A readable collection of stories about the real people of early-day Texas, some famous and some not so famous, with special attention paid to the role of the Tejanos-native-born Mexican Texans-and African-Americans. The book also raises some intriguing questions about the role the United States played in the Texas Revolution and documents the incredible story of a young man who fought in every major battle of the revolution. He died an unknown hero, but his legacy is monumental.
Excerpted from The Magnificent Barbarians by Bill and
"Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's troops were startled as a Texas army seemingly rose out of the ground a couple hundred yards away.
The tall gringos had approached in silence without being seen. Now they were coming at a trot after leaving the cover of a swale. A drum was beating, fifes were playing, and the earth was shaken by cannon shot. The faces of the grimy figures, who wore brown and black buckskin or homespun rags, could be seen as they sighted down their rifles to fire. Faces were contorted with rage, and they were screaming an unintelligible grito. . . . The furious giants, now crashing the barricades and swinging rifle butts and Bowie knives, were seeking a terrible revenge for the deaths of their friends and relatives at the Alamo and at Goliad. Suddenly over the din of battle, amid the terrible screams, came a booming roar: Recuerden el Alamo! Recuerden La Bahia! The deep bass voice was that of Antonio Menchaca, sergeant in Capt. Juan Seguin's troop of Tejanos."
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