After the Mexicans arrived on Feb 23rd, they settled into a siege of the Alamo.

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The Alamo Siege

• After the Mexicans arrived on Feb 23rd, they
  settled into a siege of the Alamo.
• They flew a red flag which meant no quarter. (no
  mercy, no prisoners)

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• During the 13 day siege the Mexican army inched
  closer and closer to the Alamo walls.
• They fired cannons at the fort day and night and
  harassed the defenders by having the Mexican
  Military band play a song titled El Degüello
  which meant Slit Throat.

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• Travis sent his most famous letter on the second
  day of the siege
• To The People of Texas andAll Americans In The
  World --February 24, 1836
• 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.
• I call on you in the name of Liberty, of
  patriotism, every thing 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 die like a soldier who never forgets
  what is due to his own honor that of his
  country --
• VICTORY OR DEATH
• William Barret TravisLt. Col. Comdt.

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• By the 24th James Bowie had become extremely sick
  and was bedridden for the rest of the siege.
• Another blow for Travis came on March 1st ,
  reinforcements came from Gonzales but it was only
  32 men. Known as the Immortal 32
• He needed much more

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• How many Texian defenders were at the Alamo?
• The tradition number of defenders is 189. But
  some estimates range up to as many as 257.
• Almost all were Anglo-American but it is known
  that at least 9 Tejanos died with them and maybe
  more.
• Some of the Texian had slaves and some of them
  may have fought and died with their masters.
• Travis slave Joe even claimed to see a dead
  female slave.

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• Did Travis draw a line in the sand?
• One of the biggest myths of the Alamo has Travis
  draw a line in the sand with his sword, and
  invited all those who were willing to stay (and,
  presumably, almost certain to die) to cross over
  the line. The story is all but certain to be
  untrue. The story itself did not appear until
  1873, or 37 years after the battle.

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• He grew increasingly bitter that his fellow
  Texans seemed deaf to his appeals. In a letter to
  a friend, Travis revealed his frustration
• "If my countrymen do not rally to my relief, I
  am determined to perish in the defense of this
  place, and my bones shall reproach my country for
  her neglect."

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The Assault on the Alamo
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• On March 5th, Santa Anna decided to finally
  assault the Alamo.
• His generals were surprised.
• No Texian reinforcements had shown and the
  bombardment of the Mexican cannons was crumbling
  the Alamo walls. Why attack now?

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• At 4 a.m. on March the 6th the Mexican soldiers
  lined up outside Alamo.
• At 5 a.m. 2,000 Mexicans attacked on all 4 sides.

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• The Texians put up a noble fight but stood no
  chance.
• They were out numbered more than 10 to 1
• The battle lasted no more than 90 minutes, every
  Texian defender was killed.

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• Travis is one of the first Texans to be killed.
• According to his slave Joe (who survived the
  battle) Travis was shot in the head in the first
  few minutes on the North Wall.
• Bowie, too sick to fight, is killed in his bed.
• Movie accounts show him firing pistols at the on
  coming Mexicans but there is zero evidence to
  support this
• How did Crockett die?

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• How did David Crockett die?
• There are many different opinions on this. Some
  think that he survived the battle along with a
  few others and was executed afterwards. Others
  think he died defending the palisade. Still
  others think that as many as 60 of the defenders
  including Crockett jumped the walls to escape
  during the assault and were killed outside the
  Alamo.
• There are so many different eye witness accounts
  from Mexican soldiers and survivors of the battle
  like Susanna Dickinson and Travis slave Joe that
  history will never know.

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• Susanna Dickinson claimed to see Crocketts body
  surrounded by a pile of dead Mexicans.
• While several Mexican soldiers said in later
  years that Santa Anna had him executed.

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Aftermath

• Not everyone in the Alamo died. About 20 or so
  non-combatants women, children, and slaves were
  spared by Santa Anna including Susanna Dickinson
  and Travis slave Joe.
• Santa Anna told them to tell Texas about what had
  happened and that it would happen to them as well
  if they did not leave Texas.

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• How many Mexican soldiers were killed in the
  battle?
• For a hundred years and more after the battle
  Texans claimed that over a 1,000 Mexicans has
  been killed .
• While the Mexicans claimed they lost about 100.
• What was the correct number?

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• The number of Mexicans killed in the siege and
  the battle is probably between 200 and 600.
• Santa Anna did not bring medical supplies with
  him and because of this men who suffered bad
  wounds would die instead of being saved by
  medical treatment.

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• The defenders bodies were burned in a huge fire.
• After the war, Juan Seguin would return to the
  Alamo and give them a proper burial.

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• Travis Crockett
  Bowie
• The Alamo Movie (2004)