1. The Alamo and Goliad Chapter 10

2. The Texas Army
After capturing San Antonio, the Texas Army became smaller because it drifted without leadership, and most of the volunteer army returned home.
New arrivals from the U.S. came in units, twos and threes, or alone.
Some were well known, but many others were unknown farmers, hunters, and clerks.
Many different nationalities were represented.

3. The Texas Army continued)
The Texas forces
remained scattered
in many places.
Little coordination
or communication
existed between
these scattered
units.
Sam Houston was unable to unite the military units.

4. Texans Plan to Capture the Mexican City of Matamoros
Control of Matamoros
would boost the morale
of Republicans in Mexico.
Texans hoped that in moving the war south, Santa Anna would not interfere in Texas at all.
No single Texas force was large enough to make the attack, as the army units were so scattered.

5. Santa Anna’s Army
Santa Anna quickly recruited his army of some 6,000 soldiers, even though the volunteers were untrained, undisciplined, poorly clothed, poorly fed, and forced to fight with poor equipment against their will.

6. The Movement of Santa Anna’s Army
Santa Anna hoped to surprise the Texans by moving northward in the winter, so he could end the rebellion against the Mexican government and thus keep his authority and power.

7. Division of the Mexican Army
Santa Anna divided his army
into two main columns:
Santa Anna led one
division toward San
Antonio de Bexar.
The other column
commanded by
General Jose Urrea
moved toward
Goliad.

8. Texans at the Alamo Colonel Neill— 104 soldiers Colonel James Bowie—
25 soldiers from Goliad
William B. Travis—30
soldiers from San Felipe

9. Texans at the Alamo David Crockett— 12 more volunteers Juan Seguin
led many
Tejano
defenders

10. The Battle of the Alamo
Chapter 10
Section 2

11. Jim Bowie’s Arrival at the Alamo
Bowie estimated that
1,000 troops would be
needed to defend the fortress.
Bowie and Travis felt
that holding the Alamo
at any cost was vital to
the future of Texas.
They began to strengthen
their defenses.

12. Strengths of the Alamo A good defensive position Walls--2-3 feet
thick and 6-12 feet high
Fortified by twenty
cannons
Adequate supplies
of beef and corn
Sufficient and
available water

13. Weaknesses of the Alamo
Incomplete wall that surrounded the main plaza of the old mission
A gap between the south wall and the old chapel on the southeast (closed only with sticks and dirt)
Mission too large for Travis to defend with the number of troops he had (nearly three acres of land with only 200 volunteers)

14. Santa Anna’s Ultimatum
As the Mexican soldier’s arrived in San Antonio, Santa Anna allowed the people inside and outside the Alamo the opportunity to leave without harm.
A number of women and children took that ultimatum and left town before fighting began.

15. You may choose one of two assignments…
You have a map of the Alamo. You need to place 22 cannons and assign places for 189 men inside the Alamo. Your map needs a Key. You also need to explain to me in paragraph form, your strategy behind placing men where you did.

16. You may choose one of two assignments…
You are a wife and mother of a fleeing Texan. You need to write a letter to family either in Texas or the U.S. explaining what is going on in San Antonio. You are also allowed to take a purse size bag with you. Tell me what you are taking inside this bag.
(remember: you don’t know if you will ever return)

17. Travis’s Letters
Written to the people of Texas and the United States asking for assistance at the Alamo

18. Travis’s Best Known Letter
“I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna--I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours hours & have not lost a man--The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the

19. Travis’s Letter (continued)
garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken--I have answered the demand with a with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls--I shall never surrender or retreat Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the

20. American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch-- The enemy is receiving
reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. 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!”

21. Travis’s Famous Letter
One of the finest
statements of courage in American history
Unfortunately brought little response from the outside-- Texas forces still poorly organized and badly scattered

22. Santa Anna’s Well Trained and Well Equipped Army
An estimated 1,800 Mexican
troops headquartered at the
San Fernando Church, which
faced eastward toward the Alamo.
The red flag of “no quarter”
raised over Santa Anna’s
headquarters which meant
there would be no prisoners
in the coming battle.

23. Travis’s Last Appeal Written on March 3, 1836 Sent to the
President of the
Convention of 1836,
which was meeting
at Washington-on the-Brazos
Described what had already taken place and repeated the request for assistance

24. Travis’s Last Appeal (continued)
Warned the Convention
that the power of
Santa Anna must be
met at the Alamo
instead of in the
settlements
Concluded that
Travis and his troops
were determined to hold the Alamo

25. Fact or Legend?
Travis and his volunteers had no chance for victory and faced certain death.
Travis drew a line, so that all those who wished to stay and defend the Alamo could step over the line. All but one man crossed over the line.
These men decided to defend the Alamo for a cause in which they believed, even though they were free to leave the Alamo.

26. The Mexican Armies Encircled the Alamo
At first, these
defenders held
the mission
against the
bombardment
of the heavy
Mexican cannons.

27. The Final Attack
Some 1,800 Mexican trained troops assaulted the Alamo at 5:30 A. M. on March 6, 1836.
The Texas defenders
put up a stubborn
resistance, but they
were slowly forced
to give ground against
the three waves of Mexican troops.

28. The Fall of the Alamo By 6:30 A. M., the whole garrison was
overpowered, and
the battle for the
Alamo was over.
Santa Anna lost an
estimated 600 men.

29. After the Battle Santa Anna ordered that all defenders
of the the Alamo
be killed, so an
estimated
Texans were killed
at the Alamo. This
included Bowie,
Travis, and Crockett.

30. Survivors
Santa Anna released three wives of the defenders, which included Suzanna Dickinson. Her daughter, Angelina, an enslaved person, Joe Travis, Madame Andrea Candelaria, and Brigido Guerrero of San Antonio also survived.

31. The Alamo’s Significance
Without the Battle of the Alamo, Texas would not have won its independence.
Because of the loss of professional soldiers, Santa Anna had to delay the fighting for more than two weeks, which was of great value to the Texan cause.
The courage of Travis and his forces made Texans more determined than ever to win their independence.

32. The Alamo’s Significance (continued))
United States citizens
sent money and went
to Texas to help in the
struggle for freedom.
Other Texans were also inspired by the heroism of those in the Alamo.
“Remember the Alamo!” became the battle cry of Houston’s army.

33. Texans Defeated in South Texas
The other Mexican
army led by General
Urrea advanced from
Matamoros up through South Texas.
General Urrea
defeated Texan
forces at San Patricio,
Refugio, and Goliad.

34. The Battle at Coleto Fannin’s inability to make decisions hurt
the Texas cause.
Fannin delayed his
retreat from Goliad to Victoria, which allowed General Urrea to surround his army near Coleto Creek.

35. The Battle of Coleto (continued)
The Mexicans had
the advantage of
being in the nearby
woods, and after a
brief exchange of
gunfire, Fannin
asked General Uerrea
for the terms of
surrender.

36. The Terms of Surrender Fannin was assured by Urrea that the
Texans would be
treated fairly no
matter what document
was signed.
However, Santa Anna
ordered the immediate
execution of the
Texans.

37. Fannin’s Surrender Colonel Fannin was the last prisoner to be shot.
Even though some
prisoners were
allowed to escape,
on Palm Sunday,
March 27, 350
prisoners were
executed.

38. “Angel of Goliad
Senora Francisca Alvarez helped care for the Texans and even allowed some to escape. She was known as the “Angel of Goliad.”

39. Lessons of Goliad
The fighting in South Texas revealed the lack of cooperation among Texas forces and convinced General Houston that he must not allow his forces to be separated into small groups.
This massacre angered Texans as had the deaths at the Alamo, so “Remember Goliad” now joined “Remember the the Alamo” as the motto of Texas soldiers.