New Discoveries on Two of the Alamo Cannons

Two cannons from the Alamo that were used in the 1836 battle have returned with new discoveries about their history.

Cmr. George P. Bush has announced some exciting discoveries on a couple of the Alamo cannons.

Back in October, the Alamo sent two of their cannons to the Texas A&M Conservation Research Lab in College Station. It's all part of the plan to preserve all seven of the Alamo's 1836 battle cannons. Well, they came back with a few new discoveries.

The first two cannons to get the preservation treatment were the Rio Grande Cannon and the Spanish Cannon. The process includes electrolytic reduction to remove layers of paint and corrosion products, a series of boiling reverse-osmosis water baths that will remove residual chemicals. Then they applied tannic acid and polyurethane sealant to make the iron corrosion-resistant and to form a water and oxygen-resistant barrier.

The first big surprise was that during the initial inspection of the Spanish Cannon, they found that it was loaded with a 4-pound Spanish shot.

Lab Manager Jim Jobling said, "This Spanish gun was more than 100 years old by the time it was used in the battle,"  noting that the cannon was likely produced in the early 1700s. "While we can't say for sure, it is possible that the cannonball we found in the gun was loaded during the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, but of course, never fired."

They also removed various debris and two cannon balls from the Rio Grande Cannon. They worked with experts from Texas and England to determine that the cannon was made in the Bersham Foundry in Wrexham, Wales. The believe it was made between 1770 and 1795.

Alamo officials have sent two more cannons for their preservation treatments. The Spanish and Rio Grande Cannons will soon be mounted permanently on the Alamo grounds for visitors to enjoy. The unveiling of their new location will be on March 2nd - Texas Independence Day. You are all encouraged to attend.

You can contribute to the cannon preservation project by visiting www.gofundme.com/alamobattlecannon. More information about the cannon unveiling and other upcoming events can be found at TheAlamo.org.