From: laro@idworld.net   
      
   "Von Fourche"  wrote in message   
   news:E63fc.9426$A_4.9029@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...   
   >   
   >     I read that the biggest problem with the Mexican Army was that they   
   had   
   > something like four or five officers per private instead of four or five   
   > privates per officer.  True?   
      
   I doubt that, but I do not really know.   
      
   I've just seen the numbers for each of Santa Anna's units who   
   were present at the battle, but did not pay attention to ratios like that.   
   I was more interested in what was an important point, that Santa Anna   
   had "conscripted" a great body of his army from the peasant farmers   
   they passed while on their way north.  These were untrained soldiers,   
   highly "irregular" soldiers, who were the ones used as cannon fodder.   
   He also had some crack troops that were highly trained.   
      
   If you were going to assault the north wall of the Alamo, which would   
   you send in first?   
      
   I'd just guess that the regulars were very happy to see the irregulars   
   ahead of them, taking the bullets fired from the loaded rifles in the Alamo,   
   then dying and making a large pile of bodies which the regulars could use   
   to get a better foothold on that old wall.  Then, while the Texians were   
   reloading, the regulars would have a much better chance of  getting inside!   
      
   Just a guess on my part:  the ratio (numbers) you got was not accurate.   
   I would like to know your source, if you can recall it.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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