, it OUGHT to be. Didn't John Ford say something like "When history disagrees with the legend, print the legend."?

Texas Guest--can you direct me to a good source to read more? thanks

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: GUEST,Texas Guest
Date: 23 Apr 05 - 04:02 AM

Mr. Peterson - try these out on the net and see what you can dig up:

Lone Star Junction, or Texana, or Handbook Of Texas Online

There is a whole lot of controversy over Emily West; and, although a book was written, "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" that concerned itself with Emily West, I have not read any book on the Texian revolution that brings up anything what-so-ever on her - she simply is not mentioned.

I've read the book (Yellow Rose) and it paints a picture of a woman who almost single-handedly was responsible for the Texian victory over Santa Anna at Buffalo Bayou - it just fails to prove it's claim
- at least for me.

Francis Abernethy, a noted Texas folklorist (you can probably locate him on the net) has written that it's a fun story to read about but it's simply not true. A few years ago I spoke to a Texas history professor about her and was advised that she, "...wouldn't have known a revolution from a dirt dauber..." Don't know that I'd go that far, but he was pretty firm. There's a lot out there on her, but it doesn't seem to hold up very well. The Handbook Of Texas Online is, I believe, put out by UT Austin and should be a most reliable source.

Finally, if you're interested in Texas history, read:
"Lone Star" by Fehrenbach (maybe the bible on TX HX) also,
"Lone Star Nation" by H.W. Brands (highly praised Aggie HX prof) and
"Three Roads To The Alamo" by William Davis (outstanding writer)

Hope this helps............Texas Guest

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 05 - 02:22 PM

... the Mexican documents from the battle DO confirm the presence of Emily - I know that American historians have not considered that information valid - but that doesn't mean it isn't.

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 24 Apr 05 - 02:12 PM

Thanks! Got some reading to do. . .

Subject: RE: Happy! - April 21
From: Abby Sale
Date: 25 Apr 05 - 08:02 AM

Pete, I don't think it was John Ford but I couldn't agree more with the principle. Oddly, we think "History" is right but you know, it's often wronger than the legend. Maybe nowharre "mostly," but often, anyway.

Here's a thought I can attribute:
"Where history cannot tell the whole story, folklore arises to fill in the gaps."
David Emery of "Urban Legends and Folklore"