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Siege and Battle of the Alamo
(6 March 1836)
After losing San Antonio to the Texans during the Siege of Bexar, Mexican General
Santa Anna determined to retake this key location and at the same time impress upon
the Texans the futility of further resistance to Mexican rule.
With these goals, the vanguard of Santa Anna's army arrived in San Antonio about 23
February 1836. Some 145 Texans in the area took refuge in the fortified grounds of an
old mission known as the Alamo, under the joint command of William B. Travis (for the
regular army) and Jim Bowie (for the volunteers).
Over the following two weeks, the Mexican forces continually strengthened to over
2000 troops. During the same period, a few reinforcements for the Texans answered
Travis' famous Appeal for Aid and managed to penetrate enemy lines and enter the
Alamo grounds, bringing the total strength of the defenders to about 189 men.
After periodic bombardment, the siege ended on the morning of 6 March when the
Mexicans storm the Alamo fortress. During the battle, all of the Texan defenders were
killed. Several non-combatants were spared, including Susanna Dickenson, the wife of
one of the defenders, Susanna's baby, and a servant of Travis. Partly to reinforce his
goal of terrorizing colonists in Texas, Santa Anna released this small party to inform
Texans of the fate of the defenders.
Losses in the battle have been placed at 189 Texans against about 1600 for the
Mexicans.
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