Texas Revolution (Battle of the Alamo)

The Texas Revolution (Battle of the Alamo)

By Mr. Gorena

The Mexican Army Advances

• Santa Anna was determined to punish the Texans for their rebellion. He took control of the Mexican army and began marching his forces towards Texas.

• By February of 1836, Santa Anna's army totaled 6,000 soldiers.

• Santa Anna marched a portion of his army towards San Antonio while Mexican general Jose de Urrea headed towards Goliad with a separate force of soldiers.

The Mexican Army Advances

• The Texan army was currently scattered throughout Texas in small groups and was not fully prepared for the Mexican army's advance into Texas

• Colonel James Neill was stationed in San Antonio with around 100 troops, while Colonel James Fannin was stationed in Goliad with around 400 troops.

• Sam Houston sent James "Jim" Bowie to San Antonio to evaluate the situation there and offer his assistance to Colonel Neill.

Multiple Choice

How many soldiers did Santa Anna have under his command?

• 2,000

• 4,000

• 6,000

• 8,000

The Mexican Army Advances

• Sam Houston made the recommendation to destroy the San Antonio de Valero Mission, better known as the Alamo, and remove its artillery. Governor Smith disagreed and felt it was important to defend the Alamo at all costs.

• The Alamo had been upgraded years earlier to help defend against Indian attacks and was also located along the Old San Antonio Road, which was one of two major routes through Texas.

The Mexican Army Advances

• On January 19, 1836, Jim Bowie arrived in San Antonio with 25 men. He examined Colonel Neill's improvements to the fort and its 21 cannons. Bowie and Neill both agreed that the Alamo was too important to destroy.

• Governor Smith then ordered Colonel William B. Travis to raise a force and head to San Antonio. He gathered only 30 soldiers and arrived in San Antonio on February 3, 1836.

• Juan Seguin and a few other Tejano volunteers also joined.

Multiple Choice

Who did Governor Smith send to San Antonio to assist James Neill and Jim Bowie?

• William H. Wharton

• William B. Travis

• Stephen F. Austin

• James Fannin

The Mexican Army Advances

• As word of the Texan rebellion spread, several volunteers from the United States would make their way to Texas to offer their assistance. Davy Crockett, a famous frontiersman and former United States congressman, arrived in San Antonio with a dozen Tennessee volunteers. James Bonham and a volunteer force from Alabama known as the Mobile Grays also joined.

• Colonel Neill was forced to leave San Antonio on personal business so he left William B. Travis in charge.

Multiple Choice

Which famous frontiersman and former United States congressman arrived in San Antonio with a dozen volunteers from Tennessee?

• Davy Crockett

• James Bonham

• Juan Seguin

• William B. Travis

The Siege Begins

• As Mexican forces marched towards San Antonio, Texan troops at the Alamo worked on their defenses.

• Green Jameson was placed in charge of strengthening the plaza walls. Walls were built up to 12 feet high and 2 feet thick. Jameson also directed the building of palisades, or high fences made of stakes, behind which soldiers could fight. He worked with artillery officer Almaron Dickinson to select the most strategic locations for the fort's 21 cannons as well.

The Siege Begins

• Even with all of the improvements being made, the Alamo would still be difficult to defend. It had originally been built as a mission, not as a fort.

• The enclosed area of the Alamo was about three acres and it would require at least 1,000 soldiers to defend it all properly.

• The Texan soldiers inside the Alamo at this time only numbered around 150.

Multiple Choice

About how big was the entire enclosed area of the Alamo?

• 2 Acres

• 5 Acres

• 7 Acres

• 3 Acres

The Siege Begins

• The Texan army was in desperate need of reinforcements, but Santa Anna was already closing in on San Antonio.

• Travis and Bowie had thought that the rainy weather in Texas would delay the Mexicans until mid-March. They were wrong!

• Santa Anna had pushed his army as hard as possible to make it to San Antonio faster.

• On February 23, 1836, a lookout spotted the large Mexican army force marching towards the city. The Texans were out of time!

Open Ended

Imagine that you are one of the Texan defenders currently inside the Alamo. How would you feel after seeing Santa Anna's larmy approaching San Antonio?

The Siege Begins

• Texan defenders scrambled to bring their families, and a few of the local residents, inside the walls of the Alamo before the Mexican army arrived. They were also able to gather all the food, ammunition, and other supplies they could for the upcoming battle.

• Santa Anna's army entered the city just as the last few defenders made their way safely inside.

The Siege Begins

• Santa Anna immediately demanded that the Texans surrender.

• They responded by firing a cannon shot towards the Mexican army. Santa Anna reacted swiftly by ordering a large blood-red flag be raised high enough so the defenders within the Alamo could see it.

• This "no quarter" flag meant that Santa Anna would leave no survivors!

• The siege of the Alamo was officially underway!

Poll

Do you feel it was a smart move by the Texans to respond to Santa Anna's surrender request by firing a cannon shot at the Mexican army?

• Yes! Lets go to war!

• Definitely not! There had to have been a more peaceful solution!

The Siege Begins

• On February 24, 1836, Mexican forces began firing on the Alamo.

• That same day, William B. Travis wrote a plea "to the people of Texas and all Americans in the world," requesting aid in the face of certain death.

• Cannons bombarded the Alamo for hours at a time during the siege. The siege lasted for 13 days!

• Jim Bowie, who had been very sick, collapsed on the second day of the siege and would become bedridden.

The Siege Begins

• On the fourth day of the siege, Travis ordered the Texan army to stop returning fire and save their ammunition because he feared that Santa Anna's army would soon launch a full-scale attack on the Alamo.

• Travis would send out several more requests for help. Juan Seguin was able to sneak past Mexican troops to personally deliver a letter to Sam Houston requesting aid for the Alamo.

Multiple Choice

How long did the siege of the Alamo last for?

• 13 Days

• 4 Days

• 8 Days

• 2 Days

The Fall of the Alamo

• On March 1, 1836, 32 volunteers from Gonzales rode into the Alamo under the cover of darkness. They were the last group of reinforcements the defenders of the Alamo would ever receive!

• Historians estimate that their were now 200 Texan soldiers defending the Alamo. Santa Anna, on the other hand, had 1,800 troops surrounding them.

Multiple Choice

How many troops made up the small group of reinforcements that arrived from Gonzales?

• 64

• 32

• 26

• 81

The Fall of the Alamo

• In the early morning hours of March 6, 1836, the Texan defenders inside the Alamo were awakened suddenly by the sound of Mexican soldiers shouting and music being played. Santa Anna's army band was playing the song "El Deguello." This song meant that no mercy would be shown!

• At about 5:00 am, the Mexican army began their attack on the Alamo. ​

The Fall of the Alamo

• Four columns of Mexican soldiers attacked, but they were halted by the Texan artillery. The Mexican army regrouped and the four columns of troops overwhelmed the Texans.

• Mexican soldiers entered the Alamo by the hundreds. They captured a cannon, turned it inward, and opened fire on the Texan defenders. Hand-to-hand combat then followed.

• The Texan army fought as hard as they could, but were just no match for the larger Mexican army.

Multiple Choice

What message was the Mexican army sending by playing the song "El Deguello" before their attack?

• No Mercy!

• Here We Come!

• We Are Friends!

• Let's Dance!

The Fall of the Alamo

• As the smoke cleared, almost all the defenders were dead.

• Among those killed were all the leaders of the defenders, including Travis, Crockett, Bowie, and Bonham.

• Also among the dead were several Tejano defenders.

• There were 600 casualties, or those killed, wounded, captured, or missing during battle, on the Mexican side.

The Fall of the Alamo

• Only a few Texans survived the battle. One of the survivors was Susana Dickinson, wife of Almaron Dickinson, and their daughter Angelina. Santa Anna also spared the life of a slave named Joe.

• Other noncombatants, or people not involved in the fighting, who had entered the Alamo looking for safety from the Mexican army were also spared.

• Despite the brutality of the battle, most of these noncombatants survived.​

Multiple Choice

How many soldiers did the Mexican army lose during the Battle of the Alamo?

• 300

• 150

• 600

• 1,000

​- Sam Houston

" Remember the Alamo!"