Historical Map of the Defense of the Alamo, February 23 - March 6, 1836.
Background:
The Alamo, a former Spanish mission in San Antonio, served as a strategic frontier outpost guarding one of the main roads
into Texas from the Mexican interior.
The siege began on February 23, 1836, when at least 1,800 Mexican troops under General Antonio López de Santa
Anna entered San Antonio de Bexar, Texas, and surrounded the Alamo Mission.
The Texian garrison,
numbering around 180 to 260 men, was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis
and James Bowie.
Despite being heavily outnumbered, the defenders resolutely refused to surrender, famously responding to a demand for
capitulation with a cannon shot.
Fighting at the Alamo began the day after the siege started. On February 24, 1836,
the first hefty skirmishes of the Battle of the Alamo occured.
The siege lasted for 13 days of intense fighting and artillery bombardments that resulted in substantial casualties
on both sides.
On the morning of March 6, after days of relentless assault and dwindling supplies, the Mexican forces launched
a final attack. They managed to breach the Alamo's defenses after two failed assaults, leading to fierce close-quarters
combat.
Within about 90 minutes, nearly all Texian defenders were killed or captured.
Rather quelling resistance as Santa Anna had hoped, the defeat at the Alamo instead ignited a fervent desire
for revenge among Texians, leading to a swift mobilization against Mexican troops and ultimately to the
establishment of the Republic of Texas.
Used by permission of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.
