On March 6, 1836, after 13 days of intermittent fighting, the Battle of the Alamo comes to a gruesome end, capping off a pivotal moment in the Texas Revolution. Mexican forces were victorious in recapturing the fort, and nearly all of the roughly 200 Texan defenders—including frontiersman Davy Crockett—died.
Thirteen days earlier, on February 23, Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna ordered a siege of the Alamo Mission (near present-day San Antonio), which had been occupied by rebel Texas forces since December. An army of over 1,000 Mexican soldiers began descending on the makeshift fort and setting up artillery.
Over the next two weeks, the two armies traded gunfire, but there were few casualties. Despite being clearly outnumbered, Alamo co-commanders James Bowie and William Travis insisted on remaining in place. The volunteer soldiers defending the Alamo included doctors and farmers, as well as Tennessee frontiersman and Congressman Davy Crockett, who fought in the Tennessee militia.
The final attack came before dawn on March 6. Mexican troops breached the north wall and flooded into the compound, awakening many of the Texans inside. The fighting lasted 90 minutes, some of it hand-to-hand combat. Bowie and Travis were killed, as was Crockett, although reports differ as to exactly how and when. Several Texans reportedly surrendered, but Santa Anna ordered all prisoners be executed. Only a handful survived, mostly women and children. Historians estimate several hundred Mexicans died.
After the battle, the Mexican army marched east. Meanwhile, Sam Houston, commander of the Texas forces, had been building and developing his army in Harris County. “Remember the Alamo!” became their rallying cry as an urgent reminder to avenge their earlier defeat. On April 21, Texas and Mexico fought again at the Battle of San Jacinto. Texas was victorious this time, and won independence from Mexico, bringing the Texas Revolution to an end.
The defense of the Alamo remains a symbol of resistance and revolution. The battle has been immortalized in several TV series and films, including 1960’s The Alamo, starring John Wayne as Davy Crockett.
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Not “near San Antonio”IN San Antonio proper……geez look at a map or Google it or something……..
A “Z” likely penned this article.
1836: “[Mexicans] breeched the north wall and flooded into the compound.”
2023: …
In 1836 they attacked with a couple thousand … for the past year, according to what our government admits, more than 18,000 invade EVERY … DAY … that’s more than 6.5 million per year …
Unfortunately that whole toxic manly thing has been entirely neutered from the American public.
Remember the Alamo, remember Goliad. That was the actual rallying cry. A similar group of Texas patriots agreed to surrender to santa anna at Goliad and were promptly marched out and slaughtered by the mexican army. In elementary school, we learned Texas history before being taught US history.
I had two family members die at Goliad. Francis Pietrusiewicz was in charge of the Cannon.. When he went down the battle was over. Adolf was executed at the fort. Goliad is an awesome town to visit. There is a beautiful hanging tree in front of the courtyard. The brothers were mercenaries from the Franco Prussian war that were exiled to America.
Is PeeWee’s bicycle still in the basement of The Alamo?
Saw it in the 80s, one thing that stuck with me, how small a building it is.
Definitely not how you’d picture a fort. I was there in the early 90s
I was an Alamo fanatic until about the 6th grade. My favorite subject. From those days of learning I’ll go along with the linked pic what the Alamo may have looked like in 1836.
https://www.experiencerealhistory.com/blog/if-you-could-visit-the-alamo-in-1836-what-would-you-see
You know how history repeats…I have a recurring dream of standing ankle deep in hot brass before the lights go out.
I call my farm/compound the ‘markamo’!
Have a coonskin cap and an M1A for last minute butt strokes!
(Maybe that P.I. pugil-stick training will finally come into play).
What was Davy Crockett’s last words?
“Look at all those frigg’in landscapers”!
(My Father taught me how to box – on his knees starting in 3rd grade. I won every pugil-stick fight I was in – including the last 4 free for all in my middleweight weight class).
The trip flares are going off like fireworks on the 4th!
Landscapers (and much worse) are IN THE WIRE!!!
I was not a good boxer as a kid but since I’ve grown up just for grins I’d like to crawl in a ring with certain individuals especially a snarky one as out of shape as all would be. Probably last a minute and both parties would be gassed. Still inclined to try however.
And just who’s there to stop the current invasion from mexico … to stop that nation’s export of its problems to the United States with impunity … to get rid of its tens of millions of ‘useless eaters’ …
I recall in 1980 or 1981 a paper by the CIA that was predicting that from 1980 to 2000 the population of mexico would increase by 60,000,000 or more — and that at least 20,000,000 or more of those folks would invade the United States.
We’ve apparently now got more than 65,000,000 mexicans in the United States … some of whom are generational drains on our economy and jobs … who will never assimilate (they don’t have to) and will never contribute …
Sam Houston and Stephen Austin would roll over in their graves if they could visit the liberal shit-holes the cities named for them have hecome!
Texas would be better off if they seceded from the Union.
Should the party of elephant dung land in the WH no one in Texas will even remotely be thinking secession. That’s how it works, dem, secede, pub, all is ok now. Funny.
Too bad the Gatling gun was not available for the Texans. Just one or two may have prolonged the inevitable a couple more hours.
Custer (who actually had Gatling guns with him) left his bad boys behind because he thought they would slow him down.
As a former 0331 grunt all I can say is phttttttttt…
The practical tactical of ‘hey diddle diddle right up the middle’ has won battles.
But…that was all Custer every knew…or actually ever did in both his wars.
But…after he (and all his men) were dead…the Indian women used their sewing needles shoving one deep into each ear (while stripping him) in an attempt to “clear” Custer’s ears so he would hear better in the next life.
(The Indians did not want to fight, but Custer didn’t listen…them’s the brakes.)