The Mexican Army Advances
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Seeking revenge against the
rebellious Texans, Santa
Anna decided that he would
personally lead the attack.
In Feb. 1836 Santa Anna’s
army of approximately
6,000 soldiers reached the
Rio Grande. Santa Anna led
some of his forces to San
Antonio.
The Mexican Army Advances
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General Jose de
Urrea
General Jose de Urrea who
entered Texas further south
near Matamoros, proceeded
with an army toward Goliad.
The Texas army was
unprepared for an advance
by the Mexican troops, and
Urrea quickly overtook the
Texans that were headed to
Matamoros.
The Mexican Army Advances
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The rest of the Texas troops
were scattered into small
groups.
Colonel James Neill had just
more than 100 troops in San
Antonio and about 400
soldiers were in Goliad under
the command of Colonel
James Fannin.
Colonel James
Fannin
The Mexican Army Advances
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Governor Henry
Smith
Sam Houston was alarmed that the Texas
army was so ill-prepared and disorganized.
He sent James “Jim” Bowie to San Antonio
to evaluate the situation there.
Houston recommended that the Alamo be
destroyed and its artillery removed.
Governor Smith disagreed, believing it was
important to defend the Alamo
The Mexican Army Advances
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James “Jim” Bowie
On January 19 Bowie arrived
in San Antonio with 25 men.
He examined Colonel Neill’s
improvements to the fort
and its 21 cannons.
He and Neill agreed that the
Alamo and its artillery were
too important to destroy.
He wrote Governor Smith
with his recommendation.
The Mexican Army Advances
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When Smith received Bowie’s letter,
he sent reinforcements. He ordered
Colonel William B. Travis and the 30
men Travis recruited to San Antonio.
As word of the rebellion spread, U.S.
volunteers trickled into Texas
including famous frontiersman and
former U.S. Congressman from
Tennessee, David Crockett. He didn’t
want a position of authority.
David Crockett
The Mexican Army Advances
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James Bonham
James Bonham and a volunteer force
from Alabama called the Mobile
Grays also joined the Texas
defenders.
When Colonel Neill had to leave the
Alamo to care for an ill family
member, he put Travis in command.
Bowie and Travis argued over
control, but finally agreed to share
command.
The Siege Begins
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As the Mexican troops
approached San Antonio, the
Texas troops built up their
defenses. They
strengthened the walls by
building them 12 feet high
and 2 feet wide. They also
built palisades (high fences
made of stakes) for the
soldiers to fight behind.
21 cannons were placed
around the Alamo.
The Siege Begins
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The Alamo would be difficult to
defend. The area enclosed was 3
acres and likely required 1,000
soldiers to defend it properly. The
Texans only had 150 men.
Travis and the rest of the Alamo
defenders hoped for reinforcements
.
Juan Seguin organized scouts to
look for Santa Anna’s troops.
The Siege Begins
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As Mexican troops marched in to the
city, the defenders, their families and
some local residents rushed into the
Alamo walls. Expecting a siege, they
collected food, supplies and
ammunition.
General Santa Anna demanded their
surrender and the Texans responded
by firing a cannon shot toward the
Mexican army.
The Siege Begins
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Santa Anna responded quickly by ordering
a blood red flag to be flown so the
defenders could see. This “no quarter”
flag meant that Santa Anna would leave no
survivors.
On February 24, Mexican forces began
firing on the Alamo and that day Travis
wrote his famous letter which was a
request for aid in the face of certain
death.
The Siege Begins
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Bowie, who was ill, collapsed
during on the second day of
the siege, so Travis took
command.
He ordered the Texans to
stop shooting so they could
save their ammunition.
The Fall of the Alamo
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Travis sent out several more
pleas for help. Bonham left to
find aid for the Alamo, only to
sneak back in on March 3.
Juan Seguin snuck past
Mexican solders to request
help from Col. James Fannin at
Goliad, but no help arrived.
On March 1, 32 volunteers from
Gonzales rode into the Alamo.
The Fall of the Alamo
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In the early morning hours of March 6
the Mexican forces attacked the Alamo
to the sounds of Santa Anna’s army
band playing “El Deguello”. This song
meant no mercy would be shown.
Mexican troops overwhelmed the
Texans with their bombardment and
hand to hand combat followed until
almost every defender was killed.
The Fall of the Alamo
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Susanna Dickinson
As the smoke cleared, at least 182
Texans were dead.
Accounts of Mexican losses vary. There
were some 600 Mexican casualties.
Of the Alamo, survivors, Susanna
Dickinson and her baby. Santa Anna
summoned her and told her to warn the
other Texans of the fate of the Alamo to
discourage any more rebellion.
The Fall of the Alamo
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General Santa Anna believed
that the fall of the Alamo would
convince Texans to surrender.
In a letter, he wrote that he had
achieved a “complete and
glorious triumph”.
Instead, the Alamo became a
symbol to many Texans that they
must fight at any cost.