The siege of the Alamo begins
Day One Tuesday February 23, 1836
Today marks the beginning of the 13 day siege of the Alamo. The siege began on a Tuesday in 1836, which was a leap year.
I pulled this info together from internet sites {mainly http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/1836/the_battle/chronology.html and a few others, and weave in some of my own knowledge here and there}.
My purpose is to shine a light on this historically significant event that is not particularly well understood or appreciated.
Santa Anna reaches San Antonio.
Who were these Mexican troops? http://www.thealamo.org/history/the-1836-battle/mexicans-and-santa-anna.html
The Alamo garrison's sentries spot the advance of Santa Anna's Cavalry units. After scouts confirm the Mexican army's presence, Colonel Travis orders a withdrawal into the Alamo compound.
Travis sends a dispatch for help to Gonzales, about 70 miles away:
"To any of the inhabitants of Texas. The enemy in large force is in sight. We want men and provisions. Send them to us. We have 150 men and are determined to defend the Alamo to the last. Give us assistance."
Travis and Bowie send a dispatch to Fannin in Goliad. It reads:
"We have removed all our men into the Alamo, where we will make such resistance as is due to our honour, and that of the country, until we can get assistance from you, which we expect you to forward immediately. In this extremity, we hope you will send us all the men you can spare promptly. We have one hundred and forty-six men, who are determined never to retreat. We have but little provisions, but enough to serve us till you and your men arrive. We deem it unnecessary to repeat to a brave officer, who knows his duty, that we call on him for assistance."
Santa Anna orders the red flag of "no quarter" flown from the San Fernando church, in clear view of the Alamo defenders. Descriptions of this flag seem to be in agreement that it was a simple blood-red flag flown from the San Fernando Church on February 23, 1836, to indicate Santa Anna's determination that no combatant in the Alamo would be shown quarter; some accounts also claim that as the flag was raised the Mexicans played the El Degello dirge, but there remains some debate over whether that happened. In the end, Santa Anna saw to it that his order was carried out.
In a parley with Mexican Colonel Juan Almonte the Texians are ordered to surrender or be put to the sword.
Colonel William Travis responded with an ineffective shot from his 18-pounder cannon.
Who were the defenders of the Alamo?
Texas was first and foremost a place to which people immigrated. Only 8 or 9 of the defenders originated from Texas, with one of those possibly being from Mississippi. The 8 defenders from Texas were Tejano; i.e. Texans who were born Mexican. One defender was a freed slave named John. The remainder were from somewhere other than Texas. Of the defenders whose age is known, the average age was 28. The average lifespan in 1840 was 40 years. In 1850 it was 43. It is interesting that William Travis, who initially shared command of the Alamo with Jim Bowie but later took full command after Bowie became seriously ill, was only 26 years old. His bio is one of the more interesting ones to be found at the link below.
The list at this link contains biographical information on many of the defenders. http://www.thealamo.org/history/the-1836-battle/the-defenders/index.html
Interesting facts about the origin of the defenders of the Alamo taken from the site above:
Countries of origin:
England = 10 or 12
Germany = 2
Ireland = 10 or 12
Scotland = 4
Spain = 1
Unknown = 19
United States = 142
American states of origin:
Alabama = 2 or 3
Arkansas = 2
Connecticut = 1
Georgia = 4
Illinois = 1
Kentucky = 16 or 17
Louisiana = 4
Maryland = 1
Massachusetts = 4
Mississippi = 2 or 3
Missouri = 5
New Hampshire = 1
New Jersey = 1
New York = 6
North Carolina = 6
Ohio = 4
Pennsylvania = 15
Rhode Island = 1
South Carolina = 7
Tennessee = 32
Texas = 8 or 9
Vermont = 1
Virginia = 14 or 15
It is worth noting that many of the defenders from southern states and Pennsylvania would probably have been of Scot-Irish heritage and would very likely have been only two or three generations removed from their original Scot-Irish forefathers who settled in the British/American colonies in the latter part of the 18th century. This could be seen as indirectly increasing the representation of Scotland and what is now Northern Ireland among the defenders. If you've read much about the Scot-Irish in America, you will see this as another data point in supports Jim Webb's thesis that they were indeed "Born Fighting".
Day One Tuesday February 23, 1836
Today marks the beginning of the 13 day siege of the Alamo. The siege began on a Tuesday in 1836, which was a leap year.
I pulled this info together from internet sites {mainly http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/1836/the_battle/chronology.html and a few others, and weave in some of my own knowledge here and there}.
My purpose is to shine a light on this historically significant event that is not particularly well understood or appreciated.
Santa Anna reaches San Antonio.
Who were these Mexican troops? http://www.thealamo.org/history/the-1836-battle/mexicans-and-santa-anna.html
The Alamo garrison's sentries spot the advance of Santa Anna's Cavalry units. After scouts confirm the Mexican army's presence, Colonel Travis orders a withdrawal into the Alamo compound.
Travis sends a dispatch for help to Gonzales, about 70 miles away:
"To any of the inhabitants of Texas. The enemy in large force is in sight. We want men and provisions. Send them to us. We have 150 men and are determined to defend the Alamo to the last. Give us assistance."
Travis and Bowie send a dispatch to Fannin in Goliad. It reads:
"We have removed all our men into the Alamo, where we will make such resistance as is due to our honour, and that of the country, until we can get assistance from you, which we expect you to forward immediately. In this extremity, we hope you will send us all the men you can spare promptly. We have one hundred and forty-six men, who are determined never to retreat. We have but little provisions, but enough to serve us till you and your men arrive. We deem it unnecessary to repeat to a brave officer, who knows his duty, that we call on him for assistance."
Santa Anna orders the red flag of "no quarter" flown from the San Fernando church, in clear view of the Alamo defenders. Descriptions of this flag seem to be in agreement that it was a simple blood-red flag flown from the San Fernando Church on February 23, 1836, to indicate Santa Anna's determination that no combatant in the Alamo would be shown quarter; some accounts also claim that as the flag was raised the Mexicans played the El Degello dirge, but there remains some debate over whether that happened. In the end, Santa Anna saw to it that his order was carried out.
In a parley with Mexican Colonel Juan Almonte the Texians are ordered to surrender or be put to the sword.
Colonel William Travis responded with an ineffective shot from his 18-pounder cannon.
Who were the defenders of the Alamo?
Texas was first and foremost a place to which people immigrated. Only 8 or 9 of the defenders originated from Texas, with one of those possibly being from Mississippi. The 8 defenders from Texas were Tejano; i.e. Texans who were born Mexican. One defender was a freed slave named John. The remainder were from somewhere other than Texas. Of the defenders whose age is known, the average age was 28. The average lifespan in 1840 was 40 years. In 1850 it was 43. It is interesting that William Travis, who initially shared command of the Alamo with Jim Bowie but later took full command after Bowie became seriously ill, was only 26 years old. His bio is one of the more interesting ones to be found at the link below.
The list at this link contains biographical information on many of the defenders. http://www.thealamo.org/history/the-1836-battle/the-defenders/index.html
Interesting facts about the origin of the defenders of the Alamo taken from the site above:
Countries of origin:
England = 10 or 12
Germany = 2
Ireland = 10 or 12
Scotland = 4
Spain = 1
Unknown = 19
United States = 142
American states of origin:
Alabama = 2 or 3
Arkansas = 2
Connecticut = 1
Georgia = 4
Illinois = 1
Kentucky = 16 or 17
Louisiana = 4
Maryland = 1
Massachusetts = 4
Mississippi = 2 or 3
Missouri = 5
New Hampshire = 1
New Jersey = 1
New York = 6
North Carolina = 6
Ohio = 4
Pennsylvania = 15
Rhode Island = 1
South Carolina = 7
Tennessee = 32
Texas = 8 or 9
Vermont = 1
Virginia = 14 or 15
It is worth noting that many of the defenders from southern states and Pennsylvania would probably have been of Scot-Irish heritage and would very likely have been only two or three generations removed from their original Scot-Irish forefathers who settled in the British/American colonies in the latter part of the 18th century. This could be seen as indirectly increasing the representation of Scotland and what is now Northern Ireland among the defenders. If you've read much about the Scot-Irish in America, you will see this as another data point in supports Jim Webb's thesis that they were indeed "Born Fighting".