The story behind the title

May I tell you the story of the second battle of the Alamo? In short form?

In about 1902, Adina De Zavala, granddaughter of the first vice president of the Republic of Texas and a spinster schoolteacher, was desperate to save the long barracks adjacent to the chapel at the Alamo mission. That barracks, she insisted, was where Texians and their comrades fought and died. When hotel developers from the East seemed likely to buy the property, fortune brought heiress Clara Driscoll to Adina. Clara provided the initial money to save the structure, and together the two women launched an ambitious but unsuccessful fund-raising and publicity campaign. With the help of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, of which they were both members, they finally succeeded, winning approval and funding from the State of Texas. Theirs was a magic collaboration: Adina had the passion; Clara had the money.

But the trouble wasn’t over. Adina saw the barracks as an important symbol of Texas history; Clara saw it as a shabby building that detracted from the glory of the chapel—never mind that there was no fighting in the chapel. Their once friendly relationship deteriorated into enmity, as each fought for her vision of the iconic mission’s future.

The DRT divided into two factions, and their annual meetings became so contentious they attracted the attention of state legislators and the amusement of newspaper reporters. Eventually, Adina’s group, De Zavala’s Daughters, was ousted from the DRT and she herself found it necessary to stage an occupation of the barracks, one of the more dramatic episodes in the story.

Adina triumphed but was so ostracized she was not allowed to savor her triumph. Both women went on with their lives. Adina continued to exercise her passion for historic preservation, traipsing all over East Texas looking for original missions and fighting to save the San Antonio Governor’s Palace. Clara was never again involved in historic preservation but was active philanthropically, wrote a novel and a collection of short stories, both centered on her fascination with the Alamo, and a drama set in Mexico. She became an international celebrity, hosting lavish parties in her Austin home, and then took control of the family banking and ranching empire when her father and brother died. The lives and preoccupations of both women reflected the society in which they lived, including its misogynistic and racist tendencies.

Adina pursued her passion for preservation all her long life, living into her nineties. Clara died, divorced, childless and alone, in her sixties. The two women never reconciled.

Their battle gained little attention, but the first battle spawned books, movies, songs, board games, and collectibles. The movies, especially John Wayne’s version, provide the most drama, even in the story of their filming. The story of the control of the Alamo—or responsibility—is spotty. For a hundred years, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas were in charge of maintaining the mission. But amid charges of lax supervision and poor accounting, the Texas Land Office took over the Alamo.

Today we may be witnessing the third battle of the Alamo. The Texas Land Commissioner, George P. Bush, has elaborate plans for improving the Alamo and making it more attractive to tourists. Needless to say, his plans sparked wide controversy from critics who accuse him of wanting to create a Disney spectacle, and the reconstruction plans are years behind schedule. But Adina triumphed—the long barracks survive today.

And that, my friends, is the story I tell in The Second Battle of the Alamo. I found it fascinating, and I hope you will too. Then I hope you’ll plan a trip to San Antonio—it’s a lot more fun to see the Alamo when you know the full story.