188th Anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo!

[majormadmax]

Raise a glass to those who fought and died for the great state of Texas!!

I will send out daily recaps of the battle using two sources, the Sons of DeWitt Colony Texas website (http://www.sonsofdewittcolony.org/adp/history/1836/the_battle/chronology.html) followed by the Alamo's own revolution timeline (https://www.thealamo.org/remember/battle-and-revolution/revolution-timeline). To distinguish between the two, I put the latter's entry in italics.

I also encourage everyone to visit the Alamo's official website and view the two digital recreations of the battlefield from then and now:

https://www.thealamo.org/remember/battle-and-revolution/digital-battlefield/digital-battlefield-1
https://www.thealamo.org/remember/battle-and-revolution/digital-battlefield/digital-battlefield-2

The first allows you to switch from a current view to one from 1836 using the slider at the bottom of the screen, whereas the second provides the ability to show both then and now in a side-by-side comparison.

As for the events of that first day, we begin with...

Day One – Tuesday February 23, 1836

The garrison's sentries spot the advance of Santa Anna's Cavalry units. After scouts confirm the Mexican army's presence, Colonel William B. Travis orders a withdrawal into the Alamo compound.

In a parley with Mexican Colonel Juan Almonte the Texians are ordered to surrender or be put to the sword.

Travis answers the Mexican's terms with a volley from the 18-pounder.

Although Travis believed that Santa Anna would not arrive before mid-March, scouts began to tell him that the Mexican army would arrive much sooner. A lookout posted at the San Fernando Church spotted the Mexican army on this date, and the Texians fell back to the Alamo fort. Thus Santa Anna took San Antonio de Béxar without a shot being fired. Santa Anna ordered a red flag raised at the San Fernando Church which sent a message to the defenders that they would receive no mercy. The Texians responded with a shot from their largest cannon – an 18 pounder. The siege had officially begun.

Remember the Alamo, and God bless Texas!!

 

[DaBull]

I just started reading Harrigan's The Gates of the Alamo. I am not at this point in the book so I may have to avoid this thread (or read faster).

 

[majormadmax]

Day Two - Wednesday February 24, 1836

The second day of the siege began early with the Texians facing a newly established battery erected by the Mexicans during the night. The battery consisted of two eight-pounders and a howitzer and was located approximately 400 yards to the west of the fort. It was known as the River Battery.

The defenders were busy that night as well. They had captured at least one Mexican soldier and six pack mules during a nighttime patrol. According to Enrique Esparza, the defenders used the captured soldier to decipher bugle calls for the Texians throughout the siege.

Sometime around eleven that morning, Santa Anna began his survey of the Alamo fortifications and surrounding area to familiarize himself with the area.

The Mexican army pillaged the Texian's stores in Béxar and began the bombardment of the Alamo in earnest. The Texian artillery returned fire with no obvious results.

James Bowie, in command of the garrison, fell ill. The garrion's surgeon described his illness as a "A peculiar disease of a peculiar nature." Jim Bowie relinquished his command of the garrison to Travis.

The Alamo's well proved inadequate in supplying the garrison's water needs. This forced the defenders to obtain water from the acequia and reservoir to east of the compound setting the stage for several skirmishes.

Travis penned his "To the people of Texas and all Americans in the world" letter. Defender Albert Martin carried the letter from the Alamo and added his own comments to the back of the document.

Historians consider this letter to be one of the most stirring documents in American history because it helped to establish the Texian national identity.

Travis wrote many letters asking for aid during the siege – he knew that the Alamo would fall if it did not receive reinforcements. Furthermore, he was now leading the men alone – Bowie had fallen gravely ill. The cause of his illness is unknown, but he was unable to leave his bed. San Antonio was considered a strategic location to both sides in the war, and though Travis’ words were effective, few reinforcements would arrive in time. The most famous letter written by Travis was sent on this date, and he closed the letter with this promise: “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.”

 

[majormadmax]

Day Three - Thursday February 25, 1836

The morning of February 25, 1836 dawned with summer-like temperatures opening one of the most eventful days of the siege.

The Mexicans launched an attack with approximately 400 - 450 soldiers personally led by General Castrillon. The Matamoros Battalion and three companies of cazadores made up the attacking force. They came from the area of the river battery through Pueblo de Valero's jacales and buildings advancing to within 50-100 yards from the Alamo's walls.

After two hours of fighting, The Texians finally forced a Mexican withdrawal using the ditches and outworks. They inflicted only light casualties on their attackers. Sometime during the fighting, Texian sorties burned the jacales closest to the Alamo. At the same time, the Mexicans established new fortifications near the McMullen house.

As the Mexicans advanced through the pueblo, they discovered a young woman and her mother in one of the houses. Although already married, Santa Anna took advantage of the situation, arranged a false marriage, and quickly consummated the relationship

That night, the temperatures dropped into the 30's. Under the cover of darkness, William B. Travis sent Colonel Juan Seguin to find General Houston and ask for help. The defenders ventured out again burning even more jacales. There is some evidence that at least nine men deserted the garrison and gave information to Santa Anna where the Texians had hidden at least 50 rifles.

The day's fighting was not a victory for the Texians. The Mexicans had established artillery and infantry entrenchments in La Villita and the Alameda, but the Texians proved that as unorganized as they were, they could fight.

Juan Seguín was a native of Béxar, and he had been made a captain by Stephen F. Austin. His familiarity with the area made him the perfect choice to sneak past Santa Anna’s men who now had the Alamo surrounded. His letter repeated many of the sentiments sent the day before, although this letter was sent to the Commander-in-Chief.

 

[majormadmax]

Also on this day (25 Feb) in history...

Alamo defender José María Esparza, better known as Gregorio Esparza, was born on this day, 25 February 1802 in San Antonio de Béxar.

Esparza enlisted in Juan N. Seguín's company in October 1835 and participated in the taking of the squares on the north side of the city during the siege of Béxar.

Although Col. William Barret Travis, through James Bowie's influence, was allowing local citizens to leave if they so desired, Esparza elected to stay and fight, and his family to remain with him.

He tended a cannon during the siege and died in the battle of the Alamo on March 6th, 1836.

Reynaldo J. Esparza, “Esparza, Jose Maria,” Handbook of Texas Online https://bit.ly/49BdA4e

 

[majormadmax]

Day Four - Friday February 26, 1836

The Texians burned more jacales during the night. It soon became obvious that the Alamo's water well would not supply the needs of a 150+ people in the garrison. They would have to obtain water from the nearby acequia.

The overnight arrival of a norther dropped the temperatures to near freezing. As daylight broke, a Texian foray went outside the walls to obtain water and wood. A small skirmish erupted with the Mexican troops under General Sesma. Mexican casualties were slightly heavier than in earlier fights due to the Texian's eastern-facing cannon.

Upon hearing of the plight of the Alamo, James Fannin, commander of the soldiers at Fort Defiance in Goliad began marching to their aid. It took Fannin and his men the entire day to cross the river, and they were still within sight of the fort at Goliad when night fell.

 

[majormadmax]

Day Five - Saturday February 27, 1836

The fifth day of the siege was again cold with temperatures ranging in the 30s.

Having exhausted their own supplies, the Mexicans pillaged BŽjar of foodstuffs and perishables. When they in turn depleted these, they sent troops to nearby ranchos to forage livestock and corn.

In a decisive move, the Mexicans cut off the eastern acequia's water supply at its source: the San Antonio River. Not only did this end the minor skirmishes that had taken place from the beginning of the siege; it essentially eliminated the defender's major source of water.

The Matamoros battalion began work on trenches to the South of the Alamo compound. These entrenchments did not pass Santa Anna's inspection and so he ordered his men to dig new entrenchments closer to the Alamo under the direct supervision of General Amador.

Throughout the day, the Texians maintained constant fire on the Mexican work party. According to General Filisola, the Texians were seen working frantically on their own ditch inside the parapet of the cattle pen. This effort later proved fruitless and was harmful to the Alamo's defense by undermining the walls, essentially removing any walkway the defenders might have had exposing them to Mexican fire.

General Gaona received Santa Anna's letter of the 25th requesting him to send three battalions as quickly as possible. Gaona immediately complied, yet failed to forward any heavy siege guns because Santa Anna neglected to include this request in his dispatch.

Within a day of deciding to go to the aid of the Alamo, Fannin felt that he should remain at Presidio La Bahía (known as Fort Defiance during the Texas Revolution) in Goliad. He had heard that Mexican General Urrea was headed his way and that Goliad should not be left unprotected. The Alamo would wait for reinforcements from Goliad that would never come.

Although Travis’ February 24th letter was first taken to Gonzales, it was soon carried to San Felipe de Austin, the temporary capital of Texas. Both the Conventions of 1832 and 1833 and the Consultation took place in this location, and it now housed the provisional government. Upon receiving the letter, Provisional Governor Smith had the letter turned into a handbill to be sent throughout Texas and the world with a call to come to the Alamo’s aid.

 

[majormadmax]

Day Six - Sunday February 28, 1836

Mexicans receive intelligence that 200 Texian reinforcements from Goliad are en route to the Alamo.

The morale within the compound is high. According to Mrs. Dickinson, Crockett took up a fiddle and challenged John McGregor, a Scot with bagpipes, to a contest of instruments.

 

[majormadmax]

Day Seven - Monday February 29, 1836

The Mexican's Jimenez battalion and the cavalry under command of General Ramirez y Sesma are ordered down the Goliad road to intercept any reinforcements that might have been sent by Fannin.

The Mexicans propose a three-day armistice and several Tejanos leave Alamo during the cease-fire.