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The Alamo - San Antonio, Texas
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The Siege and Fall of the Alamo
| The Long Barrack of the Alamo The "Long Barrack," one of the surviving structures of the Alamo, was the scene of a fierce last stand by many of the Texan defenders of the mission. |
When the Mexican army of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
appeared on the outskirts of San Antonio, the Texan volunteers in
the community and many of the local civilians withdrew into the
fortified Alamo complex for safety. They knew their numbers were too
few to defend the mission against the approaching army, but riders
went out to try to summon reinforcements before Santa Anna could
bring his entire force to bear.
In a famous scene, the siege of the Alamo began when Santa Anna
demanded the surrender of its garrison "at discretion." This meant
he gave them no promise of treatment as prisoners of war and if
they surrendered, they did so knowing he might execute them as
rebels. The commander of the garrison, Lt. Col. William Barret
Travis, answered the demand with a cannon shot.
For nearly two weeks the two sides battled in what became known
as the Siege of the Alamo. Travis and his small group of defenders
desperately hoped for reinforcement, but only a few men from
Gonzales made it into the fort. The Mexican army, meanwhile, slowly
tightened the noose around the Alamo, pushing trenches closer and
closer to the Texan works and bombarding the old mission with light
artillery.
The final attack came on the morning of March 6, 1836. Santa Anna
had suspended his artillery fire the night before, hoping to lull the
Alamo defenders into a false sense of safety. The ruse worked, as
most of the garrison was soundly asleep when the attack struck.
The plan called for the Mexican troops to converge on the Alamo by
columns from different directions. Santa Anna hoped his men would
be up to the fort and over the walls under cover of darkness before
the defenders knew they were coming. It almost worked. As the
general's troops started their approach, an anonymous soldier
shouted "Viva Santa Anna!" at the top of his lungs. Others picked up
the cry and much of the element of surprise was lost.
The Mexican columns charged forward, bayoneting the Texan
sentries and storming up to the walls. Heavy fire rained down on
them from the defenders who were now aroused and rushing to
meet the attack. The attack columns became confused and chaos
ruled outside the walls.
Inside the Alamo, Colonel Travis awoke to the sounds of firing and
rushed to the north wall, where the attack appeared to be the
heaviest. By the time he reached the artillery position there, the
Mexican forces were pushing up against the wall. Travis fired down
into the crowd below but then, according to his servant Joe, was
shot in the head and fell down into a sitting position by one of the
guns.
General Santa Anna's troops soon forced their way over the north
wall and the battle degenerated into a bloody slaughter. The Texans
refused to surrender and some barricaded themselves into the
building they called the "Long Barrack." Their own artillery was
turned against the barricaded doors of the structure and the Texan
defenders were killed in a fight to the death. Others fell in the chapel
and still others in the other buildings of the compound. At least one
group tried to break out of the trap, but were set upon by Mexican
lancers and nearly all were cut down before the could reach the
safety of the nearby brush.
According to the accounts of Mexican officers, a small group of
defenders tried to surrender but were executed by order of General
Santa Anna.
Once the smoke cleared, virtually every man in the Alamo lay dead.
Joe, the enslaved servant of Col. Travis, had been an active
defender, but survived, as did a few others. Most of the women and
children in the mission were also spared by order of Santa Anna.
appeared on the outskirts of San Antonio, the Texan volunteers in
the community and many of the local civilians withdrew into the
fortified Alamo complex for safety. They knew their numbers were too
few to defend the mission against the approaching army, but riders
went out to try to summon reinforcements before Santa Anna could
bring his entire force to bear.
In a famous scene, the siege of the Alamo began when Santa Anna
demanded the surrender of its garrison "at discretion." This meant
he gave them no promise of treatment as prisoners of war and if
they surrendered, they did so knowing he might execute them as
rebels. The commander of the garrison, Lt. Col. William Barret
Travis, answered the demand with a cannon shot.
For nearly two weeks the two sides battled in what became known
as the Siege of the Alamo. Travis and his small group of defenders
desperately hoped for reinforcement, but only a few men from
Gonzales made it into the fort. The Mexican army, meanwhile, slowly
tightened the noose around the Alamo, pushing trenches closer and
closer to the Texan works and bombarding the old mission with light
artillery.
The final attack came on the morning of March 6, 1836. Santa Anna
had suspended his artillery fire the night before, hoping to lull the
Alamo defenders into a false sense of safety. The ruse worked, as
most of the garrison was soundly asleep when the attack struck.
The plan called for the Mexican troops to converge on the Alamo by
columns from different directions. Santa Anna hoped his men would
be up to the fort and over the walls under cover of darkness before
the defenders knew they were coming. It almost worked. As the
general's troops started their approach, an anonymous soldier
shouted "Viva Santa Anna!" at the top of his lungs. Others picked up
the cry and much of the element of surprise was lost.
The Mexican columns charged forward, bayoneting the Texan
sentries and storming up to the walls. Heavy fire rained down on
them from the defenders who were now aroused and rushing to
meet the attack. The attack columns became confused and chaos
ruled outside the walls.
Inside the Alamo, Colonel Travis awoke to the sounds of firing and
rushed to the north wall, where the attack appeared to be the
heaviest. By the time he reached the artillery position there, the
Mexican forces were pushing up against the wall. Travis fired down
into the crowd below but then, according to his servant Joe, was
shot in the head and fell down into a sitting position by one of the
guns.
General Santa Anna's troops soon forced their way over the north
wall and the battle degenerated into a bloody slaughter. The Texans
refused to surrender and some barricaded themselves into the
building they called the "Long Barrack." Their own artillery was
turned against the barricaded doors of the structure and the Texan
defenders were killed in a fight to the death. Others fell in the chapel
and still others in the other buildings of the compound. At least one
group tried to break out of the trap, but were set upon by Mexican
lancers and nearly all were cut down before the could reach the
safety of the nearby brush.
According to the accounts of Mexican officers, a small group of
defenders tried to surrender but were executed by order of General
Santa Anna.
Once the smoke cleared, virtually every man in the Alamo lay dead.
Joe, the enslaved servant of Col. Travis, had been an active
defender, but survived, as did a few others. Most of the women and
children in the mission were also spared by order of Santa Anna.
 | |  | |  |
| An Original Alamo Cannon This carronade or small cannon was one of the pieces of artillery used by the Texans to defend the Alamo. It is preserved today on the grounds. |
| The Alamo Cenotaph The Cenotaph or memorial to the Alamo defenders stands today near the mission chapel in the heart of downtown San Antonio. |
| Note: The photographs on this page were taken by Bruce Schulze. Please do not reproduce them without his permission. Be sure to visit his website at: |
