The Alamo and Goliad
Chapter 10
The Texas Army
 After capturing San Antonio, the
Texas Army became smaller because
it drifted without leadership, and most
of the volunteer army returned home.
 New arrivals from the U.S. came in
units, twos and threes, or alone.
 Some were well known, but many
others were unknown farmers,
hunters, and clerks.
 Many different nationalities were
represented.
The Texas Army
continued)
 The Texas forces
remained scattered
in many places.
 Little coordination
or communication
existed between
these scattered
units.
 Sam Houston was
unable to unite the
military units.
Texans Plan to Capture the
Mexican City of Matamoros
• Control of Matamoros
would boost the morale
of Republicans in Mexico.
• Texans hoped that in moving the war
south, Santa Anna would not interfere
in Texas at all.
• No single Texas force was large
enough to make the attack, as the
army units were so scattered.
Santa Anna’s
Army
 Santa Anna quickly recruited his
army of some 6,000 soldiers,
even though the volunteers were
untrained, undisciplined, poorly
clothed, poorly fed, and forced to
fight with poor equipment
against their will.
The Movement of
Santa Anna’s Army
 Santa Anna hoped to
surprise the Texans by
moving northward in the
winter, so he could end the
rebellion against the
Mexican government and
thus keep his authority and
power.
Division of the Mexican Army

Santa Anna divided his army
into two main columns:
1. Santa Anna led one
division toward San
Antonio de Bexar.
1. The other column
commanded by
General Jose Urrea
moved toward
Goliad.
Texans at the
Alamo
 Colonel Neill—
104 soldiers
 Colonel James Bowie—
25 soldiers from Goliad
 William B. Travis—30
soldiers from San Felipe
Texans at the Alamo
David Crockett—
12 more volunteers
Juan Seguin
led many
Tejano
defenders
The Battle of the Alamo
Chapter 10
Section 2
Jim Bowie’s Arrival at
the Alamo
• Bowie estimated that
1,000 troops would be
needed to defend the fortress.
• Bowie and Travis felt
that holding the Alamo
at any cost was vital to
the future of Texas.
• They began to strengthen
their defenses.
Strengths of the Alamo
• A good defensive
position
• Walls--2-3 feet
thick and 6-12 feet high
• Fortified by twenty
cannons
• Adequate supplies
of beef and corn
• Sufficient and
available water
Weaknesses of the Alamo
• Incomplete wall that surrounded
the main plaza of the old mission
• A gap between the south wall and
the old chapel on the southeast
(closed only with sticks and dirt)
• Mission too large for Travis to
defend with the number of troops
he had (nearly three acres of land
with only 200 volunteers)
Santa Anna’s Ultimatum
• As the Mexican soldier’s arrived in San
Antonio, Santa Anna allowed the people
inside and outside the Alamo the
opportunity to leave without harm.
• A number of women and children took
that ultimatum and left town before
fighting began.
You may choose one of two
assignments…
You have a map of the Alamo. You need to
place 22 cannons and assign places for
189 men inside the Alamo. Your map
needs a Key. You also need to explain to
me in paragraph form, your strategy
behind placing men where you did.
You may choose one of two
assignments…
You are a wife and mother of a fleeing
Texan. You need to write a letter to
family either in Texas or the U.S.
explaining what is going on in San
Antonio. You are also allowed to take a
purse size bag with you. Tell me what
you are taking inside this bag.
(remember: you don’t know if you will ever return)
Travis’s
Letters
• Written to the
people of
Texas and the
United States
asking for
assistance at
the Alamo
Travis’s Best Known Letter
“I am besieged by a thousand or
more of the Mexicans under Santa
Anna--I have sustained a
continual Bombardment &
cannonade for 24 hours hours &
have not lost a man--The enemy
has demanded a surrender at
discretion, otherwise, the
Travis’s Letter
(continued)
garrison are to be put to the
sword, if the fort is taken--I
have answered the demand
with a 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 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 and die like
a soldier who never forgets
what is due to his own honor
and that of his country--Victory
or Death!”
Travis’s
Famous Letter
• One of the finest
statements of courage in
American history
• Unfortunately brought little
response from the outside-Texas forces still poorly
organized and badly
scattered
Santa Anna’s Well Trained
and Well Equipped Army
• An estimated 1,800 Mexican
troops headquartered at the
San Fernando Church, which
faced eastward toward the Alamo.
• The red flag of “no quarter”
raised over Santa Anna’s
headquarters which meant
there would be no prisoners
in the coming battle.
Travis’s Last Appeal
• Written on March 3, 1836
• Sent to the
President of the
Convention of 1836,
which was meeting
at Washington-on the-Brazos
• Described what had already
taken place and repeated the
request for assistance
Travis’s Last Appeal (continued)
• Warned the Convention
that the power of
Santa Anna must be
met at the Alamo
instead of in the
settlements
• Concluded that
Travis and his troops
were determined to hold the Alamo
Fact or Legend?
• Travis and his volunteers had no
chance for victory and faced certain
death.
• Travis drew a line, so that all those
who wished to stay and defend the
Alamo could step over the line. All
but one man crossed over the line.
• These men decided to defend the
Alamo for a cause in which they
believed, even though they were free
to leave the Alamo.
The Mexican Armies
Encircled the Alamo
• At first, these
defenders held
the mission
against the
bombardment
of the heavy
Mexican cannons.
The Final Attack
• Some 1,800 Mexican trained troops
assaulted the Alamo at 5:30 A. M. on
March 6, 1836.
• The Texas defenders
put up a stubborn
resistance, but they
were slowly forced
to give ground against
the three waves of Mexican troops.
The Fall of the Alamo
• By 6:30 A. M., the
whole garrison was
overpowered, and
the battle for the
Alamo was over.
• Santa Anna lost an
estimated 600 men.
After the Battle
• Santa Anna ordered
that all defenders
of the the Alamo
be killed, so an
estimated 182-189
Texans were killed
at the Alamo. This
included Bowie,
Travis, and Crockett.
Survivors
• Santa Anna released three
wives of the defenders, which
included Suzanna Dickinson.
Her daughter, Angelina, an
enslaved person, Joe Travis,
Madame Andrea Candelaria,
and Brigido Guerrero of San
Antonio also survived.
The Alamo’s Significance
• Without the Battle of the Alamo,
Texas would not have won its
independence.
• Because of the loss of professional
soldiers, Santa Anna had to delay
the fighting for more than two
weeks, which was of great value to
the Texan cause.
• The courage of Travis and his
forces made Texans more
determined than ever to win their
independence.
The Alamo’s Significance
(continued))
• United States citizens
sent money and went
to Texas to help in the
struggle for freedom.
• Other Texans were also inspired by
the heroism of those in the Alamo.
• “Remember the Alamo!” became
the battle cry of Houston’s army.
Texans Defeated in
South Texas
• The other Mexican
army led by General
Urrea advanced from
Matamoros up through South Texas.
• General Urrea
defeated Texan
forces at San Patricio,
Refugio, and Goliad.
The Battle at Coleto
• Fannin’s inability to
make decisions hurt
the Texas cause.
• Fannin delayed his
retreat from Goliad to Victoria,
which allowed General Urrea to
surround his army near Coleto
Creek.
The Battle of Coleto
• The Mexicans had
the advantage of
being in the nearby
woods, and after a
brief exchange of
gunfire, Fannin
asked General Uerrea
for the terms of
surrender.
(continued)
The Terms of Surrender
• Fannin was assured
by Urrea that the
Texans would be
treated fairly no
matter what document
was signed.
• However, Santa Anna
ordered the immediate
execution of the
Texans.
Fannin’s Surrender
• Colonel Fannin was
the last prisoner to
be shot.
• Even though some
prisoners were
allowed to escape,
on Palm Sunday,
March 27, 350
prisoners were
executed.
“Angel of Goliad
• Senora Francisca
Alvarez helped
care for the
Texans and even
allowed some to
escape. She was
known as the
“Angel of Goliad.”
Lessons of Goliad
• The fighting in South Texas revealed
the lack of cooperation among Texas
forces and convinced General
Houston that he must not allow his
forces to be separated into small
groups.
• This massacre angered Texans as had
the deaths at the Alamo, so
“Remember Goliad” now joined
“Remember the the Alamo” as the
motto of Texas soldiers.