Warm Up – Dec 11, 2012

1. Warm Up – Dec 11, 2012 If you were at the Battle of Gonzales, how would the “Come and Take It” Flag affect you? Explain using complete sentences.

2. Agenda • Warm Up • Good Things • Capture of San Antonio • Siege of the Alamo • Battle of the Alamo

3. Capture of San Antonio A week after the Battle of Gonzales, (October 9, 1835) the Texas Army (about 120 people) marched to presidio at Goliad. In a surprise attack, the Texans captured the Goliad Presidio in about 30 minutes. After victories at both Gonzales & Goliad, many Texans began to believe that the Mexican Army could be easily defeated.

4. Capture of San Antonio After securing Goliad, the only major Mexican Military force left was the one commanded by General Cos in San Antonio. Stephen F. Austin took command of 300 Texans in Gonzales and began tomarch toward San Antonio. SFA called his troops the “Army of the People.”

5. Capture of San Antonio As SFA marched toward San Antonio, about 400 more volunteered to join the “Army of the People.” Once in San Antonio, a few small fights broke out between the Texans and Mexican troops. Eventually General Cos and the Mexican troops take refuge in the small Mexican mission called “The Alamo.”

6. Capture of San Antonio The Texas Volunteers decide make camp around the mission and “lay siege” to the Mexican troops. The Texans hope that Cos would eventually run out of supplies and be forced to surrender. The Texans lay siege to the Alamo for the rest of October and November 1835.

7. Capture of San Antonio After a few months and as winter set in, Texans learned that the Mexican troops were weak inside the Alamo and could not withstand a major attack. The Texans decided to attack the Alamo on December 5, 1835. The assault lasted 4 days. On December 9, 1835, General Cos asked for terms of surrender. He promised never to fight against the colonist again.

8. Capture of San Antonio General Cos and his troops were allowed to return to Mexico a few days after the surrender. This battle was later named the “Battle of San Antonio” to help distinguish this battle and the Battle of the Alamo. In the end, only 2 Texans were killed and 21 were wounded. About 150 Mexican soldiers were killed or wounded.

9. Video Clip Break! • Jim Bowie & Sam Houston http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/9F78FCAE-3EF6-4732-A0C7-BEE68E513741 • The Alamo http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/9F78FCAE-3EF6-4732-A0C7-BEE68E513741

10. Texas Occupy the Alamo On January 17, 1836 General Sam Houston (the leader of the Texas Army) ordered Colonel Jim Bowie and 25 volunteer soldiers to leave Goliad and go to the Alamo. Bowie’s mission was simple. Destroy the Alamo so Santa Anna’s army can’t use it.

11. Texas Occupy the Alamo On February 3, 1836 Lieutenant (Lt.) Colonel William Travis arrived at the Alamo with about 30 soldiers from San Felipe. Travis –vs- Bowie

12. Texas Occupy the Alamo Santa Anna arrives in San Antonio on February 23, 1836 with about 6,000 troops. The Texas retreated into the Alamo when the Mexican Calvary came charging at the Alamo. Over the past few months, the Texas had “fortified” or strengthened the outside walls of the Alamo as well as stocked the Alamo with enough food and water.

14. Texas Occupy the Alamo The Alamo was stocked with 21 cannons and 1 very large and powerful 18-pounder cannon. In total, there are about 200 men inside the Alamo. The vast majority are volunteer militia (or volunteer soldiers) and are commanded by Jim Bowie.

15. The Siege of the Alamo The legendary Frontier hunter David Crockett had been in San Antonio since around Feb 10. He was present when Santa Anna arrived in San Antonio. Crockett came from Tennessee with 12 volunteers. Crockett had been a Tennessee militia man as well as a US Congress Representative. His famous line is : “Ya’ll can go to hell. I’m going to Texas!”

16. Travis’s Letter Lt. Col. William Travis was determined to hold and defend the Alamo despite the direct order from General Sam Houston to destroy it. While Travis was in the Alamo (prior to the Mexican army arriving) he wrote a few messages to the people of Texas and the United States asking for assistance. On Feb. 24, 1836 Travis writes one final letter and it is one of the finest statements of courage in all of American History.

17. Travis’s Letter Commandancy of the The Alamo Bejar, Feby. 24th. 1836 To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World— 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 a 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 the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch — The enemy is receieving 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 Barrett Travis. Lt. Col. comdt. 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 and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves. Travis

18. The Siege of the Alamo Beginning on February 24, 1836, Santa Anna lay siege to the Alamo. They started by offering a peaceful terms of surrender. However, as the Mexican official was reading the Santa Anna’s “terms of surrender,” William Travis answered by firing the 18-pound cannon!

19. The Siege of the Alamo As a result, the Santa Anna ordered a solid RED FLAG to be flown from the church. The Red flag symbolized that “No quarter” was to be taken. “Quarter” means no Prisoners during the battle.

20. The Siege of the Alamo For the next 13 days, the Mexican Army bombarded the Alamo’s walls with cannon fire. Every night the Mexican Band would play the “death march.” They tried to break the spirit of those inside the Alamo.

21. The Fall of the Alamo On the night of March 5, Santa Anna moved his troops into position for the final attack at daybreak the next day. He coordinated so that all his troops would be divided into 3 major points of attack. Mexican Army Mexican Army Santa Anna’s Main Army

22. The Fall of the Alamo On the morning of March 6, the Mexican troops were in place. At about 5:00am the battle began. About 1,800 Mexican soldiers took part in the battle. The defenders of the Alamo were ready for the attack. They were able to repel the 1st and 2nd waves of attacks with cannon fire and rifle fire.

23. The Fall of the Alamo

24. The Fall of the Alamo

25. The Fall of the Alamo By the 3rd wave of attack, the Mexican troops over took the walls of the Alamo and entered the inside of the Alamo fortress.

26. The Fall of the Alamo By 8:00am the battle was over. All 212 defenders of the Alamo were dead.

27. The Fall of the Alamo It is rumored that David Crockett was one of the few defenders to actually survive the battle, However, since Santa Annapromised no quarter, Crockett and the last few defenders were shotat point blank range.