1. 13 Days that forever changed the history of Texas and the United States

2. By January 1836 Governor Smith and the General Counsel were fighting. The General Counsel wanted to replace him, but he refused to leave. He took all the government records and vowed never to return them The government fell apart. Governor Smith

3. Sam Houston was Alarmed by how unprepared the Texans were, Houston ordered the Alamo destroyed and its artillery removed. Houston sent Jim Bowie to San Antonio to destroy the Alamo.

4. In January 1836, Jim Bowie arrived at the Alamo with 25 men, and decided the Alamo should not be destroyed. Because of Bowie’s recommendation, Governor Smith ordered Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis to raise a force and head to San Antonio. Col. Travis

5. A few days after Travis arrived, Davy Crockett arrived with a dozen volunteers from Tennessee. James Bonham soon followed with a volunteer force from Alabama.

6. William B. Travis was put in command of the Alamo in February 1836 Jim Bowie argued with Travis over control of the troops, but finally agreed to share command with him.

7.  Bowie estimated that 1,000 troops would be needed to defend the Alamo.  They believed that holding the Alamo at any cost was vital to the future of Texas  The mission walls were incomplete, hampering the defense.

8. The Alamo was built as a mission, not a fort. So the Texans had to work hard to build higher and thicker walls, add cannons, and add high fences made of Stakes. The Alamo needed about 1,000 soldiers to properly defend it, but would never have more than 200

9.  Bowie became ill and passed command of the Alamo to William B. Travis.  Travis believed Santa Anna would not enter Texas until spring, but a party of Texan scouts reported that Santa Anna’s army had crossed the Rio Grande.  Despite this report, Travis continued to believe he would have more time.

10. Meanwhile: President Santa Anna and 6,000 Mexican soldiers marched north towards Texas, bent on revenge.

11.  General Santa Anna moved his army of about 6,000 northward.  Most Texans expected Santa Anna to wait until spring to move northward, but marched in the winter.  Santa Anna divided his army: Santa Anna and 6,000 men headed towards San Antonio; the remainder went toward Goliad under General Jose Urrea.

12. The Mexican Army advances General José de Urrea approached from Matamoros towards Goliad. By February 1836, Santa Anna was crossing the Rio Grande marching towards San Antonio.

13. Santa Anna ordered the surrender of the Alamo and the defenders, but the Texans replied with a canon shot fired back at him. In response, Santa Anna raised a red flag that told the Texans that he would take no prisoners and leave no survivors.

14. On February 24, 1836 Santa Anna ordered his forces to begin firing on the Alamo. For 12 nights the Mexican army played the bugle music “The Deguello”. The meaning of this music is “slit throat”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSOwWDEtkh0

15.  That day William Travis wrote a famous letter “To the People of Texas and All Americans” to plead for help. The letter said he would never surrender or retreat. It was signed “Victory or Death”  Travis received little response to his pleas for aid because the Texas forces were poorly organized.

17. Travis made many more pleas for aid to the provisional government and to Colonel James Fannin at Goliad, but they sent no help. On March 1…The only help that arrived was when 32 volunteers arrived from Gonzales under cover of the morning darkness. Alamo Flag

18.  On March 5, Travis explained to his troops that remaining at the Alamo meant certain death.  According to legend, he drew a line on the ground with his sword and invited those who wished to stay to cross the line.  Almost 200 men decided to stay and fight for their beliefs.

20.  The final assault began on the morning of March 6, 1836 at 5:00 A.M.  Santa Anna had stopped the cannon fire the night before to allow the Texans to sleep, then interrupted their slumber with an early morning attack  An estimated 1,800 Mexican troops took part, attacking at four different points.

22.  The North wall fell first, where William Travis was killed early in the Fighting  The men retreated to the long barracks where the bloodiest of the fighting took place.  Bowie was killed in his cot too sick to take part in the battle

26.  The Mexican army turned the cannons on the Texans and forced them toward the chapel.  The chapel was the last area to fall. By that time all but a few defenders were killed  According to Mexican sources about 7 men survived the fighting, including Davy Crockett. They were taken prisoner. (It is uncertain whether Davy Crockett was killed in the fighting or executed later.)

28.  All but a few of the 200 defenders of the Alamo are killed in battle. The prisoners are executed.  Santa Anna reports 70 of his men killed, while reports claim as many as 400 men killed  Susanna Dickinson, wife of an Alamo defender and her infant daughter survive as well as Travis’ slave, Joe and a few others are allowed to go free.

29.  Santa Anna, when asked about the battle claims, “it was but a small affair.”  Santa Anna felt that the defeat of the Alamo would end the Texas Revolution, but it only convinced the Texans to fight harder.  However, Santa Anna lost around 400-600 men, 300 injured, spent 2 weeks in San Antonio, and strengthened the will of Texans to fight.

30.  The battle of the Alamo delayed Santa Anna for two weeks, to the advantage of Texans.  Some people believe that Texas would not have won independence without the battle of the Alamo.  The battle and the courage of the Texans at the Alamo made Texans more determined to win independence.

31.  Instead of discouraging the people of Texas, the loss of the Alamo inspired other Texans to carry on the struggle.  Sam Houston’s army adopted the battle cry “Remember the Alamo!”