Remembering the Alamo
// March 6th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // History
March 6th is the anniversary of the final day of the battle for the Alamo. As a former Texan, this story always touches me… It should touch every American.
“On February 23, 1836, the arrival of General Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna’s army outside San Antonio nearly caught them by surprise. Undaunted, the Texians and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo together. The defenders held out for 13 days against Santa Anna’s army. William B. Travis, the commander of the Alamo sent forth couriers carrying pleas for help to communities in Texas. On the eighth day of the siege, a band of 32 volunteers from Gonzales arrived, bringing the number of defenders to nearly two hundred. Legend holds that with the possibility of additional help fading, Colonel Travis Drew a line on the ground and asked any man willing to stay and fight to step over all except one did. As the defenders saw it, the Alamo was the key to the defense of Texas, and they were ready to give their lives rather than surrender their position to General Santa Anna. Among the Alamo’s garrison were Jim Bowie, renowned knife fighter, and David Crockett, famed frontiersman and former congressman from Tennessee.
The final assault came before daybreak on the morning of March 6, 1836, as columns of Mexican soldiers emerged from the predawn darkness and headed for the Alamo’s walls. Cannon and small arms fire from inside the Alamo beat back several attacks. Regrouping, the Mexicans scaled the walls and rushed into the compound. Once inside, they turned a captured cannon on the Long Barrack and church, blasting open the barricaded doors. The desperate struggle continued until the defenders were overwhelmed. By sunrise, the battle had ended and Santa Anna entered the Alamo compound to survey the scene of his victory.”
Defender’s Name Birthplace
Abamillo, Juan TX
Allen, Robert VA
Andross, Miles DeForrest VT
Autry, Micajah NC
Badillo, Juan A. TX
Bailey, Peter James III KY
Baker, Isaac G. AR
Baker, William Charles M. MO
Ballentine, John J. PA
Ballantine, Richard W. Scotland
Baugh, John J. VA
Bayliss, Joseph TN
Blair, John TN
Blair, Samuel TN
Blazeby, William England
Bonham, James Butler SC
Bourne, Daniel England
Bowie, James KY
Bowman, Jesse B. TN
Brown, George England
Brown, James PA
Brown, Robert unknown
Buchanan, James AL
Burns, Samuel E. Ireland
Butler, George, D. MO
Cain, John PA
Campbell, Robert TN
Carey, William R. VA
Clark, Charles Henry MO
Clark, M.B. MS
Cloud, Daniel William KY
Cochran, Robert E. NH
Cottle, George Washington MO
Courtman, Henry Germany
Crawford, Lemuel SC
Crockett, David TN
Crossman, Robert PA
Cummings, David P. PA
Cunningham, Robert NY
Darst, Jacob C. KY
Davis, John KY
Day, Freeman H.K. unknown
Day, Jerry C. MO
Daymon, Squire TN
Dearduff, William TN
Dennison, Stephen England or Ireland
Despallier, Charles LA
Dewall, Lewis NY
Dickinson, Almeron TN
Dillard, John Henry TN
Dimpkins, James R. England
Duvalt, Andrew Ireland
Espalier, Carlos TX
Esparza, Gregorio TX
Evans, Robert Ireland
Evans, Samuel B. NY
Ewing, James L. TN
Faunterloy, William Keener KY
Fishbaugh, William unknown
Flanders, John MA
Floyd, Dolphin Ward NC
Forsyth, John Hubbard NY
Fuentes, Antonio TX
Fuqua, Galba AL
Garnett, William VA
Garrand, James W. LA
Garrett, James Girard TN
Garvin, John E. unknown
Gaston, John E. KY
George, James unknown
Goodrich, John C. VA
Grimes, Albert Calvin GA
Guerrero, Jos Mara TX
Gwynne, James C. England
Hannum, James PA
Harris, John KY
Harrison, Andrew Jackson TN
Harrison, William B OH
Hawkins, Joseph M. Ireland
Hays, John M. TN
Heiskell, Charles M. TN
Herndon, Patrick Henry VA
Hersee, William Daniel England
Holland, Tapley OH
Holloway, Samuel PA
Howell, William D. MA
Jackson, Thomas Ireland
Jackson, William Daniel KY
Jameson, Green B. KY
Jennings, Gordon C. CT
Jimenes (Ximenes), Damacio TX
Johnson, Lewis Wales
Johnson, William PA
Jones, John NY
Kellog, John Benjamin KY
Kenney, James VA
Kent, Andrew KY
Kerr, Joseph LA
Kimbell, George C. PA
King, William Philip TX
Lewis, William Irvine VA
Lightfoot, William J. VA
Lindley, Jonathan L. IL
Linn, William MA
Losoya, Toribio TX
Main, George Washington
Malone, William T. GA
Marshall, William TN
Martin, Albert RI
McCafferty, Edward unknown
McCoy, Jesse TN
McDowell, William PA
McGee, James Ireland
McGregor, John Scotland
McKinney, Robert TN
Melton, Eliel GA
Miller, Thomas R. TN
Mills, William TN
Millsaps, Isaac MS
Mitchell, Edwin T. unknown
Mitchell, Napoleon B. unknown
Mitchusson, Edward F. VA
Moore, Robert B. VA
Moore, Willis A. MS
Musselman, Robert OH
Nava, Andrs TX
Neggan, George SC
Nelson, Andrew M. TN
Nelson, Edward SC
Nelson, George SC
Northcross, James VA
Nowlan, James England
Pagan, George unknown
Parker, Christopher Adam unknown
Parks, William NC
Perry, Richardson TX
Pollard, Amos MA
Reynolds, John Purdy PA
Roberts, Thomas H. unknown
Robertson, James Waters TN
Robinson, Isaac Scotland
Rose, James M. OH
Rusk, Jackson J. Ireland
Rutherford, Joseph KY
Ryan, Isaac LA
Scurlock, Mial NC
Sewell, Marcus L. England
Shied, Manson GA
Simmons, Cleveland Kinlock SC
Smith, Andrew H.
Smith, Charles S. MD
Smith, Joshua G. NC
Smith, William H. unknown
Starr, Richard England
Stewart, James E. England
Stockton, Richard L. NJ
Summerlin, A. Spain TN
Summers, William E. TN
Sutherland, William DePriest unknown
Taylor, Edward TN
Taylor, George TN
Taylor, James TN
Taylor, William TN
Thomas, B. Archer M. KY
Thomas, Henry Germany
Thompson, Jesse G. AR
Thomson, John W. NC
Thruston, John, M. PA
Trammel, Burke Ireland
Travis, William Barret SC
Tumlinson, George W. MO
Tylee, James NY
Walker, Asa TN
Walker, Jacob TN
Ward, William B. Ireland
Warnell, Henry unknown
Washington, Joseph G. KY
Waters, Thomas England
Wells, William GA
White, Isaac AL or KY
White, Robert unknown
Williamson, Hiram James PA
Wills, William unknown
Wilson, David L. Scotland
Wilson, John PA
Wolf, Anthony unknown
Wright, Claiborne NC
Zanco, Charles Denmark
___?___, John a Black Freedman
