The FReeper Foxhole Revisits The Fall of the Alamo - April 10th, 2004

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[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

The Fall Of The Alamo (1836)

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.

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.

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.


William Barret Travis

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Day Eight – Tuesday March 1, 1836

Thirty-two reinforcements from Gonzales arrive.


Davy Crockett

General Sesma advances towards Goliad to seek out Texian reinforcements coming to the aid of the Alamo. Finding none, he returns to Bexar.

The Alamo's 12-pound gunnade fires two shots, one of them hitting Santa Anna's headquarters.

Day Nine – Wednesday March 2, 1836

Travis receives a report that there is corn at the Seguin ranch. He sends a detatchment headed by Lt. Menchaca to retrieve it.

Mexican forces discover a hidden road within pistol shot of the Alamo and post the Jimenez battalion there to cover it.

Unknown to the defenders, Independence has been declared at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

Day Ten – Thursday March 3, 1836

James Butler Bonham arrives with news of reinforcements. He reports that sixty men from Gonzales are due and that an additional 600 would soon be en route.



The Texians fire several shots into the city in celebration.

Santa Anna receives word of Mexican General Urrea's victory at San Patricio. In celebration, the Mexcians ring church bells and there is revelry in the camp.

The lead elements of General Gaona's Brigade arrive. These are reinforcements needed for a successful assault.

Day Eleven – Friday March 4, 1836

Santa Anna gathers his officers for a council of war.

It is decided that when the final assault takes place, that they will take no prisoners. The time for the assault will be determined tomorrow.


Jim Bowie

Having been consolidated into two batteries, the Mexican artillery, is brought to within 200 yards of the compound.

More Texian reinforcements arrive in the late hours.

Day Twelve – Saturday March 5, 1836

Santa Anna issues orders for the assault to begin on the following day utilizing four assault columns and one reserve column.

Santa Anna calls for reconnaissance to determine Mexican attack positions and approaches.

A messenger arrives at the compound with the grim news that reinforcements aren't coming.

Travis gathers his men and informs them of their options.

At midnight the Mexicans begin moving into attack position.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[SAMWolf]

Morning Aeronaut.

[SAMWolf]

Good morning Radu.

[Aeronaut]

Hey Sam. The GBs kinda define putting wings on an engine, don't they?

[SAMWolf]

Morning Snopercod. Welcome back.

Snippy and I went to see "The Alamo" yesterday. It's not as bad as I was expecting it to be. My biggest problem is that they went with the Davy Crockett survived the assault and was executed version. IMHO, there isn't enough proof of this. I also think they make Crockett look too much like a man who doubted himself. Nothing I read about him suggests that.

They throw in some "PC" comments and lines to bring out the point that Bowie was a slave holder, Travis abandoned his family, and that Houston and a lot of the men in Texas at that time where drunks, adventurers and opportunists. That part I don't really have a problem with, the men who settled the West and expanded the boundries where a rough lot, the citified dandies of back East where not the men who took the risks and pushed our Country West. They were the kind of men we needed, rough tough, adventurers and hard living, it in no way reduces the accomplishments of these men.

On the whole, I actually enjoyed most of the movie, the Battle scences are more historically accurate than the John Wayne version and I also went into the movie knowing that the men of the Alamo and Texas were not saints and had human faults.

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Feather. I hope you get some nice Easter weather.

[SAMWolf]

Morning PE. I was almost expecting a NASA photo of the San Antonio area. :-)

[SAMWolf]

You got that right, it almost looks like they remembered about leaving room for a pilot as an afterthought.

[The Mayor]

God . . . has given us the ministry of reconciliation. —2 Corinthians 5:18

When we experience peace with God, we can share His peace with others.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning Sam, I think it's going to be cold again.

Well, I have always been a New Yorker so what do I know about warm???? LOL

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning snippy and Sam!!

What happened to little Hagar to lead us to the past threads???
I miss Hagar!! He is Helga's man!! LOL

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Aeronaut. LOL, it is cute.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning radu. How's things in your neck of the woods?

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning EGC.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning feather.

[Aeronaut]

...it almost looks like they remembered about leaving room for a pilot as an afterthought.

Actually the pilot had to be set that far back to balance the weight of the big engine ahead of the center of lift. It was a very tricky airplane to fly, and uncontrollable if it got slow.

[snippy_about_it]

Howdy PE.

[snippy_about_it]

Well said Sam, you would do well writing movie reviews!

I agree with what Sam says about the movie and will add my two cents about it here. ;-)

You still come away knowing the wickedness of Santa Ana, and the pride of the "Texians" in fighting for their country. You also see that even the local Mexicans were on our side and fought against Santa Ana.

It still jerked tears and made you proud of the men who held their ground at the Alamo. I thought that by the time Houston engaged Santa Ana in battle it was clear to the viewer why we were able to put them down in so short a time and why they "let" Santa Ana live.


It is also good to see history being told and hopefully it encourages folks to learn more for themselves.

[Professional Engineer]

Morning PE. I was almost expecting a NASA photo of the San Antonio area. :-)

How about Johnson Space Center just before the Moonshots.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. We're going to the Mooooooon.