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 he cries of Ana Salazar Esparza
rang through the stone walls. She had survived the attack, but her husband
Jose Gregorio was killed while manning a cannon close to where his wife was hidden. Ana watched as
her dear young soldier suffered a mortal blow to the side by a swift sword and then took a bullet in
the chest, knocking him backwards with an inhuman force. He was twenty-six years old. They were
newlyweds. As he fell to the ground spilling blood near her feet, the carnage burned into her mind's
eye; the indelible impression would feed her mournful sobbing for some time to come. But 160 years?
During a routine inventory of the Alamo gift shop in 1994, employees sequestered in the basement were interrupted from their tasks by the eerie sounds of a woman wailing. The noises were coming from behind the walls and they continued on relentlessly. Inventory lasted for two days and so did the crying, frequently reducing the employees -- the ones who hadn't fled already, that is -- to tears themselves. This is just one account of the strange goings on that have been recorded as the Alamo's second history. |  |
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The first history left the ground surrounding the Alamo soaked in
blood. The 13-day siege in 1836 that ended in the battle of March 6 left close to 2000 men dead, and
it is said that nearly 950 bodies are buried directly on the property -- not only as a result of the
infamous battle, but in burial grounds serving the missions that came before. If there is
anywhere in Texas that paranormal activity might occur, it would be on this square mile of hallowed
ground. And with the sheer number of lives lost violently before their time, it's no wonder these
crowded spirits have sought out some elbow room over the years, spreading out into the historic
buildings nearby. Hotels like the Gunter, the Menger, and the Emily Morgan have helped establish the
area's reputation for being haunted with tales of ghostly encounters that both encourage overnight
guests and also drive them away. A city so rich in history -- murderous and otherwise -- can't deny its
past, so it isn't left with much of a choice than to embrace Ana Esparza and her spectral brethren,
wailing walls and all. But more than offering up a gesture of tolerance, San Antonio seems to
believe.
Martin Leal believes too. Ghost hunter and founder of the fledgling club Alamo City Paranormal, Leal works with psychics to attempt to prove the existence of spirits by collecting data -- we're not sure the word scientific applies -- to support what paranormal investigators have come to expect from these types of phenomena. Using rudimentary equipment such as cameras (including one with an infrared lens), a non-contact thermometer, compasses, and an electromagnetic field (EMF) meter, Leal records cold spots and energy fluctuations -- signs which herald an otherworldly visitor, of course. A harder tool to come by, the dark lenses of Dycinianien glasses, are designed to make the aura, or the distinct quality of a living thing, visible to the naked eye. Also a member of the International Ghost Hunters Society, Leal conducts an informal Hauntings History of San Antonio tour of the area surrounding the Alamo complete with demonstrations of his equipment, insight into the spiritual beliefs of the Mexican-American community, and the most chilling elements of all -- the ghost stories themselves. |
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