Myths and Legends

Dr. R. Bruce Winders, Former Alamo Director of History and Curator

Immediately after the Battle of the Alamo, accounts were published in newspapers and quickly spread by word-of-mouth all across Texas and the United States, leading to some of the myths, legends, and tall tales that we know today. Some of these stories contain fact but also stretched the truth, while others were completely fabricated.

Many of these myths and legends have carried down through the generations to make up the lore of the Alamo today. It is often hard to separate fact from the fiction. All sources need to be examined to find the real events that took place, and also to see how and why the myths developed. Many times, the reason the myths were created and spread can tell us just as much about the thoughts and values of people of the time period as the true events.

Explore some of the myths and legends of the Battle of the Alamo. Sometimes these stories will have clear evidence to tell us whether they are completely true or not. Often it is up the reader to consider all of the evidence to come to their own conclusions.