Ghosts of the Alamo – Haunted San Antonio

Purported Alamo Ghost Picture

What echoes remain of the more than 259 Texian defenders and the nearly 1500 Mexican Army troops who lost their lives at the Alamo? Are their ghosts still there? If you ask many in San Antonio, Texas they will tell you that spirits, ghosts of those doomed men, still walk the grounds of old mission. In fact the Alamo is considered by many to be one of the most haunted sites in the nation. It’s no wonder, considering the history of the place and it should definitely be on the travel agenda of any ghost enthusiast.

In 1836 Texas was part of Mexico ruled by the dictator General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, the so-called “Napoleon of the West.” Many citizens of the United States had come to Texas years earlier their rights as foreign-born landowners guaranteed by the Mexican constitution. When Santa Anna decided to nullify the constitution Texans were incensed and a revolt ensued.

The bombardment of the Alamo by cannon fire went on for thirteen days and nights as the approximately 200 defenders sat inside, surrounded by an army of 5,000. In the end all but the women and children were killed.

“I’ll never go back in the Alamo again,” swears Jorge, a native of San Antonio. “It was closing time and the guard was locking up. I looked over to where the case is that displays Bowie’s knife and I noticed a man standing there gazing into the display case. I figured he must have been an enthusiastic docent because he was all dressed in old fashion clothing.”

“Then I realized I was looking at a ghost. I know it sounds crazy, but I realized I could see right through him,” Jorge explains.

Ghost stories about the Alamo go back to the days right after its fall. The bodies of the defeated Texas defenders were reportedly stacked up and burned, never receiving a Christian burial.

When Mexican soldiers were ordered to return to the mission and completely destroy it they were met by a giant ghostly figure standing atop the mission brandishing a ball of fire. Terrified they retreated. The ghost appeared again when the commander went to get the job done, and he too fled in fear.

Another frequently sited ghost is that of a little girl dressed in white who appears in the top window of the building that is now the gift shop. People outside see her and naturally assume that she’s looking out from the second story. They step inside to discover that there is no second story and the window is twenty feet above the floor, and that the ghost is no longer there.

Whatever your feelings about ghosts, the Alamo certainly does exude a haunted air. It’s hard not think of all the men who lost their lives on that ground and wonder if their restless spirits aren’t still lingering.