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Alamo Flag (U.S.)

Historical

by Rick Wyatt

Overview
The Texas-Coahuila Militia Flag

See also:

Overview

This flag was the Mexican tricolor (red, white, and green), with the Mexican coat of arms (eagle holding a serpent and standing on a nopal (cactus)) replaced by the year 1824 to signify allegiance to the 1824 Mexican federal constitution. I don't know the origins of the flag, but it was adopted by the pre-independence, provisional government of Texas in November 1835 as the civil ensign and as the privateer flag. In my opinion, the 1824 civil ensign was replaced by the December 10, 1836 adoption of the first Texas national flag, the David G. Burnet flag (gold star on a blue field), and the 1824 privateer flag was replaced by the April 9, 1836 adoption of the Texas national flag for the naval service (white lone star in a blue union with thirteen red and white stripes).

I don't know to what extent the 1824 flag was used on land. It's pretty clear that the flag disappeared from use once the independence faction won out over the pro-Mexican federalist sympathizers, which was led by Stephen F. Austin, the so-called "Father of Texas."
Charles Spain, 5 June 1996

This flag was also known as the flag of Texas Conservatives because it was used by those conservative Texans who wished for peace with Mexico. This flag flew over the Alamo in San Antonio in 1836.
Chris Pinette, 23 March 2000

In San Antonio they acknowledge a variety of flags which either flew over or were at the Alamo. The Conservative Party Flag (A proAsutin group, this may have been the so-called 1824) They concede that is unlikely that this was the main flag. The Texas-Coahuila Militia Flag (Col. Bowie's group - Mexican civil flag with two stars (either blue or brown), centered vertically on the white stripe. The New Orleans Greys - (Currently at the artillery museum in Mexico.) The Gonzales Flag - (The "Come and Take it flag, but without the star! -see below.*) A conjectural pro-Houston flag (see below.**) and The Mexican Flag (This was the last flag to fly over the Alamo!)

*Several Texas vexillologists feel that the original Gonzales flag did not have the star. It is likely that it was added after independence and possibly after statehood, so that Gonzales could claim to be the "original" lone star flag.

**At the NAVA meeting in San Antonio there was a Tejano historian who spoke on his theory that there was a blue lone star flag with a pro Houston inscription flying from Col. Travis' HQ. He reminded us that Travis' HQ was captured intact and these records were shipped along with the flag of the New Orleans Greys. The theory is that because references are made to flags in the plural, that more than just the Greys flag was sent back to Mexico as booty. He feels that there is information in the archives in Mexico City which might shed more light on the subject, but that these records have never been examined by a "gringo" historian!

James J. Ferrigan III, 15 May 2000

The Texas-Coahuila Militia Flag

by Rick Wyatt