Advanced American History
The Alamo
December 13, 2013
The battle of the Alamo is one if not the greatest massacre of American soldiers that ever occurred in the history of the United States. Can we truly call the Alamo a massacre though, for three long days a mix of Texans and Tennessee soldiers stood and fought over 2500 well trained Mexican soldiers. They killed near half of the 2500 soldiers before being butchered themselves. There is more to the Alamo then just the battle itself; the previous months involving the Texas uprising to break away from Spain and the aftermath that followed the Alamo all play a huge role in the history of Texas and the United States itself.
In the early months of 1835, the Mexican government under the rule of one Santa De Anna, broke away from its original federal type government and formed a dictatorship with Santa Anna being at the top. His aim was to start retaking much of the land that was lost to Spain during the Louisiana Purchase and his first target was the territories know as Texas. He began attacking towns and settlements with a small force of soldiers and was slowly working his way towards the town of San Antonio. His goal was to bury the town and storm north. General Sam Houston stopped the first fleet of soldiers several months prior to the battle of the Alamo but knew that Santa Anna would return with a stronger force. On February 17, 1836 scouts reported a large battalion of soldiers headed towards San Antonio again. With no army to fight, Houston quickly called for volunteers to give him time to build an army before Santa Anna got to San Antonio. What he asked he knew was a suicidal mission, but knew that without it the fate of Texas was surely lost.
On February 18, 1836 Colonel William B. Travis was stationed at the Alamo, which was no more then an old run down church and told that he was in command of only 100 untrained riflemen. His orders were to hold the fort no matter what conditions he was to face. General Houston then rode away to start building his army. Travis was joined by Colonel James Bowie who was a famous knife fighter from Mississippi. He was the inventor of the Bowie knife and carried with him a reputation that many men could not match. In addition to the Colonels and their 100 riflemen, former U.S Congressman and Indian fighter David Crockett arrived on the scene with about 40 of his Tennesseans. Their numbers now stood at 140 men and together the readied their run down fort for battle. On February 23, 1836 the Mexican forces arrived with 2500 soldiers. The first ten days would bring nothing but a few pot shots and exchange of words between the General Santa Anna and Colonel Travis. On the tenth day, while Travis was trying to make a truce with Santa Anna, Bowie lit a cannon that sent a ball but twenty yards from the General’s horse. The talking stopped and fighting began.
On February 24, the siege of the Alamo began. Problems quickly arose for the Texans. Colonel Bowie was bed ridden, he had and was still struggling with tuberculosis, Colonel Travis quickly realized how outnumbered they were, and most of Crockett’s men were fighting off a hangover while trying to fight the Mexican army. Cannon fire from the Spaniards would take up most of the day. Colonel Travis would count over 132 cannon balls that were fired into the fort. Running low on supplies as it was, Travis ordered his men to collect the cannon balls and to reuse them out of their own cannons. For the next two days, that was how the fighting went, exchange of cannon fire. Both armies were hoping to further weaken their opponent. At the end of the third day Travis only accounted for one dead man. The night of February 27, 1836 women and children were sent into the fort on the account of Santa Anna began burning the town of San Antonio. Travis knew he was now further in danger, for if the fort fell then these women and children would be sold into slavery.
On the night of February 28, 1836 the Texans had fallen asleep when Santa Anna began his final attack. 2500 Spanish soldiers slowly made their way to the base of the twenty foot high walls of the Alamo. Travis would be the first to announce the attack and the men quickly awoke and began firing into the waves of soldiers. For the first hour, the Texans held off the first few waves of Spaniards, but became quickly overrun when the Santa Anna ordered crude ladders to be climbed up the walls of the Alamo. Travis was killed shortly after the order by a musket ball to the forehead. Bowie, who lay in a room below the steeple, heard the fighting erupting and retrieved his two pistols and famous knife and awaited his death. Within minutes soldiers stormed his room; he killed two men with his pistols and continued to stab five more before being bayoneted to death. Crockett would be one of the last survivors. The next morning, Santa Anna ordered all male captives to be executed, Crockett's body was found with a bullet in the back of his head, laying in the court yard.
Five days later, General Houston returned to San Antonio with his army. He was told the news of the Alamo and quickly tracked down the 1700 survivors of Santa Anna’s army. While they were still eating breakfast, Houston attacked and within twenty- five minutes had massacred the rest of Santa Anna’s men. Records show that the blood flowed so freely that the creeks behind the battle field turned red. Santa Anna was shot in the foot and kept alive long enough to sign a surrender document with Houston. He was sent back to Mexico to face his failures. In the end Texas would become a state less than a year later. Those that fought at the Alamo are remembered today as the bravest souls that have ever fought an American battle. Facing the highest odds, each man held his ground for his state and for his country.
Below is a file that contains a small movie review of two movies that portray the Battle of the Alamo.
The Alamo
December 13, 2013
The battle of the Alamo is one if not the greatest massacre of American soldiers that ever occurred in the history of the United States. Can we truly call the Alamo a massacre though, for three long days a mix of Texans and Tennessee soldiers stood and fought over 2500 well trained Mexican soldiers. They killed near half of the 2500 soldiers before being butchered themselves. There is more to the Alamo then just the battle itself; the previous months involving the Texas uprising to break away from Spain and the aftermath that followed the Alamo all play a huge role in the history of Texas and the United States itself.
In the early months of 1835, the Mexican government under the rule of one Santa De Anna, broke away from its original federal type government and formed a dictatorship with Santa Anna being at the top. His aim was to start retaking much of the land that was lost to Spain during the Louisiana Purchase and his first target was the territories know as Texas. He began attacking towns and settlements with a small force of soldiers and was slowly working his way towards the town of San Antonio. His goal was to bury the town and storm north. General Sam Houston stopped the first fleet of soldiers several months prior to the battle of the Alamo but knew that Santa Anna would return with a stronger force. On February 17, 1836 scouts reported a large battalion of soldiers headed towards San Antonio again. With no army to fight, Houston quickly called for volunteers to give him time to build an army before Santa Anna got to San Antonio. What he asked he knew was a suicidal mission, but knew that without it the fate of Texas was surely lost.
On February 18, 1836 Colonel William B. Travis was stationed at the Alamo, which was no more then an old run down church and told that he was in command of only 100 untrained riflemen. His orders were to hold the fort no matter what conditions he was to face. General Houston then rode away to start building his army. Travis was joined by Colonel James Bowie who was a famous knife fighter from Mississippi. He was the inventor of the Bowie knife and carried with him a reputation that many men could not match. In addition to the Colonels and their 100 riflemen, former U.S Congressman and Indian fighter David Crockett arrived on the scene with about 40 of his Tennesseans. Their numbers now stood at 140 men and together the readied their run down fort for battle. On February 23, 1836 the Mexican forces arrived with 2500 soldiers. The first ten days would bring nothing but a few pot shots and exchange of words between the General Santa Anna and Colonel Travis. On the tenth day, while Travis was trying to make a truce with Santa Anna, Bowie lit a cannon that sent a ball but twenty yards from the General’s horse. The talking stopped and fighting began.
On February 24, the siege of the Alamo began. Problems quickly arose for the Texans. Colonel Bowie was bed ridden, he had and was still struggling with tuberculosis, Colonel Travis quickly realized how outnumbered they were, and most of Crockett’s men were fighting off a hangover while trying to fight the Mexican army. Cannon fire from the Spaniards would take up most of the day. Colonel Travis would count over 132 cannon balls that were fired into the fort. Running low on supplies as it was, Travis ordered his men to collect the cannon balls and to reuse them out of their own cannons. For the next two days, that was how the fighting went, exchange of cannon fire. Both armies were hoping to further weaken their opponent. At the end of the third day Travis only accounted for one dead man. The night of February 27, 1836 women and children were sent into the fort on the account of Santa Anna began burning the town of San Antonio. Travis knew he was now further in danger, for if the fort fell then these women and children would be sold into slavery.
On the night of February 28, 1836 the Texans had fallen asleep when Santa Anna began his final attack. 2500 Spanish soldiers slowly made their way to the base of the twenty foot high walls of the Alamo. Travis would be the first to announce the attack and the men quickly awoke and began firing into the waves of soldiers. For the first hour, the Texans held off the first few waves of Spaniards, but became quickly overrun when the Santa Anna ordered crude ladders to be climbed up the walls of the Alamo. Travis was killed shortly after the order by a musket ball to the forehead. Bowie, who lay in a room below the steeple, heard the fighting erupting and retrieved his two pistols and famous knife and awaited his death. Within minutes soldiers stormed his room; he killed two men with his pistols and continued to stab five more before being bayoneted to death. Crockett would be one of the last survivors. The next morning, Santa Anna ordered all male captives to be executed, Crockett's body was found with a bullet in the back of his head, laying in the court yard.
Five days later, General Houston returned to San Antonio with his army. He was told the news of the Alamo and quickly tracked down the 1700 survivors of Santa Anna’s army. While they were still eating breakfast, Houston attacked and within twenty- five minutes had massacred the rest of Santa Anna’s men. Records show that the blood flowed so freely that the creeks behind the battle field turned red. Santa Anna was shot in the foot and kept alive long enough to sign a surrender document with Houston. He was sent back to Mexico to face his failures. In the end Texas would become a state less than a year later. Those that fought at the Alamo are remembered today as the bravest souls that have ever fought an American battle. Facing the highest odds, each man held his ground for his state and for his country.
Below is a file that contains a small movie review of two movies that portray the Battle of the Alamo.
Movie Review | |
File Size: | 24 kb |
File Type: | doc |