13 Days to Glory

187 brave men lost their lives 173 years ago this morning. The Texican defenders of the Alamo had valiantly fought off the Mexican Army's advances during the day and ignored the psychological attacks that came during the night for the past 12 days.

General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna started the siege in the afternoon of 23 March 1836, ultimately sealing the fate of these brave men. On the 24th Col. William Barret Travis wrote, the now famous, letter addressed To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World. The letter was printed all over the United States and Europe, many historians consider it one of the best examples of American patriotism.

The siege continued for another 12 days until in the early morning hours of March 6th when the Mexican Army made its final push and broke into the plaza of the Alamo. The hand to hand fighting was brutal and unrelenting. The battle was finished almost before it had begun. In the end all the Texican combatants were killed, the women and children that sought shelter in the north side of the chapel had been spared and allowed to leave with the message of the Battle of the Alamo.

They may have not won the battle but they did provide General Sam Houston the time to consolidate his forces and choose the time and place to face Santa Anna. Finally, after more than a month of retreating east Sam Houston met Santa Anna on a gently sloping field in combat. With the cry "Remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad" the Texicans fell upon the Mexican army during their siesta time. Fifteen minutes later Texas had won its freedom that the Defenders of the Alamo had died for those many weeks earlier.

REMEMBER THE ALAMO!