Called the “Shrine of Liberty”, the Alamo stands as a reminder of the sacrifice often required for all who love freedom around the world. 186 heroes died while fighting an overwhelming Mexican force of thousands.
185 years ago today the 186 Texian defenders of the Alamo, including my most famous ancestor, died to the last man defending what is today the city of San Antonio, Texas.
They took a defensive position in an old adobe building erected in the year 1744 as a Catholic mission.
Texians objecting to the abolition of the 1824 Mexican constitution guaranteeing them autonomy, had revolted against the central government of Mexican dictator Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who styled himself as the “Napoleon of the West.”
Col. William Barret Travis
The Texans declared themselves an independent republic on March 2, 1836 and the very first Texas flag was raised over the Alamo three days later.
Santa Anna invaded Texas with an army of about 6,000 men. This army, fresh from three years of putting down revolts all over Mexico, was composed mostly of seasoned regulars and had the heaviest siege artillery in the western hemisphere.
More than 2,000 of them had surrounded the small Texian garrison on the morning of February 23, beginning a 13 day siege that would end in the early hours of March 6, 1836.
One of the three commanders at the Alamo, 26 year old Lt. Col. William B. Travis, a native of Saluda, South Carolina, spoke to the defenders on March 5th. Travis told them Santa Anna had them completely surrounded and the outcome of the eventual battle was hopeless but he personally would die defending Texas rather than surrender.
Travis drew a line in the dirt with his sword and asked anyone willing to fight for Texas to cross the line and join him. Anyone wishing to leave was free to do so. All but two of the defenders crossed the line and stood beside Travis. One who did not was Moses Rose, known for the rest of his life as “the coward of the Alamo.” Rose lived to tell the story.
James “Jim” Bowie, a defender of the Alamo and creator of the knife that bears him name.
The other man was my ancestor James “Jim” Bowie the famous knife fighter. Bowie, dying of tuberculosis and suffering six broken ribs, was confined to his bed and could not walk. Bowie asked two men to carry his bunk across the line and he too stayed to defend Texas to the death.
On the morning of March 6th Santa Anna’s army assaulted the Texians, defending the makeshift breastworks, and they were repelled twice with heavy losses each time. Regrouping for the third assault, they finally breached the walls and killed the defenders to the last man, many with clubs and bayonets.
The only Texas survivors were one woman, four children and a Black Slave. These were allowed to leave.
Santa Anna bragged he won a great victory that morning. His army suffered at least 600 killed and twice as many wounded. His brother-in-law, the Mexican General Martin Perfecto de Cos, surveying the dead, whispered “El Presidente, we cannot afford any more great victories like this.”
‘Remember the Alamo’ became a rallying cry and six weeks later a Texas Army under Sam Houston would decisively defeat Santa Anna at San Jacinto, winning independence for the Republic of Texas.
I will tell you more about that on April 21st. As for today, Remember “REMEMBER THE ALAMO” and reflect on the fact our political rights and freedom have always been bought by the blood of our best and brightest men.
Dean Allen is a decorated Vietnam veteran, book author and Secretary of the Anderson (SC) GOP.
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