alamo siege presentation
TRANSCRIPT
Green Jameson (engineer) and Commander Lt. Colonel James C.
Neill
Texans Prepare
The Alamo mission itself was already in a state of disrepair, including the low barracks building on the south side. On the west side of the Alamo were a series of adobe huts protected by a stone wall which ran across to the north side; on the eastern side of the Alamo was a two story building which contained the long barracks, convent and hospital; the Alamo church sat in the south east corner facing west. It was only through the military engineer Green Jameson's inspirations that the Alamo mission could be fortified. Despite it's 18 cannons the Alamo was considered by most military experts not able to be suitably defended. Military Historians later agreed the Alamo would have taken over one thousand men to properly defend. The 189 strong band of defenders in the Alamo had very little chance of success.
The Siege of the Alamo - The 13 Days
Begin…
Day One, February 23, 1836
Day Two, Feb. 24, 1836
“Fellow citizens & compatriots- I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa
Anna- I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man-
The enemy has demanded surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken- I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls- I shall never surrender or retreat.
Then I call on you in name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch- The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt
increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a
soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country- Victory or Death!”
-William Barret TravisLt. Col. Comdt.
Commandancy of the AlamoBexar. Feby. 24th 1836
P.S. The Lord is on our side- When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of
corn- We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels & got into the walls 20 or 30 heads
of beeves.
Day Three, Feb 25, 1836
Day Four and Five, Feb. 26 and 27, 1836
Day Six Feb. 28, 1836
James Butler BonhamJames Fannin
Presidio La Bahia(Fort Defiance)
Day Seven Feb. 29, 1836
Both Suzanna Dickinson, wife of
Almeron Dickinson, and Colonel Travis noted Crockett’s
efforts to improve the worsening morale of
the troops. Mrs. Dickinson recalled that Crockett often cheered the troops
with his fiddle. Travis reported in a letter to
Sam Houston that Crockett seemed to cheer the men at all points. Even the ill Bowie had his bed moved out into the
open, where he attempted to
encourage the men. Despite all efforts, the stress began to show. Arkansas artilleryman Henry Warnell said, “I’d much rather be
out on that open prairie…I don’t like to
be penned up like this.”
Crockett's fiddle
Day Eight, March 1, 1836
The immortal 32
The Gonzales Ranging Company
of Mounted Volunteers
Albert MartinIsaac BakerJohn CaneGeorge Washington CottleDavid CummingsSquire DamonJacob DarstJohn DavisWilliam DearduffCharles DespallierWilliam FishbaughJohn FlandersDolphin W. FloydGalba FuquaJohn E GarvinJohn E Gaston
James GeorgeThomas JacksonJohnny KelloggAndrew KentGeorge C KimballJohn G KingWilliam P KingJonathan LindleyJesse McCoyThomas MillerIsaac MillsapsGeorge NegganWilliam SummersGeorge TumlinsonRobert WhiteClaiborne Wright
Th
e Im
morta
l 32
Day Nine, March 2, 1836
Day Ten March 3, 1836
Day ElevenMarch 4, 1836
Day Twelve, March 5, 1836
Site where Colonel William Travis drew the line in the soil with his sword. See metal bar at top of image.Plaque is a few yards in front of the main doors of Alamo's Church.
The Battle of the Alamo
Susanna Dickinson
Angelina Dickinson
Sketch of view of gap in wall where Davy Crockett and his Tennessee countrymen fought
“The Alamo teaches us that even if you're surrounded, outnumbered ten to
one, the enemy has announced that they are taking no prisoners, and they are pouring over the walls, but within
your soul you still have options. You can decide that something is worth dying for. That here is where you will stand. That here is where you will draw the line.
Because there is such as thing as victory in death. There is such as thing as
immortality. If something is worth dying for, that means it is also worth living for.”
-Lamont Wood (historian)
