DUANE
Duane's take
The way I tell it comes straight from the official marker on this very ground — every word of it. Now. February of 1861.
Texas had made up its mind, and somebody had to deal with twenty-six hundred federal troops still sitting on Texas soil. The state moved to expel them. That was the job.
And the man they sent to do it was Ben McCulloch — frontier fighter, four hundred volunteers at his back. The talks started February eighth, right around the corner from here, at the headquarters of General David E. Twiggs.
Four representatives of the Texas Committee on Public Safety sat down across from a seventy-year-old career soldier who had fought in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War and had spent his whole life answering to an oath. Those talks ground on. By February fifteenth, they had stalled.
That night — and this is the part worth leaning in for — ninety of McCulloch's men slipped into the city quiet as smoke. They fixed guns on federal sentries and on the garrison in Alamo Plaza. Then three hundred more Texas troops entered the city.
By morning, the one hundred sixty men of Twiggs's force had been disarmed and were held in quarters. The numbers had shifted considerably in the dark. On February sixteenth, General Twiggs agreed to evacuate his troops with their arms and personal gear.
But the pressure kept coming. And on February eighteenth, he surrendered over three million dollars' worth of federal property — ordnance, wagons, mules, horses, supplies, money, and a chain of forts. Now here is the thing about David Twiggs that the marker wants you to sit with.
Native of Georgia. Career soldier. Seventy years old and in poor health.
He held sacred his oath as an officer. Since December twenty-seventh, 1860, he had written four times to his superior — General of the Army Winfield Scott in Washington — asking for orders, asking what to do if Texas seceded. Four letters.
He had no reply. Not one. So there he stood.
No orders. No guidance. An aging soldier with a sacred oath and an impossible position, facing a force he could not match, in a city that had already made its choice.
The surrender brought him dismissal for treachery — and personal heartbreak. Four letters. No reply.
That's the weight this corner of San Antonio has been carrying since 1861.
What the marker says
Brought about a Texas moved to expel 2600 federal troops- a step necessary after secession. Frontier fighter Ben McCulloch with 400 volunteers forced surrender negotiated at headquarters of Gen. Twiggs a block and a half from here, by 4 representatives of the Texas Committee on public safety. Talks began Feb. 8, 1861; were stalled by Feb. 15. That night 90 of Mcculloch's men stole in, fixed guns on Federal Sentries and Garrison in Alamo Plaza. 300 more Texas troops entered the city. The 160 men of Twiggs' force were disarmed and held in Quarters. On Feb. 16, Gen. Twiggs agreed to evacuate his troops with arms and personal gear. Further pressure was used and one Feb. 18 he surrendered over $3,000,000 worth of Federal Property: Ordnance, wagons, mules horses, supplies, money and a chain of forts. Gen. Twigs, native of Georgia, career soldier, veteran of war of 1812 and Mexican war, was 70 and in poor health. He held sacred his oath as an officer. Since Dec. 27, 1860, he had written 4 times to his superior in Washington, general of the army Winfield Scott, for orders to use in event Texas seceded. He had no reply. Nevertheless, surrender brought him dismissal for treachery-and personal heartbreak.