On February 24, 1836, in San Antonio, Texas, Colonel William Travis issues a call for help on behalf of the Texan troops defending the Alamo, an old Spanish mission and fortress under siege by the Mexican army.
A native of South Carolina, Travis moved to the Mexican state of Texas in 1831. He soon became a leader of the growing movement to overthrow the Mexican government and establish an independent Texan republic. When the Texas revolution began in 1835, Travis became a lieutenant-colonel in the revolutionary army and was given command of troops in the recently captured city of San Antonio de Bexar (now San Antonio). On February 23, 1836, a large Mexican force commanded by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana arrived suddenly in San Antonio. Travis and his troops took shelter in the Alamo, where they were soon joined by a volunteer force led by Colonel James Bowie.
Though Santa Ana’s 5,000 troops heavily outnumbered the several hundred Texans, Travis and his men determined not to give up. On February 24, they answered Santa Ana’s call for surrender with a bold shot from the Alamo’s cannon. Furious, the Mexican general ordered his forces to launch a siege. Travis immediately recognized his disadvantage and sent out several messages via couriers asking for reinforcements. Addressing one of the pleas to “The People of Texas and All Americans in the World,” Travis signed off with the now-famous phrase “Victory or Death.”
Only 32 men from the nearby town of Gonzales responded to Travis’ call for help, and beginning at 5:30 a.m. on March 6, Mexican forces stormed the Alamo through a gap in the fort’s outer wall, killing Travis, Bowie, Davy Crockett and 190 of their men. Despite the loss of the fort, the Texan troops managed to inflict huge losses on their enemy, killing at least 600 of Santa Ana’s men.
The defense of the Alamo became a powerful symbol for the Texas revolution, helping the rebels turn the tide in their favor. At the crucial Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 910 Texan soldiers commanded by Sam Houston defeated Santa Ana’s army of 1,250 men, spurred on by cries of “Remember the Alamo!” The next day, after Texan forces captured Santa Ana himself, the general issued orders for all Mexican troops to pull back behind the Rio Grande River. On May 14, 1836, Texas officially became an independent republic. Texas joined the Union in 1845.
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Remember the Alamo!
Happy “Go Texan Day”!
I wished we would have stayed an Independent Nation.
I was just at the Alamo a few weeks ago when I was in the area to see Ray Wylie Hubbard at the John T. Floore’s Country Store…which by the way is my favorite venue.
Saw Lyle Lovett too at Gruene Hall…another equally favorite venue.
I got a t-shirt at Ray’s show that says “Screw you, we’re from Texas.” Can’t wait to wear it next time I’m in Colorado… 🤠🤠🤠
@Abigail – I don’t know if we will ever recognize one another in person, but my wife and I LOVE concerts and live music, and we love John T’s and RWH. I’ll buy some TBP garb to wear next time we head to a concert in that area!!
That’s awesome, Tim. Texas really is awesome for its live music. Red Rocks in Colorado used to be my favorite venue, but I’m loving these small quaint honky tonks. It feels like I stepped back in time just a bit. I wish the bigger musicians, such as Tyler Childers & Zack Bryan, would play in these kind of venues, but they draw too big of a crowd these days.
Love the Gruene area, including the Gristmill restaurant. Great food – AND I ran into Robert Earl Keen there once!
If I ever see you, by your TBP garb, then I will definitely introduce myself to you (as long as you promise not to shoot me 🙂).
I went to the Alamo looking for my bike, I was told it was in the basement.
As a sixth-generation native Texan born in San Antonio in 1950, I am proud of my ancestor, John E. Garvin, who was one of the 32 responders from Gonzales who fought and died at the Alamo. Texans are proud of their heritage and their history and it saddens us to see what is happening to our country and the world.
Another bit of trivia, Colonel Travis’ many times great grandson was on Jeopardy! as a contestant the other day.
Washington didn’t lie, he cut down the cherry tree.
Details match wits with the target audience.
a little known fact about the alamo is that on the morning santa anna’s army arrived in san antone,davy crockett & bill travis were watching from a balcony when crockett asked,”bill,by any chance are you having a major landscape job done here?”