The Alamo Fort and Miniatures Products Review by John McBride

Hudson and Allen's Alamo: This structure of hard foam measures about five feet square, but of course most of that is empty space inside the perimeter walls. When carefully painted it is an attractive and imposing sight, well worth its price of $250. Recent archaeology has revealed, however, that the real Alamo differed substantially in a number of respects from the Hudson and Allen (H&A) design. The maps and artwork by Gary Zaboly found in three recent books on the Alamo show quite a different fortification. Some of the problems with the H&A Alamo can be corrected by adding pieces. The primary one is the lunette or "tambour" extending out from the main gate; this very substantial ditched work of masonry and wood changes the Mexican attack strategy in major ways. Also important is the two gun platform, built partially of adobe, which covered the main gate instead of the low mound that has traditionally been shown there (and which H&A does not provide). This reviewer, who is definitely not a master modeler, was able to build these pieces in about a dozen hours spread over a few days. The Zaboly maps also show palisades projecting in half circles from the north and west walls, and a near-circle palisade at the corner of the cattle pen protecting the gun emplacement there. These can also doubtless be constructed, although this reviewer had some old log palisade pieces that fit nicely. Other problems exist with the H&A Alamo which are not so easily correctable. The Zaboly maps differ rather substantially in their portrayal of the west and east walls and the old covenant building (containing the hospital); and the kitchen near the main gate which creates an "L" with it is absent entirely. These differences are generally less significant to the battle than the missing gate defenses, except that it appears that the west wall in particular contained many doors or windows which the Texians had boarded up but which the Mexicans were nevertheless able to break into. If some wargame terrain company were interested, a new Alamo conforming to Zaboly's reconstruction would be worth doing. Meantime the H&A model is quite adequate. Old Glory Miniatures: Old Glory produces an excellent line of figures for the Texas Revolution, and some bags from their Mexican-American line can also be used. Buying one each of the Texian bags yields a full Alamo garrison, even if one increases the number of defenders to 250 or so, as some recent authors have done. The "Alamo defenders" bag includes Travis and Crocket and Bowie shooting a pistol from his pallet. The most expensive part of the Texian side is the need for 18 or 20 artillery pieces; the Texian artillery bag provides 30 gunners (six each of five different figures), but guns must be purchased separately, presumably from the French Napoleonic line. This reviewer has 200+ Texians with no identical figures; the largest number of repeated figures is three or four, and those have different heads. The exception to this variety is the New Orleans Grays and the US Volunteers for San Jacinto, whose bags contain seven or eight each of three musket-armed figures, plus some command figures. The Texian cavalry bag can be supplemented by the Texas Ranger bag from the Mexican War line. It is possible that some of the bags from the War of 1812 line might be used as Texians, but this reviewer has not yet seen them. Old Glory's Mexicans are in many cases almost indistinguishable from French Napoleonic fusiliers. Anyone desiring more variety could add French figures. There are some figures in sandals, however. The most spectacular bag is the Assault Party; this bag contains eight ladders, eight ladders carriers, seven men climbing ladders (two different figures, one of which doesn't fit on the ladder very well), three different figures with axes, four different soldiers either firing up or bayoneting down, and a nifty double figure of a climber being knocked off his ladder into the arms of the soldier below him. Additional ladders can readily be made from construction sticks or piano wire. The Mexicans historically employed 28 ladders; this reviewer bought three Assault Party bags and built extra ladders to provide 28 ladders being carried and also 28 ladders being climbed (or being pushed over with falling climbers, in three cases). The Mexican infantry changed shakoes during the years between 1836 and 1846, so most of the figures from the Mexican-American War of the 1840's are not accurate. However, there are several bags with sombreros or garrison caps, which can be used. The bag of Mexican militia, wearing peasant clothes but with muskets and accoutrements, looks particularly good as recent recruits mixed into the rear ranks of the Mexican battalions. The Mexican irregular lancers from the Mexican-American line do quite well as Tejano caballeroes, of whom many favored the Texians early in the revolution, but tended to switch over to support Santa Anna later in the war. It is a shame there is not more variety in this bag, however, although colors would vary from figure to figure. A number of women and children (both Anglo and Tejano) were in the Alamo, and these civilians are not provided in any of the Texas or Mexican War bags. The women in the militia/civilians bag from the French and Indian War are not too far off in dress, however, though they are shown loading weapons. A better choice may be the wagon train settlers bag from the War Paint line, which has several figures of women and girls, but strangely no boys. Essex makes some western civilians including a boy, and the Foundry has a pack of Mexican villagers including women. There were at least two African-Americans who fought as part of the Alamo garrison – Travis' slave Jim and a freedman named John – and while regular Texian figures might be painted as dark skinned, this reviewer is eager to see the "free men of color of New Orleans" bag from the War of 1812 line. Back to Historical Game Review List Back to Master Game Review List Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Coalition Web, Inc. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com