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Line 63: − The Mexican forces lost more than 1,500 men.<ref>The Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979</ref> The massacre at the Alamo was memorialized in the cry, "Remember the Alamo!" and helped to galvanize resistance to Santa Anna and led to Texan independence.+ − − The Texas Declaration of Independence declared: − :General Antonio Lopez Santa Ana ... having overturned the constitution of his country, now offers, as the cruel alternative, either abandon our homes ... or submit to the most intolerable of all tyranny ... He denies us the right of worshiping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience.+ − [[Image:Alamo flag.png|right|200px]]+ − + + +
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====Seige====
====Seige====
[[Image:Alamo flag.png|right|200px|thumb|The Alamo Flag, which flew over the chapel during the 13-day seige. Based on the colors of Mexico, the number "1824" was a visual reminder to Santa Anna of his own need to respect the conditions of the settlers relative to the Mexican Constitution of 1824.]]
Santa Anna was not expected to cross the Rio Grande until the middle of March, yet he arrived in the area on February 23 with more than 2,000 men. A courier was sent to the Alamo to demand the surrender of the garrison; the reply came from a cannon lit by Travis. Knowing that their only hope at withstanding a seige came from reinforcements, Travis penned a letter: [http://www.lsjunction.com/docs/appeal.htm]
Santa Anna was not expected to cross the Rio Grande until the middle of March, yet he arrived in the area on February 23 with more than 2,000 men. A courier was sent to the Alamo to demand the surrender of the garrison; the reply came from a cannon lit by Travis. Knowing that their only hope at withstanding a seige came from reinforcements, Travis penned a letter: [http://www.lsjunction.com/docs/appeal.htm]
:''Travis''
:''Travis''
==Survivors==
====Assault of March 6====
On March 5 Santa Anna declared to his officers that a general assault on the Alamo would take place the following morning, despite objections that a surrender was possible due to no relief coming and the fort crumbling. At 5 AM around 1,800 troops massed forward, to be met with canister shot from the Texian artillery. Reforming, they went forward again, this time breaching the defensive perimeter on all sides; Travis died on the north bastion. Vicious hand-to-hand fighting occurred as the Texians fall back to the Long Barracks; Bowie, out of the battle since the first day of the siege with pneumonia, was bayoneted in his cot. The remaining defenders fell some 90 minutes after the assault began.
====Survivors====
Only fourteen people survived the siege and final assault.
Only fourteen people survived the siege and final assault.
*'''Susanna Dickinson''', wife of Capt. Almeron Dickinson;
*'''Susanna Dickinson''', wife of Capt. Almeron Dickinson;
*'''Brigido Guerrero''', a deserter from the Mexican Army who talked his way out of being killed by claiming to be a POW.<ref>http://hotx.com/alamo/survivors.html</ref>
*'''Brigido Guerrero''', a deserter from the Mexican Army who talked his way out of being killed by claiming to be a POW.<ref>http://hotx.com/alamo/survivors.html</ref>
It was claimed - with some credibility - that there were seven Texians who surrendered, among them Crockett. Lt. Col. José Enrique de la Peña, an officer under Santa Anna during the battle, wrote a personal journal describing the battle, Crockett's surrender, and execution:
''"Some seven men survived the general carnage and, under the protection of General Castrillón, they were brought before Santa Anna. Among them was one of great stature, well proportioned, with regular features, in whose face there was the imprint of adversity, but in whom one also noticed a degree of resignation and nobility that did him honor. He was the naturalist David Crockett, well known in North America for his unusual adventures, who had undertaken to explore the country and who, finding himself in Béjar at the very moment of surprise, had taken refuge in the Alamo, fearing that his status as a foreigner might not be respected. Santa Anna answered Castrillón's intervention in Crockett's behalf with a gesture of indignation and, addressing himself to the sappers, the troops closest to him, ordered his execution. The commanders and officers were outraged at this action and did not support the order, hoping that once the fury of the moment had blown over these men would be spared; but several officers who were around the president and who, perhaps, had not been present during the danger, became noteworthy by an infamous deed, surpassing the solders in cruelty. They thrust themselves forward, in order to flatter their commander, and with swords in hand, fell upon these unfortunate, defenseless men just as a tiger leaps upon his prey. Though tortured before they were killed, these unfortunates died without complaining and without humiliating themselves before their torturers."'' [http://www.lone-star.net/mall/texasinfo/alamo-battle.htm]
The Mexican forces lost more than 1,500 men.<ref>The Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979</ref> The massacre at the Alamo was memorialized in the cry, "Remember the Alamo!" and helped to galvanize resistance to Santa Anna, who would go on to Goliad and stage another massacre of the defenders there. On April 21, 1836, the Mexican leader was caught napping at San Jacinto near present-day Houston and soundly defeated, ensuring Texas independence.
Alamo Mission in San Antonio.
==Later history==
On January 13, 1841, the Republic of Texas passed an act restoring the Alamo and its grounds to the Catholic Church, but by then the Alamo was in ruins and no attempts were made at restorations. At various times during the next forty years the grounds were used as a military storehouse, despite the conflicting claims of ownership between the church, San Antonio, and the United States Government, which claimed the site after the annexation of Texas in 1848. In 1876, title to the property was passed back to the church.
In 1883 Texas purchased the property outright, and gave custody of it to San Antonio. Business concerns already owned part of the Alamo grounds until 1905, when the state legislature passed a resolution ordering the governor to purchase those grounds, and along with the chapel structure they were delivered into the custody of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
==References==
==References==