Ben Milam and his volunteers succeeded in capturing the
Alamo from General Martin Perfecto de Cos two months before the Battle of the Alamo actually began. Concurrently, Major General
Sam Houston sent Jim Bowie and 32 soldiers, including the legendary Davy Crockett, to destroy the Alamo. Houston knew the Mexicans
would attempt to recapture the Alamo therefore
destroying the “symbol of Texas Independence” was a necessity.
Bowie disagreed with Houston and in turn saved the fort.
Soon William Travis arrived with 30 additional untrained soldiers. Although Texans were in control of the land, Travis knew the battle
was not over so he continued recruiting soldiers until the total number of defenders rose to nearly 200 troops. Legend records Travis
drawing a line in the sand and saying, “My brave companions our fate is sealed. Within a few days – perhaps a very few hours – we must
all be in eternity. This is our certain doom… Cross this line if you will stand and fight with me…” and all who were against him were
told they could go home.
All but one soldier stepped over the line and was ready to defend the Alamo.
On February 24, 1836 Santa Anna arrived to the Alamo with 1,800 soldiers prepared to attack, startling Texas forces. Realizing the voluntary
army was outnumbered, Travis sent a desperate cry for help saying, “I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name or
Liberty, of patriotism, and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch…If this call is neglected, I am
determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his
country—Victory or Death.” Albeit Travis’ letter was printed in two newspapers
(The Texas Republican and the Telegraph & Texas Register)
and hundreds of volunteers responded, none were able to reach the Alamo in time. The defenders felt compromising their lives was better
than giving up their defensive position against Santa Anna.
This blueprint shows how the Alamo probably looked. Once Santa Anna’s forces invaded the Alamo, the Texans
were forced to go into the Chapel and Long Barracks; there the Texans were eventually defeated. Blueprint courtesy of The Alamo by Tamara L. Britton.
After 12 long days of fighting, troops were exhausted, sick, unprepared, and running low on supplies. On March 6, 1836 (13th day of combat)
just before daybreak, 2,400 Mexican troops approached the Alamo ready to defeat the rebels.
Cannon and small arms fire held the Mexicans back,
and sharp-shooting frontiersmen were slaughtering wave after wave of Mexican forces. Shaken and feeling as if the attack was a mistake,
Santa Anna sent his army to regroup.
The turning point in the battle came after the Mexicans returned to camp. Santa Anna ordered his troops to attack the weakest part of the
Alamo, the northern side. Once the wall was destroyed, the Mexican army swarmed the fort forcing the rebels to retreat to Long Barracks and the Chapel.
The attack on the Alamo lead by Santa Anna on the morning of March 6, 1836. With Mexican forces all around,
the defenders of the Alamo were severely outnumbered by Santa Anna’s army. Photo courtesy of The Alamo by Tamara L. Britton.
The Texans continued fighting and holding their ground, but protecting the fort was getting more difficult. In fact, the Mexicans were using
the rebels’ own cannons to destroy the walls and win a critical victory. After the walls were down, the soldiers were forced to engage in “hand-to-hand”
combat, a disadvantage for the Texans.
 
(Left) Photo of Santa Anna leading his army in the final assault that would soon defeat the Alamo. (Right) This undated lithograph depicts the last stand at the Alamo.
The image is of the soldiers inside the fort, desperately trying to defend their land.
Photos courtesy of The Alamo by Dennis Fradin.
In the end, the 1½-hour battle proved to be one of the most memorable in history. Although nobody really knows how many people actually died in the Alamo,
it is said that anywhere from 190-210 men sacrificed their life for Texas Independence.
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