List of Alamo defenders facts for kids

Partial scan of the March 24, 1836 Telegraph and Texas Register with the first Texian list of defenders killed at the Battle of the Alamo

The Battle of the Alamo was a very important fight during the Texas Revolution. This battle happened from February 23 to March 6, 1836. In 1835, people from the United States and Tejanos (Mexicans born in Texas) started fighting against the Mexican government. The Mexican President, Antonio López de Santa Anna, thought the United States was causing trouble to take over Texas.

To stop the fighting, martial law (military rule) was put in place. General Martín Perfecto de Cos set up his army at the Alamo in San Antonio de Béxar. But Texian volunteer soldiers took control of the Alamo fortress. They made General Cos surrender on December 9, 1835. Many thought this meant the Mexican army was gone from Texas for good. Most Texian soldiers then left to join a planned attack on Matamoros, Mexico.

The Alamo's commander, James C. Neill, went home on February 11, 1836. He left James Bowie and William B. Travis in charge. They led about 150 volunteer soldiers. On February 23, the Mexican Army, led by Santa Anna, arrived with 1,500 troops. More volunteers joined the Alamo defenders over the next few days. Some were sent out to get food or supplies.

The defenders fought bravely from inside the Alamo. Bowie and Travis tried to talk with the Mexican army, but it didn't work. Travis sent out messages asking for more soldiers to help. Santa Anna offered to let all Tejanos inside the Alamo leave safely. Most Tejanos left around February 25. Some left because of Santa Anna's offer, and others were part of Juan Seguín's group of scouts.

Cathedral of San Fernando sarcophagus with images of Travis, Bowie and Crockett

James Fannin tried to bring 320 men and supplies from Goliad to help. But he had to turn back because of a broken wagon. Some final helpers did get into the Alamo between March 1 and March 4. Most of these came from Gonzales, which was a place where soldiers were gathering.

At 5:30 in the morning on March 6, the Mexican army began its final attack. About an hour later, all the fighters inside the Alamo were dead. Their bodies, except for Gregorio Esparza's, were burned on large fires. Gregorio Esparza's brother was a Mexican soldier. He got permission from Santa Anna to give his brother a proper burial.

In 1837, Juan Seguín helped gather the ashes that were left behind. He led a funeral on February 25. The newspaper Telegraph and Texas Register only said the burial spot was where "the principal heap of ashes" was found. Later, people wanted to know the exact burial place. Seguín gave different answers over the years, possibly due to his age. In 1936, during Texas's 100-year celebration, some remains were found at the Cathedral of San Fernando. These were believed to be the Alamo defenders and were placed in a marble sarcophagus (a stone coffin). People say these are the ashes of Travis, Bowie, and Crockett, but some are not sure if this can be proven.

Who Fought at the Alamo?

Historians have worked hard to find out exactly who was inside the Alamo. The first list of Texian soldiers who died was printed in a newspaper on March 24, 1836. This list had 115 names. Later, in 1860, a former mayor of San Antonio, Francisco Antonio Ruiz, said there were 182 defenders.

When the Alamo Cenotaph (a monument honoring the defenders) was built in 1939, it listed 187 names. These names came from the research of Amelia Worthington Williams, who was a leading expert on the Alamo at the time. Her work is still used today, but some historians have questioned it.

In 2003, historian Thomas Ricks Lindley wrote a book that changed many ideas about the Alamo. He looked closely at Williams's research and found some problems. He thought she didn't value official army lists enough. Many historians are still thinking about Lindley's findings. Today, many biographies of Alamo defenders on websites like tshaonline.org and thealamo.org still use the work of historian Bill Groneman, who relied a lot on Williams.

More research methods are being developed to learn every small detail about the battle. Also, the voices of Tejanos are now being included more. For a long time, stories about Tejano involvement in the Texas Revolution were missing. But historians like Timothy M. Matovina and Jesús F. de la Teja have helped add this important part of the story.

Alamo Defenders: A Glimpse

Here are some of the known people who fought at the Alamo. This list includes those who died, those who survived, and one who escaped but later died from his injuries.

Images for kids

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  Partial scan of the March 24, 1836 Telegraph and Texas Register with the first Texian list of defenders killed at the Battle of the Alamo

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  Cathedral of San Fernando sarcophagus with images of Travis, Bowie and Crockett