February 24:

1836 : Alamo defenders call for help

On this day in 1836, in San Antonio, Texas, Colonel William Travis
issues a call for help on behalf of the Texan troops defending the
Alamo, an old Spanish mission and fortress under attack by the Mexican
army.

A native of Alabama, Travis moved to the Mexican state of Texas in
1831. He soon became a leader of the growing movement to overthrow the
Mexican government and establish an independent Texan republic. When
the Texas revolution began in 1835, Travis became a lieutenant-colonel
in the revolutionary army and was given command of troops in the
recently captured city of San Antonio de Bexar (now San Antonio). On
February 23, 1836, a large Mexican force commanded by General Antonio
Lopez de Santa Ana arrived suddenly in San Antonio. Travis and his
troops took shelter in the Alamo, where they were soon joined by a
volunteer force led by Colonel James Bowie.

Though Santa Ana's 5,000 troops heavily outnumbered the several
hundred Texans, Travis and his men determined not to give up. On
February 24, they answered Santa Ana's call for surrender with a bold
shot from the Alamo's cannon. Furious, the Mexican general ordered his
forces to launch a siege. Travis immediately recognized his
disadvantage and sent out several messages via couriers asking for
reinforcements. Addressing one of the pleas to "The People of Texas
and All Americans in the World," Travis signed off with the now-famous
phrase "Victory or Death."

Only 32 men from the nearby town of Gonzales responded to Travis' call
for help, and beginning at 5:30 a.m. on March 6, Mexican forces
stormed the Alamo through a gap in the fort's outer wall, killing
Travis, Bowie and 190 of their men. Despite the loss of the fort, the
Texan troops managed to inflict huge losses on their enemy, killing at
least 600 of Santa Ana's men.

The brave defense of the Alamo became a powerful symbol for the Texas
revolution, helping the rebels turn the tide in their favor. At the
crucial Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 910 Texan soldiers
commanded by Sam Houston defeated Santa Ana's army of 1,250 men,
spurred on by cries of "Remember the Alamo!" The next day, after Texan
forces captured Santa Ana himself, the general issued orders for all
Mexican troops to pull back behind the Rio Grande River. On May 14,
1836, Texas officially became an independent republic.

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General Interest
1836 : Alamo defenders call for help
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1868 : President Andrew Johnson impeached
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4783

1917 : Zimmermann Note presented to U.S. ambassador
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4784

1946 : Peron elected in Argentina
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1968 : Tet offensive halted
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6817

1988 : Supreme Court defends right to satirize public figures
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4786

1991 : Gulf War ground offensive begins
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4787

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