Alamo Traces (60 page)

The beginning “D” in “
Dela
” found in the Memoir manuscript looks more like a capital “C.” The Memoir manuscript “D” looks nothing like the starting “D” in the Campaign Diary example of
Dela noche
.

The same difference in the writing of “D” is also found in formation of “
Del
.”

The third word that shows difference in its formation is
millas
or in English, miles. The majority of time Pena spells the word by ending with a modern Spanish “s.” Whereas, in the Memoir manuscript the word is ended with an old fashioned “s” that looks more like a “y.” An occasional y-like “s” can be found in the Campaign Diary, but its bottom loop looks
nothing like the loops found in the two Memoir manuscript examples of
millas
that end with the old style “s.”

Another handwriting characteristics of note is the whip-like flourish shown below. The element is common in the Memoir manuscript, but nowhere is it found in the authentic 109-page diary.

Lastly, is the manner in which
que
and the abbreviation for
que
is written. Pena almost always lifted his pen from the paper in writing
que
and its abbreviation. Thus, writing
que
with a break in the stroke, and the abbreviation is written with two parts. Whereas, the writer of the Memoir manuscript almost always kept the pen down on the paper, with no break in the stroke.

The manner in which the top of the capital “J” is formed in the name
Jose
. The authentic signature shows the top of the “J” with a v-like indentation that points downward. The top of the capital “J” in the alleged signature does not have this v-like indentation. This difference is also found in the manner in which the word June is written.

The v-like indentation is also found in the way Pena wrote a capital “T” in the authentic manuscript.