Written By: Trevor Burianek
The year was 1836, after Texas Revolution had ended Adventurer James Bowie had been sent to the Alamo with 30 cavalry riders to reinforce Colonel James Clinton Neill. Bowie commented on arrival, “The missionary had began to look like a real fort.” David Crockett was also there helping to lead the defenders of the Alamo. Governor Henry Smith recommended abandoning the post, yet Neill and Bowie sent a message reading, “We will die in the ditches before we surrender the Alamo.”
Colonel Neill was forced to take furlough for his ill family. He left in charge Lt. Col. William Barrett Travis. Went he leaders of the Mexican Army, Antonio Lopez de Santa-Anna, requested their surrender, Travis sent a cannonball hurling towards the army. So on March 6th, at 5:00 am, the battle began. Three hours later the battle was lost as 257 defenders laid dead. An estimated 600 Mexican soldiers were either dead or wounded. Soon after, the Spanish American war began, it’s battle cry, “Remember the Alamo!”
For more information look into A Time to Stand by Walter Lord