The Battle of the Alamo II

Washington, The White House.

Martin Van Buren carried a thick stack of letters and petitions, then dropped them heavily onto the desk.

"Mr. President, this is today's batch. Do you need me to open and read them to you one by one?"

Andrew Jackson set down half a bottle of gin, picked up a letter with one hand, clamped a cigar tightly in the other, took a deep drag, and blew out a long ring of smoke.

"Damn it! Are these people out of their minds? The slave trade in the South has been going on for years, yet they are demanding that we strictly enforce the laws prohibiting the slave trade. Are they going to harvest the Southern cotton fields themselves?"

"But Mr. President, the British are already preparing to expel us from the civilized world. They say we are white-skinned barbarians with black hearts, unworthy of possessing the territories of the British Empire."

Before 1815, Britain and the United States had fought two major wars, and afterwards they remained deadlocked over tariffs and raw materials. The Monroe Doctrine had only fueled deep resentment among the British.

Consequently, the vanguard of anti-American sentiment at this time was Britain, even more anxious than Franz or the Mexicans.

Viscount Palmerston even proclaimed that "we should immediately dispatch troops to Texas to drive those American scum out of the civilized world. American soil belongs to the British Empire, and the Americans are nothing more than a bunch of thieves who stole the property of the British Empire."

Viscount Palmerston's remarks won widespread support in Britain, because continued American expansion would inevitably threaten British interests, and Britain, as the global hegemon, would never allow a challenger to emerge.

"Damn the British! We've already declared neutrality, what more do they want?" Andrew Jackson was in a foul mood. American land prices had risen again; he dared say that all the metallic currency in the United States combined couldn't buy half of New York City.

The Native Americans had just been relocated west of the Mississippi River, and already those politicians were studying how to push them even further west.

"Perhaps we should suspend the slave trade," suggested a cabinet member.

"Out of the question! The moment we announce a ban on the slave trade today, the politicians of the South will throw us out of office tomorrow!" Andrew Jackson roared.

"Mr. President, I mean, we could issue a statement without actually taking any action, just maintaining the status quo."

Andrew Jackson felt this made a lot of sense. After all, it wouldn't be the first time they issued a statement.

"Very well, draft a statement announcing that our country prohibits the slave trade and will maintain a stance of continued neutrality in the Mexican Civil War..."

..........

March 6, 1836, the Alamo Mission.

At the suggestion of the two military observers, Santa Anna dispatched an officer bearing a letter to summon the defenders of the Alamo to surrender beneath the walls.

[General Santa Anna, Liberator of San Antonio, President of Mexico, Hero of the Struggle Against Spain, Protector of the Native Americans, the Napoleon of North America...

Hereby declares that Texas is a Texas of the Mexicans, belonging to a province of Mexico. Your actions are a blatant act of betrayal, but I, Santa Anna, am a merciful man.

As long as you agree to lay down your arms and surrender immediately, I can guarantee your safe departure from this place. I swear it before God!

Otherwise, I shall make your blood stain the ground!]

Bowie on the ramparts pulled the cigar from his mouth and shouted, "Are you finished?"

The officer, not understanding his intent, replied, "We are finished! This is the command of General Santa Anna!"

"Then you can die."

Bowie touched the cigar to the fuse of a cannon. Boom!

A cannonball struck the officer dead center, tearing him instantly in two as blood and gore splashed everywhere.

Before the surrounding cavalry could recover from their shock, the walls erupted with a barrage of artillery and gunfire. The Alamo defenders had already zeroed in on the Mexicans before them.

A small cavalry squad, numbering eleven men including the officer, was completely wiped out.

A furious Santa Anna immediately ordered, "Light cavalry, charge!"

Leaving only Stadion and Gablenz standing dumbfounded in the wind. Cavalry charging a fortified city???