Sam Houston: Tactician or Raven?
Recently I saw the movie "Gone to Texas" (1986) and was amazed at the parallel between Alexander the Great and Sam Houston. The movie follows Houston's exciting and colorful life, from his brief tenure as governor of Tennessee and experiences with the Cherokee Indians, to his involvement in winning the Lone Star State's independence from Mexico. (1)
In my book, Alexander the Great: Tactician or Eagle?, I ask "Was Alexander the Great a Tactician or an Eagle? In addition to being skilled in the tactics of planning and coordinating military forces in battle, Alexander also possessed the keen vision of an eagle by 'seeing' what his adversaries might be planning and then to counterattack."
Sam Houston exhibited a quite similar grasp of tactics in his encounter with Santa Anna. The defeat of the Texans at the Alamo in March 1836 bought time for Houston and his Texas forces to regroup and strengthen their tactical advantage. Thus, Houston and his soldiers easily defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto in April 1836, with the Texan army shouting "Remember the Alamo!" (2)
Sam Houston’s forte was in knowing when to delay the attack and in recognizing when it was time to attack. Whereas Alexander the Great was guided by the Eagle, Sam Huston’s guide was the Raven.
Throughout history, across many cultures, and in literature, the raven is something of a seer; for example, foretelling the death of Alexander the Great. Sam Houston saw the raven as his “bird of destiny.” He claimed one led him to live among the Cherokee, who referred to Houston as “The Raven.” Upon seeing a raven fly numerous times in the direction of Texas, he felt called to follow it. Thus, the formation of Texas and related events in American history could be said to hinge on one man’s belief in a raven oracle.
Many animals, such as the eagle and wolf, figure prominently in myths and legends due to their exceptional dignity, beauty, or size. The unassuming raven, at first glance, appears to be an unlikely candidate to deliver prophetic messages. But over the centuries the raven has worked its way into folklore perhaps because of its high intelligence, unusual behavior, and its somewhat mysterious ability to command our attention. (3)
(1) www.moviesunlimited.com/musite/product.asp?sku=D26528&gclid=CLDdw7-GhbkCFRGg4AodPzgAlg
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_L%C3%B3pez_de_Santa_Anna
(3) www.appvoices.org/2007/04/07/2753
Recently I saw the movie "Gone to Texas" (1986) and was amazed at the parallel between Alexander the Great and Sam Houston. The movie follows Houston's exciting and colorful life, from his brief tenure as governor of Tennessee and experiences with the Cherokee Indians, to his involvement in winning the Lone Star State's independence from Mexico. (1)
In my book, Alexander the Great: Tactician or Eagle?, I ask "Was Alexander the Great a Tactician or an Eagle? In addition to being skilled in the tactics of planning and coordinating military forces in battle, Alexander also possessed the keen vision of an eagle by 'seeing' what his adversaries might be planning and then to counterattack."
Sam Houston exhibited a quite similar grasp of tactics in his encounter with Santa Anna. The defeat of the Texans at the Alamo in March 1836 bought time for Houston and his Texas forces to regroup and strengthen their tactical advantage. Thus, Houston and his soldiers easily defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto in April 1836, with the Texan army shouting "Remember the Alamo!" (2)
Sam Houston’s forte was in knowing when to delay the attack and in recognizing when it was time to attack. Whereas Alexander the Great was guided by the Eagle, Sam Huston’s guide was the Raven.
Throughout history, across many cultures, and in literature, the raven is something of a seer; for example, foretelling the death of Alexander the Great. Sam Houston saw the raven as his “bird of destiny.” He claimed one led him to live among the Cherokee, who referred to Houston as “The Raven.” Upon seeing a raven fly numerous times in the direction of Texas, he felt called to follow it. Thus, the formation of Texas and related events in American history could be said to hinge on one man’s belief in a raven oracle.
Many animals, such as the eagle and wolf, figure prominently in myths and legends due to their exceptional dignity, beauty, or size. The unassuming raven, at first glance, appears to be an unlikely candidate to deliver prophetic messages. But over the centuries the raven has worked its way into folklore perhaps because of its high intelligence, unusual behavior, and its somewhat mysterious ability to command our attention. (3)
(1) www.moviesunlimited.com/musite/product.asp?sku=D26528&gclid=CLDdw7-GhbkCFRGg4AodPzgAlg
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_L%C3%B3pez_de_Santa_Anna
(3) www.appvoices.org/2007/04/07/2753