Alamo Battle Page 2
Duque Column
Attacking the north wall was Col
Francisco Duque with about 400 men of the Toluca and San Luis
Battalions carrying ladders, axes and crowbars. Defending this
section of The Alamo were three eight-pounders. It was from here
that Col Travis was killed during the first fire of the battle. As
with the other battalions of the Mexican army, Duque's column was
forced back due to heavy cannonade from the Texians. Duque was
wounded during this phase of the fight and General Manuel F.
Castrillon took command.
Romero
Column
Col Jose M. Romero and about 300 men
carrying ladders attacked from the east and northeast near the horse
corrals and cattle pen defended by two cannon; one in the corral and
the cattle pen. Romero's column was forced back but continued to
move north along the east side of The Alamo compound.
During this phase of
the battle the Texians held the compound well, however Romero,
Castrillon and Cos's columns merged into one massive body of
soldiers, which pushed against the north wall. Morale's column
rallied and focused on the S.W. section of The Alamo compound.
Final Phase
As the masses pushed
against the north wall Santa Anna sent in his reserve of the
Zapadores Battalion and companies from Jimenez, Aldama, Matamoros,
Toluca and San Luis Battalions all numbering about 400 men. With the
reserves sent in the added numbers forced Romero to attack once
again the cattle and horse corrals where his men broke through
taking the two cannon. The Texians defending the north wall saw the
situation as hopeless as the reserves and companies under Castrillon
began to breach the north wall. These Texians began to move back
toward the Long Barracks for their last stand.
Cos's men moved over
the N.W. wall and through the windows of the rooms along the west
wall. The flood of Mexican soldiers started to envelope the
compound. As the Texians moved to the Long Barracks Morales's
soldiers climbed over the S.W. wall, took the eighteen-pounder and
turned it to fire upon the Texians in the south portion of the
compound.
As the Mexicans
forced themselves through room after room in the Long Barracks,
killing as they went, the sun began to rise. It is commonly believed
among most historians that about a half dozen defenders surrendered
and were taken prisoner. They were brought before Santa Anna, but he
angrily denounced this action of his officers and immediately
ordered the Texians to be executed on the spot. The debate among the
same historians is whether Crockett was one of the captured. We will
probably never know, but it really doesn't matter. He and the other
men who fought in The Alamo chose to stay, fight, and die there. I
don't think anyone can ask more from another person and surrendering
does not diminish their character at all.
Sunrise over Texas
A Small Affair
Santa Anna told his
officers that this battle was nothing but a small affair. I don't
think he was thinking that too much when on April 21, 1836 his
entire army was routed by angry Texians yelling as they charged,
"Remember the Alamo, remember Golliad" and killed roughly 600
Mexican soldiers during the Battle of San Jacinto near today's
Houston, Texas. Santa Anna surrendered to a wounded Sam Houston
under the shade of a large tree and promised to leave Texas and
never come back.
Texas became a
republic and would fight Santa Anna, albeit briefly again several
years later. The boundaries of Texas were debated after Texas became
a state in the union as being the Rio Grande River vs. the Nueces
River (much further to the north of the Rio Grande). This dispute
would be settled once and for all at the end of the Mexican-American
war of 1848 when the United States acquired New Mexico, Arizona and
California. The southern boundary of Texas became the Rio Grande
River.
The Alamo is a shrine
in the state of Texas. All men must remove hats before entering and
visitors cannot take pictures inside the Chapel except on March 6.
The Texas flag waves proudly beside the United States flag, (Texas is
the only state in the union that is allowed to fly its state flag at
the same height as the US flag) high above the Chapel. The Chapel of
The Alamo has become a symbol of freedom and is a daily reminder of
the sacrifice free people must make to ensure freedom lives.
God Bless Texas!
The Alamo Today
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