The Mexican Army

• The infantry is made up of mostly conscripts. Conscripts are people forced to become soldiers

• Officers are inexperienced• Although most of the

soldiers are inexperienced, they are an organized army

The Texan Army

• Mostly made up of volunteers fighting for a independence

• Texans are not organized army but have a cause

• Choose their commanders and are good shots

• Most of Texan army are from the South

Santa Anna

• President of Mexico and commands military

• Dictator who rules with an iron fist

• Wants to regain control of Texas and stop the revolution. Uses very ruthless (cruel) tactics

• Orders no prisoners are to be taken

William B.Travis

• Shares command with Jim Bowie until Bowie becomes ill

• Writes letters to Sam Houston and other Texans asking for help at Alamo

• Thinks that he will have more time to get troops and trusts the Alamo’s defenses

Santa Anna’s Advance

• Santa Anna marches over 1800 Mexican troops north from Mexico City to San Antonio

• Face harsh weather and attacks by Native Americans

•

Why the Alamo?

• Mexican reasoning:– Santa Ann wants to

regain control of Texas

– San Antonio is largest city in Texas.

– San Antonio is located in prime position for supply routes to and from Mexico

• Texans reasoning:– Alamos sits on an

important road– Travis and Bowie felt that

they could hold the Alamo and felt safe there

– Alamo could slow down the Mexican army because it is in the middle of Texas

The Siege of the Alamo

• The siege begins on February 26, 1836

• Texans are outnumbered 8 to 1• It is a fortified area which

covers three acres and has several cannons

• Texans believe that reinforcements will come

The Siege of the Alamo

• The Mexican army pounds the Alamo daily with cannon fire

• The Mexican army surrounds the Alamo

• Travis knows Texans will face “certain death” but chooses to make a stand

Mexican Artillery pound the Alamo walls daily.

The Battle of the Alamo: Phase One

• Santa Anna begins the attack on March 6th at 5:00 AM

• Mexican infantry attacks the Alamo from three sides

• Texans cannon fire forces Mexican troops to bunch up near the north wall

The Battle of the Alamo: Phase Two

• Mexican infantry breaches North wall

• 80 Texans make an attempt to escape by running out of Alamo

• The Mexican cavalry will catch them and kill all the escaping Texans

The Battle of the Alamo: Phase Three

• Mexican infantry inside the Alamo turns Texan’s own cannons against them

• The fighting is vicious hand to hand combat

The Aftermath

• All Alamo defenders are killed

• Some believe that 6 Texans, including Davy Crockett survive the fighting and are executed

• Texans rally behind the cry “Remember the Alamo.”

Other Battles

• While the Battle of the Alamo is going on in San Antonio…

• Another battalion of Mexican troops under General Urrea attacks San Patricio on Feb. 27

• Urrea wins battles at San Patricio and Refugio and defeats another section of the Texan army near Victoria.

• Urrea moves toward Goliad to meet Colonel James Fannin

Fannin’s Mistake

• General Sam Houston orders Fannin to retreat from Goliad

• Houston does not think that the Texans are ready to fight

• Fannin originally decided to try to help at the Alamo and then returned to Goliad, delaying his retreat

• As he tries to fall back to Victoria, General Urrea’s troops catch up to Fannin’s army.

• General Urrea has about 400 Troops

• Fannin has about 300• Fighting breaks out at Coleto

Creek, just north of Goliad.• General Urrea receives

reinforcements overnight and Fannin is outnumbered.

• Fannin is forced to surrender

Defeat at Coleto Creek

Colonel James Fannin

Massacre at Goliad• Urrea sends Fannin and his

troops back to Goliad and asks Santa Anna what to do with the prisoners

• Santa Anna orders that prisoners were to be executed.

• Fannin is the last to be shot; around 350 Texan troops are murdered on March 27th. Texan soldiers are lined up and

shot at Goliad massacre.

New Rally Cry

• “Remember the Alamo” has already been a rally cry

• Texans are now motivated by massacre at Goliad and “Remember Goliad” becomes another rally cry.

• Santa Anna has all the momentum and Texans feel like victory may be out of reach….

Houston’s Army retreats

• Houston has been strengthening his army near Gonzales. When he hears the Alamo has fallen, his army retreats toward Austin.

• He finds out that Fannin and his troops are massacres at Goliad and his 1,400 troops reach Austin. The Runaway Scrape- Texan families and troops retreat to Austin during heavy rains with little provisions (food/supplies)

• As the Mexican army marches toward Austin, General Houston is preparing his troops for another major battle….

The Battle of San Jacinto

• Santa Anna is trying to reach Texan ad-interim President David G. Burnett near Galveston.

• While Santa Anna’s army is resting near the San Jacinto River, General Houston’s troops arrive just ¾ of a mile away.

Houston orders the attack

• After meeting with his commanders, Houston calls for the attack of the Mexican camp around 3:30 in the afternoon.

• Mexican soldiers are resting after lunch and are unaware that the Texans were nearby.

• Deaf Smith cuts off the supply route and Mirabeau Lamar, a Texan soldier who has quickly risen through the ranks, cuts off the Mexican escape routes.

“Remember the AlamoRemember Goliad!”

• The Texans army shouts their rally cries as the Mexican soldiers are caught off guard.

• Texans use the “twin sisters,” two large cannons to pound the Mexican camps.

• Hand to hand combat again breaks out• After 20 minutes, the Texans have won,

although killing continues through the night.

Santa Anna Surrenders• Santa Anna had fled

when the Texans attacked and was found hiding in some tall grass just outside the battle site.

• He had dressed in a regular Mexican troop’s uniform to disguise himself. One of his own men point him out to the Texans.

• He had been wounded in the leg, and Houston had been shot in the ankle.

Santa Anna surrenders to Sam Houston on May 14, 1836.

Treaties of Velasco

• After the fighting, ad-interim President David Burnett moves the Texas Capital to Velasco

• Santa Anna signs two peace treaties at Velasco, one public and one private.

• He promises to never again fight against the Texans and to withdraw all Mexican troops from Texas.

• In the private treaty, he promises to recognize Texan independence with the Rio Grande as the boundary.