The Alamo
ALAMO, A
FORT IN TEXAS, erected for a mission building in 1744; used
for religious purposes till 1793, when, on account of the great strength
of its walls, it was converted into a fort. In the struggle by Texas for
independence, the most sanguinary and heroic conflict of the border
warfare, which merged into the
Mexican War,
occurred there—a conflict which for years was familiar to Americans as
the Thermopylae of Texas. The fort was about an acre in extent, oblong,
and surrounded by a wall 8 or 10 feet in height by 3 feet in thickness.
A body of Texans, under the command of
Col. William Barrett Travis,
retired into the fort early in 1836, upon the dismantling of San Antonio
by Sam
Houston, and then
Santa
Anna, with a large force, invested the fort Feb. 23. The Texans
numbered only 140 men, while the Mexican army was 4,000 strong. The
enemy took possession of the town, then erected batteries on both sides
of the river, and for twenty-four hours bombarded the fort, during
which, it is stated, over 200 shells were discharged into it, but
without injuring a man. The attacking forces made several vigorous
assaults on the fort, but were repulsed in each case. The commander of
the beleaguered garrison sent many couriers to San Felipe for
assistance, but only a handful of men succeeded in reaching the fort. As
the siege progressed provisions grew scarce, and the defenders of Alamo,
worn by the labors of the defense and broken in health, although not in
spirits, were hourly becoming less able to hold their posts. March 6 a
combined attack was made by the entire forces of the besiegers; twice
they assaulted the posts, and were as often driven back with heavy loss
by the Texan troops. A hand-to-hand encounter ensued, which the Texans,
few and feeble, were unable to sustain, and but six of their devoted
band remained. Among this number was the famous
Davy Crockett, who, with
the others, surrendered, under promise of protection; but when they were
taken before Santa Anna were, upon his command, instantly cut to pieces,
Crockett having been stabbed by a dozen swords. Other barbarities were
committed, such as collecting the bodies of the slain in the centre of
the Alamo, and, after horribly mutilating the re-mains, burning them.
Only three persons, a woman, a child, and a servant, were spared. A few
weeks after Santa Anna was routed with immense loss, and himself captured
in the battle of San Jacinto, where the Texans raised the war cry, "
Remember the Alamo!" It is estimated that during the siege of Fort Alamo
the Mexican losses aggregated over 1,600 men. For many years, indeed
until the close of the Mexican War, the Texans only needed to be roused
to deeds of valor by the recollection of the massacre at the Alamo, and
dearly did the neighboring republic pay for the butchery by Santa Anna
and his forces. |