Rumors had abounded the fort since the siege began. The men and women holding out in the Alamo expected the assault from the Mexican Army to occur at any time. Women did their best to quiet the fears of tired scared children while hiding their own mounting terror. Minor skirmishes had broken out between the Texian Calvary and the Mexican Army for the past few days. The two groups had shared volleys of gunfire...the pounding from the cannons fired from the interior walls of the Alamo toward Santa Anna’s men shook the ground as the brave men warned their future murderers that it wasn’t going to be an easy victory. Santa Anna had been flying the red flag which meant there would be no quarter since the day his troops had surrounded the fort. (No quarter means no prisoners will be taken, no man will be left alive.)
Outside the fort, Santa Anna was marching around giving final orders. Napoleon of the west had directed his Generals to lead the troops closer to the fort for the final assault. The troops had followed their orders to approach within 200 yards of the walls of the fort. As Santa Anna raised the bugle to his lips, an overzealous soldier shouted, “Viva Santa Anna!” (Hoyt) The men began running toward the walls with 1500 men shouting their battle cries.
Inside the fort, the men quickly ran to their posts taking up the fight lightening fast. The women hurried their frightened children into the chapel to protect them from the stray bullets that were striking walls too close for comfort. Davy Crockett and his Tennessee Volunteers took up position on the south wall. Crockett and his sharpshooters cut down multitudes of Santa Anna’s men. William B. Travis ran around giving his men last minute orders. Legend has it that Travis rallied his men with cries of, “Give ‘em hell!” His men heeded his call; all around the fort the men were showing Santa Anna’s army what it meant to be a true Texian…never give in, never surrender!
The sheer multitude of Santa Anna’s men was keeping the outnumbered Texians from success. For every man that fell outside the walls, another would step up to take their place. A toll had finally been taken on the men holed up in the fort, according to legend, when the battalion had made it to the north wall Travis was cut short by a bullet through the head. Soon other brave men met their deaths as Anna’s army finally breached the walls of the fort. Crockett and his Tennessee volunteers met the fate of Travis as they tried to defend the interior walls of the Alamo. A couple of men carried the ill Bowie on his litter from the garrison into the chapel with the women and children while the survivors enclosed themselves inside the buildings barring windows and doors. Soon the doors and walls were breached as the Texians were overwhelmed cut down by swords and bullets. One of Santa Anna’s officers approached Jim Bowie and shot him through the head as he fired his weapon from his litter. Some stories say that several of the children were shown no mercy as bayonets cut through tender flesh.
One Anglo woman and her daughter were left alive and were brought before Santa Anna. Santa Anna allowed the woman to go free with the charge of telling the Texians of the Great Santa Anna’s victory. They were sent out along with a surviving slave by the name of Joe with a message for the Texian Army that Santa Anna was on his way and would show no mercy to any Texian found fighting. Twenty surviving Tejano women and their children who had found sanctuary in the chapel were shown mercy and sent to live with relatives in the town of San Antonio. Santa Anna ordered all the bodies of the fallen Texians burned. Over five hundred of Santa Anna’s troops died and all one hundred seventy eight of Texian defenders perished that day at the Alamo.
Interesting footnote: Santa Anna ordered the total destruction of the Alamo as he and his soldiers left San Antonio to continue their mission to slaughter any of the Texian Calvary left in Texas. One of Santa Anna’s generals and small battalion (Historical accounts are unclear on how many men were left behind but it would have been formidable based on the threat perceived from any Texian hold-outs or sympathizers) were left to monitor San Antonio and were to be responsible for demolishing what was left of the Alamo. The general sent a few of the soldiers to take care of the demolition. The men returned almost immediately screaming, “El Diablo! El Diablo!” According to legend, as the soldiers approached the ruined fort, four glowing images appeared from the rubble with flaming swords ordering the men to leave and never return. The men fled in terror. The next day the general took a formidable group of soldiers to complete the destruction. They too were thwarted by these mysterious specters. The accuracy of this legend is only known to those who are long dead. This fact is true; Santa Anna ordered the complete destruction of the Alamo. His orders were not followed. Although nearly decimated during the battle, the Misión San Antonio de Valero or as we know it, the Alamo, received it’s stay of execution. It stands today, chapel rebuilt to honor those who died…a shrine of Texas Liberty!
Next week: Fannin’s Folly
