THE ALAMOIn San Antonio in early 1836, 6,000 Mexicans marched to The Alamo to fight a groups of Texas of 187 strong, They were led by Colonel William B. Travis. During 10 days of fighting, the Mexicans climbed over the wall’s of The Alamo.
, to defeat the Texans they killed a woman . her baby, and a slave were killed. Among the dead were frontiersmen Davy Crockett and the Bowie brothers. Following, is a description of how the Alamo fell. On February 24, 1836 Colonel Travis wrote a letter requesting aid in his own handwriting to all the people of Texas and all Americans. It was carried to Gonzales by Captain Albert Martin, It was first delivered upon his arrival on the Feb 25th to Smithers.
Who then carried it on the San Felipe on the Feb. 27th. His letter explained the difficulty him and his men were having defending The Alamo against Santa Anna and his men. At the end of the letter he explains that if they do not receive aid, then they will fight till VICTORY OR DEATH. He also explains that, to this point, no men has lost his life. Following is an exact replica of his writing.
COLONEL TRAVIS LETTER:“Commandancy of the AlamoBexar, Fby. 24th, 1836 To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World Fellow Citzens & Compatriots—I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna—I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man—The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion , otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken—I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls—I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism, & everything dear to the American character, to come are tour aid, with all dispatch—The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four of five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country.
VICTORY OR DEATHWilliam Barret Travis Lt. Col. Combt. P.
S. The Lord is on our side—When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn—We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels & got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves”On the back of the letter, Capt. Martin penciled in“Since the above was written I heard a very heavy Cannonade during the whole day think there must have been an attack made upon the Alamo. We were short of ammunition when I left.
Hurry all the men you can in haste. ” Albert Martin (signed). “When I left there was but 150 & determined to do or die tomorrow I leave for Bejar with what men I can raise we will (illegible) at all events (illegible). Col.
Almonte is there the troops are under the command of Gen. Seisma. ”At dawn, March 1,1836, Capt. Albert Martin, with 32 men (himself included) from Gonzales and DeWitt’s Colony, passed the lines of Santa Anna and entered the walls of The Alamo. These men, chiefly husbands and fathers owning their own homes.
Voluntarily organized and passed through the lines of an enemy four to six thousand strong, to join 150 of their countrymen and neighbors, in a fortress doomed to destruction. Following. is an exact replica of the response to Colonel Travis’ letter: GONZALES RANGERS RESPOND. “Two appeals to Col. Fannin at Goliad had resulted in an aborted start toward San Antonio with his force of 350men when Fannin heard of the approach of Gen.
Urrea’s army. Responding to Col. Travis’ appeals, the main contingent of the Gonzales Alamo Relief Force departed the town Square of Gonzales at 2 PM Saturday 27 Feb, led by commanding officer Lieutenant George c. Kimball of the Gonzales Rangers. The senior officer accompanying the relief force was courier Capt.
Albert Martin who had delivered the appeal to both Smithers and Gonzales. The force was guided by Alamo courier John W. Smith. a resident of San Antonio de Bexar. According to Dr.
John Sutherland , the group consisted of 25 men who left Gonzales and increased to 32 with those who joined along the way, in particular near Quibble Creek. On 29 Feb, the group prepared to find a way into the Alamo through the surrounding Mexican forces. Dr. John Sutherland relates the story that. ”“On reaching the suburbs of the city they were approached by a man on horseback who asked in English, “Do you wish to go into the fort, gentlemen?” “Yes’ was the reply. “ Then follow me.
” said he, at the same time turning his horse into the lead of the company. Smith remarked , “Boys, it’s time to be after shooting that fellow, “when he put spurs to his horse, sprung into the thicket, and was out of sight in a moment, before a gun could be got to bear on him. ”The day before the war stranded. William B. Travis Call everybody to the middle of the cout yard.
He draw a line in the dirt with his soared and said “ that if you want to stay and fight me step over the line. ” “Jim Bowie told the men to carry him over the line. ” All step over the line, except for one . March 6,1836, climbing over the wall’s of the Alamo, the Mexican attacked.
Ever man was killed that day . After the war was over, Santa Anna went to the Alamo and said that he would like to dip his figure into the blood of William B. Travis, David Crockett, and Jim Bowie. When he did, it dripped off his figure and he steped on it like a bug. Santa Anna burned all the dead so that no one would know how many people were in the Alamo.REFERENCEShttp://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/gonrelief.htmBusiness Essays
