Colonel Crockett’s Last Serenade ~ The Alamo, March 1, 1836

Description

“Colonel Crockett’s Last Serenade – The Alamo, March 1, 1836”.

“Colonel Crockett was a performer on the violin, and often during the siege took it up and played his favorite tunes.” Alamo Survivor Susanna Dickinson.

After a full week of being under siege by an attacking Mexican force more than ten times their number, the Alamo garrison finally had their spirits raised by the arrival of thirty-two men from Gonzales. Arriving in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, March 1, 1836, the tiny force brought the total number of Alamo defenders to just under two hundred. Although there were promises of the support of hundreds of other Texian soldiers that had yet to materialize, the addition of the “Immortal 32” was cause for celebration.

Surviving documents tell us that Colonel David Crockett, a former Tennessee Congressman and national celebrity, was the primary leader who “animated the men” with his unique humor, wit, and courage to the very last day. Colonel Crockett’s Last Serenade captures the essence of that moment when the famous frontiersman fiddles some tunes for his attentive audience during the darkening and chilly moments of the early evening. Lit by a robust fire fronting the Alamo church courtyard, the gathering of both men and women illuminate the last great hope that will be dashed within a couple of days; a folksy serenade that somehow defies the reality of death’s grip.

Using the best of all available historic documentation, Mr. Wright captures both the Alamo structure and the inclusive mix of its people of the Anglo and Tejano cultures with precise detail. The historic elements are all here with the various characters including frontiersmen and one of the New Orleans Gray volunteers. Crockett is more accurately as a gentleman rather than a bear hunter. Against the church facade in the background is Susanna Dickinson holding her young daughter Angelina, and her husband Almeron. Next to them is Joe, Colonel Travis’ African-American servant. Tejano defender Gregorio Esparza and his eight year old son Enrique flank the Dickinsons. Enrique Esparza, Susanna and Angelina Dickinson, and Joe, not only survive the Alamo massacre but will become compelling storytellers, eyewitnesses to one of the most legendary moments in history.

To view a larger image and details of the painting, email [email protected].