March 6, 2014 (Thursday)
Today, March 6, is the 178th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo. The siege by General Santa Anna and the Mexican army began on February 23 and continued for 13 days. As the siege began, Commander William Travis appealed to the “Texians” at Gonzales for their help. Thirty-two men responded, and rode into the Alamo to join the men already there. One of those from Gonzales was a very young Jonathan Lindley, great grand uncle of my wife, Wanda Sadler Fake. Those men became known as Captain Albert Martin’s “Immortal 32.” (Wanda’s great great grandfather, John Sadler, fought with Sam Houston at San Jacinto later that year).
As the battle at the Alamo began, Travis sent out a letter known today as the “Victory or Death” letter. After describing the dire circumstances, and appealing for help, the letter says, “..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.” You can view a printed copy of the letter and a photocopy of the original by clicking here.
Texan deaths at the Alamo numbered 189, possibly 257. At Goliad, three weeks later on Palm Sunday, Colonel James Fannin and about 350 men were massacred. Small wonder, then, that on April 26, 1836, amidst the cries of “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember Goliad,” the soldiers at San Jacinto killed as many Mexican soldiers as they could.
Texas won the war. It became a nation all its own. Later it became one of the United States of America.
We live relatively close to the Alamo, the Goliad Massacre sites, and the San Jacinto Battleground. Everyone should avail himself/herself of the opportunity to visit these and other sites that remind us of those who paved the way for us in history.
