Download 100+ Free The Alamo Background Photos & 500,000+ Backgrounds for Free. Texian leader Sam Houston, believing that San Antonio could not be defended against a determined effort by the regular Mexican army, called for the Texian forces to abandon the city. In 1868 Reuben M. Potter, whose retrospective article The Fall of the Alamo was published in that years Texas Almanac, noted the burial site is now densely built over, and its identity is irrevocably lost. After putting down resistance in other regions of Mexico, in the spring of 1836 Santa Anna led a Mexican army back into Texas and marched on San Antonio, intending to avenge the humiliating defeat of Cos and end the Texian rebellion. We do not sell or share your information with anyone. . "We are honored to partner with the San Antonio Living History Association to present this meaningful ceremony, and to invite the community to join us in paying tribute to the Alamo Defenders." The Dawn at the Alamo event will take place from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. on Monday, March 6, 2023, in Alamo Plaza. Todish (1998), p. 88; Moore (2007), p. 100. You can help preserve the It has been said that the sarcophagus in the entrance at the San Fernando Cathedral contains the remains of defenders of the Alamo whose bodies were burned after the 1836 battle. For further reading he also recommends The Alamo Reader, edited by Todd Hansen, and Alamo Defenders, by Bill Groneman. Colonel Juan Nepmuceno Segun, military commander of San Antonio, presides over the burial of the Alamo defenders' ashes. On March 6, 1836, Mexican forces stormed the Alamo, a fortress-like old mission in San Antonio where some 200 rebellious Texans had been holed up for weeks. These men came from a variety of backgrounds and places, but all came together to fight for Texas liberty. A story in the San Antonio Light onMarch 6, 1918, described the plaque ceremony, attended by several hundred people, with speeches by generals from Fort Sam Houston and the unveiling by De Zavala, granddaughter of the first vice president of the Republic of Texas. One defender, Gregorio Esparza, was buried in the Campo Santo (cemetery) in the area of Milam Park. This article was published in the February 2021 issue ofWild West. [6] When the Mexican Army of Operations under the command of Santa Anna arrived in Bxar with 1,500 troops on February 23, the remaining Alamo garrison numbered 150. Although there had been previous plans for Alamo monuments, starting in the late 1800s, the Alamo Cenotaph was the first such erected in San Antonio. In 1911, Barnes wrote an article for the Express-News that was more specific. This Monday, March 6, marks the anniversary of the fall of the Alamo outside of San Antonio, Texas, back in 1836. Imagine if the U.S. were to open interior Alaska for colonization and, for whatever reason, thousands of Canadian settlers poured in, establishing their own towns, hockey rinks and Tim Hortons stores. As far as we can tell, Fox and Ivey concluded, the skull is that of a participant in the Battle of the Alamo.. Green (1988), pp. Groneman (1990), p. 63; Lindley (2003), p. 144; Moore (2007), p. 100. David Crockett was a frontiersman who became a well-known politician and humorist in early 19th century America. Some luridly claimed Bowies bloodstains remained visible on the wall. The old house stands, ramshackle and deserted, on East Commerce Street, just a little beyond St. Josephs church. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, she retired from a career in commercial interior [Note 2], In response to pleas from Travis, James Fannin started from Goliad with 320 men, supplies and armaments, yet had to abort a day later due to a wagon breakdown. The discoveries are tied to a $450 million renovation of Alamo Plaza, and the details are tantalizing. Angered and inspired, Texians vowed to remember. Seguin remained in the army after the revolution. Scott Huddleston is a veteran staff writer, covering Bexar County government, local history, preservation and the Alamo. The way I explain it, says Andres Tijerina, a retired history professor in Austin, is Mexican-Americans [in Texas] are brought up, even in the first grade, singing the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance and all that, and its not until the seventh grade that they single us out as Mexicans. Copyright 1996-2023 Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins. There is no evidence Davy Crockett went down fighting, as John Wayne famously did in his 1960 movie The Alamo, a font of misinformation; there is ample testimony from Mexican soldiers that Crockett surrendered and was executed. Groneman (1990), p. 33; Moore (2007), p. 100. In December 1835, he helped guide the Texans through the streets during the Battle of Bxar. Carrington (1993), pp. Below are 256 known combatants: 212 who died during the siege, 43 survivors, and one escapee who later died of his wounds. The battle, in fact, should never have been fought. 9293; Groneman (2001), pp. As an American, how would you feel? Lindley (2003), p. 144; Groneman (1990), p. 32. The monument was erected in grey Georgia marble and pink Texas granite. A natural leader, James Bowie played an important role in the Texas Revolution. After losing his re-election bid in 1835, Crockett vowed to go to Texas where he expected to revive his political career. Hermann Lungkwitzs workAlameda,painted between 1874 and 1890, shows trees that are damaged, possibly from the flames of the funeral pyres. Lindley (2003), p. 144; Groneman (1990), p. 111. The Alamo Cenotaph, also known as The Spirit of Sacrifice, is a monument in San Antonio, Texas, United States, commemorating the Battle of the Alamo of the Texas Revolution, which was fought at the adjacent Alamo Mission.The monument was erected in celebration of the centenary of the battle, and bears the names of those known to have fought there on the Texas side. More by Sarah Reveley. When law enforcement goes after the killers, the colonists, backed by Canadian financing and mercenaries, take up arms in open revolt. Todish (1998), p. 89; Groneman (1990), pp.4041; Groneman (1990), p. 42; Moore (2007), p. 100. The discovery of various skeletons, skulls and bone fragments over the intervening 185 years indicate the disposal of the Texian dead wasnt as neat and tidy as history books generally portray. In all probability the military buried them out of respect. Mexican dictator Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna had ordered the enemy dead burned and left unburied. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Texas Bexar County San Antonio The Alamo Defenders of the Alamo Memorial Maintained by: Find a Grave Added: 22 Aug 2000 Segun became the first Tejano to serve in the new Republic's Senate. operated by Alamo Trust, Inc., a Texas non-profit 94, 112; Moore (2004), p. 60. Invariably, visitors asked about the final resting place of the Alamo dead, and locals would motion toward a peach orchard a few hundred yards from the mission fort. . If thats not the version of history youre familiar with, youre not alone. Built by Spanish missionaries during the eighteenth century, the Alamo was constructed as mission and fortress for converting Native Americans to Christianity. The northeast end of one of the pyres extended into the eastern portion of the front yard of what is now the Ludlow House. He is a native Texan and longtime San Antonian. [7], A fierce defense was launched from within the walls, even as Bowie and Travis made unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with the Mexican army. Illustration of the Battle of the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas, March 6, 1836. Try My Sights, Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. Susannah later remarried and ran a boarding house until her death in 1883. The total number of Alamo defenders now stood at between 180 and 190. Excavations in 1985 unearthed 847 recovered specimens and 245 bone fragments. Regardless, there will always be the terrible glory of sacrifice to remember in those flames. Mexican accounts make clear that, as the battle was being lost, as many as half the Texian defenders fled the mission and were run down and killed by Mexican lancers. More, Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. In 2004, a bronze marker was erected by the Alamo Defenders Descendants Association at Odd Fellows Cemetery, near the northeast corner of Pine Street and Paso Hondo. Whether Corner was noting a separate discovery of skeletal remains by Babbitt or mistakenly referring to Everetts earlier find is unknown. On March 6, 1918, a woman named Adina De Zavala unveiled two marble tablets marking the location of the funeral pyres for the men who died at the Alamo. It is now a wide portion of East Commerce Street. The group has even started a DNA database of its members. Ashes of the Alamo Dead Address: 115 Main Plaza, San Antonio, TX Directions: In the left vestibule of the San Fernando Cathedral, just inside the front door. So why does any of this matter? More from TIME History The History You Didnt Learn: Black Wall Streets. The Alamo is most famous as the site of the Battle of . The other pyre, which was of equal width, was about eighty feet long and was laid out in the same direction, but was on the opposite side and on property now owned by Dr. Ferdinand Herff Sr., about 250 yards southeast of the first pyre, this property being known as the site of the old Post House or the Springfield House (334 E. Commerce St.). No archaeological research was done, since the work predated the states Antiquities Act. The issue is controversial. No concentrations of ash or charcoal were found. School districts to pay millions as bond debt program Man suspected of serial arson in far south Bexar County area, San Antonio man who shot Good Samaritan sentenced, New Alamo Collections Center named for local philanthropist. Create Your Own Bizarre Road Trips! In an internal email dated Dec. 4, 2019, archaeologist Kristi Miller Nichols noted the discovery of the remains of three people during excavation work within the Alamo chapel. Wouldnt it be grand if the Reimagine the Alamo team could conductsome more exact measurements, include the pyre sites in their redevelopment plan, and once again erect proper memorials to our heroes? These remains which we have the honor of carrying on our shoulders are those of the valiant heroes who died in the Alamo. But none of the items was identified as being human remains, and none had evidence of burning, according to the UTSA report. As new research comes to light, this list and the history of each Defender might change. Marking it were four cuts possibly inflicted by a knife or saber. And the battle of the Alamo was not fought to the last man, as many of the defenders of the Alamo escaped. Hatch (1999), p. 188. A chain-enclosed 10-foot-square area at Odd Fellows Cemetery on the near East Side is where August Biesenbach, San Antonio city clerk in the early 1900s, recalled Alamo defenders being buried decades earlier, midway between the monuments of two Texas Rangers Capt. In 1835, colonists from the United States joined with Tejanos (Mexicans born in Texas) in putting up armed resistance to the centralization of the Mexican government. A marble plaque in the 600 block of East Commerce Street, next to a street-level pedestrian bridge over the River Walk and across the street from the Shops at Rivercenter mall parking garage, marks the general area where two funeral pyres are believed to have burned after the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. And from that point on, you realize youre not an American. It ended in a decisive victory for Mexican forces over Texan volunteers. Start with the Alamo. The Disposition of the Alamo Defenders' Ashes. [24] In lieu of service pay, the cash-poor Republic of Texas adopted the system of military land grants. Between 1,800 and 6,000 Mexican soldiers besieged the fort, while . Yet the suggestion fatigued Mexican soldiers may have rolled some defenders bodies into ditches and hastily covered them with dirt is not absurd. USAA wants some remote employees in the office three days Jury takes an hour to reach verdict over deal at Port S.A. Texas Vista owner has threatened hospital shutdown before. 5354; Lindley (2003), p. 144; Moore (2007), p. 100. 374, 377. Last entry is 15 minutes prior to closing. One of the children, now 14 years old, told police that her father had been sexually assaulting her since she was 8. In the pursuit of uncovering every infinitesimal piece of evidence about what happened during the battle, more thorough research methods continue to evolve and Tejanos have begun to add their voices. [16], Research into the battle, and exactly who was inside the fortress, began when the Alamo fell and has continued with no signs of abatement. [8] Travis repeatedly dispatched couriers with pleas for reinforcements. In 1835, colonists from the United States joined with Tejanos (Mexicans born . Purported to hold the ashes of Travis, Bowie and Crockett, some have doubted it can be proven whose remains are entombed there.[14]. Groneman (1990), p. 97; Nofi (1992), pp. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. No. Groneman (1990), pp. [Note 1] Over the course of the next several days, new volunteers arrived inside the fortress while others were sent out as couriers, to forage for food, or to buy supplies. Groneman (1990), p. 120; Moore (2007), p. 100. Please reload the page and try again. Explore their histories here. Groneman (1990), p. 47; Edmondson (2000), p. 371. Academic researchers long tiptoed around the issue of slavery in Texas; active research didnt really begin until the 1980s. The park, in proximity to two sites where Alamo defenders bodies are believed to have been burned in funeral pyres, has been suggested as a possible future site for the 1930s Alamo Cenotaph, if it is relocated. Legend would later credit West with sending word of San Anna's whereabouts to Houston and then entertaining the Mexican general, distracting him enough that Houston's troops swept in at San Jacinto and defeated the Mexican army. Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Texas. Thus the true resting place of the Alamo dead may forever be shrouded in mystery. Since the Sanborn map of 1895 shows both the Ludlow House and the Springfield House, it was an excellent map to use as the base map for the location of the pyres. San Antonio is incorporated and Bxar County is created. The plaque for the second pyre has disappeared. (1998), p. 121. The overall markers and indicators suggest that it was European. Arnold guided Colonel Ben Milam's troops. 88, 109, 321; Lord (1961), p. 96. The ashes were then placed in a marble tomb and displayed near the entrance of the cathedral, where they remain today. R.A. Gillespie and Capt. Lindley (2003), p. 144; Groneman (1990), p. 109. and the land covered over by buildings, severing our historical connection with these sacred sites. 4.Texians formed a square in the middle of the prairie and attempted to defend their position. Lindley (2003), p. 143; Groneman (1990), p. 24. A chain-enclosed 10-foot-square area there marks the site where Biesenbach said defenders remains were buried, midway between the monuments of two Texas Rangers Capt. In 1889 he recalled having had the ashes buried within San Antonios San Fernando Cathedral, in front of the altar railings, but very near the altar steps. Jos Mara Rodriguez, who witnessed the storming of the Alamo as a child, later expressed doubt the ashes had been buried inside the sanctuary without the common knowledge of his fellow parishioners, though a marble sarcophagus just inside the entrance of the present-day cathedral supposedly holds those ashes. Lindley (2003), p. 143; Groneman (1990), p. 80. Bowie and Travis served as co-commanders of the Alamo until Bowie became so ill that he was confined to his sickbed, where he was killed in the famous battle on March 6, 1836. (There had been one previous monument in Austin, but it was lost in a Capitol fire.) Phone: 210-227-1297 Admission: Free We want men and provisions. This is a carousel. Plumes of black smoke spiraled from the pyres as flames leapt skyward in symphony with the crackling of branches and kindling. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Lindley (2003), p. 144; Groneman (1990), p. 32; Moore (2007), p. 100. The men at the Alamo fought and died because they had no choice. Lindley (2003), pp. Although a funeral occurred there occasionally, there was always a strict watch kept for Indian assailants. Nothing is wanted but money, he wrote in a pair of 1832 letters, and Negros are necessary to make it. Each time a Mexican government threatened to outlaw slavery, many in Austins colony began packing to go home. First to cross over the line in the sand. Lindley (2003), p. 143; Groneman (1990), p. 111. 6465; Todish (1998), p. 89; Edmondson (2000), p. 369; Lindley (2003), p. 44. The pyre occupied a space about ten feet in width by sixty in length, and extended from northwest to southeast from the property owned by Mrs. Ed Steves, on which the Ludlow House is built, to and through the property that the Moody structure is to occupy, and a short distance out into the street. The earliest mention I found of the pyres was by eyewitness Francisco Antonio Ruiz, the alcalde(mayor) of San Antonio when the Alamo fell. Moore (2004), pp. Among those buried in the mission compound before or during the 13-day siege may be men who succumbed to wounds suffered during the December 1835 Siege of Bxar. Before dawn on March 6, he launched his troops against the walls of the Alamo in three separate attacks. In February 1837 Colonel Juan N. Segun of the Army of the Republic of Texas, whod left the Alamo amid the siege as a courier, led the procession to inter the ashes of his comrades. 18, 135, 182; Lindley (2003), pp. Lindley (2003), p. 144; Groneman (1990), p. 81. Last entry is 15 minutes prior to closing, The Alamo is the property of the State of Texas, and Groneman (1990), p. 11; Todish (1998), p. 76. The other pyre was in what is now the yard of Dr. Ferdinand Herff Sr.s old Post, or Springfield House. Now It's Time to Correct the Record. Mystery surrounds remains of Alamo fallen, Man and adult stepdaughter accused of sexual assault on children. And while the hallowed grounds of the Alamo may continue to yield archaeological clues, the fates of many who died in its defense 185 years ago will assuredly remain a mystery. Lindley (2003), p. 143; Groneman (1990), pp. But the 1999 UTSA report said research indicates the only place that can safely be eliminated from contention is beneath the Cenotaph, even though it is the place most tourists assume is the site of their burial. The Post or Springfield House, on the south side of Commerce Street, was replaced by the Halff Building, which was later demolished in 1967 for a HemisFair river extension. Groneman (1990), p. 32; Moore (2007), p. 100. [10] At 5:30a.m. on March 6, the Mexican army began the final siege. The defenders of the Alamo thus included both Anglo and Hispanic Texans who fought side by side under a banner that was the flag of Mexico with the numerals "1824" superimposed. (Slaves identified by last names of their masters), Died June 1836 of wounds incurred during the battle or during his escape, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 16:08. The Cathedral is about a mile west of the Alamo, facing Main Plaza (the heart of the city), just west of the river, between W. Market and W. Commerce Sts. 8990; Moore (2004), pp. In March 1979 archaeologists James Ivey and Anne Fox led a dig where the compounds north wall once stood. Samuel H. Walker. List of Alamo defenders. Within the cemetery, the memorial is near Central, Summit, and Elm Avenues and is Rhode Island's only memorial to the Alamo. Jos Toribio Losoya was born in the Alamo barrio on April 11, 1808, only to pass away less than three decades later during the Battle of 1836 defending the Alamo. Dr. James Barnard, a Texan transported from Goliad to treat the Mexican wounded, recalled seeing remnants of a pyre about a hundred rods, or 550 yards, from the Alamo church. Time passed on, wrote S.J. It is some sixty odd years, ago that the Springfield house was built, and sixty years is time enough for many changes to occur. At one point the Ludlow House was the home of the Salvation Army chapel, and an old photo shows the plaque on the building then. Trip Planning Caution: RoadsideAmerica.com offers maps, directions and attraction details as a convenience, providing all information as is. The Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio attempted to compare written accounts with findings from 1980s and 90s excavations downtown. In his diary, Mexican Lt. Col. Jos Enrique de la Pea wrote that within a few hours a funeral pyre rendered into ashes those men who had met their ends in combat.. [9] Although Santa Anna refused to consider a proposed conditional surrender, he extended an offer of amnesty for all Tejanos inside the fortress to walk away unharmed. 4548; Lindley (2003), p. 87. Some Tejanos were part of the Bexar military garrison, but others were part of Seguin's volunteer scout company and were in the Alamo on or before Feb 23. For 13 days, 189 brave and determined patriots withstood Santa Anna's . Key Players/Participants: Santa Anna (president of Mexico), William Travis, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie Event Date: March 6, 1836 Groneman (1990), p. 116; Moore (2007), p. 100. Lindley (2003), p. 202; Groneman (1990), pp. Illustration of the Battle of the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas, March 6, 1836. COMING SATURDAY: Red McCombs collection of historic artifacts. [18] In an 1860 statement for the Texas Almanac, former San Antonio alcalde (mayor) Francisco Antonio Ruiz set the number at 182. On December 5, 1835, the Texians attacked San Antonio in what became known as the Battle of Bxar. More recent discoveries of human remains at the Alamo extend hope for a more complete accounting of those buried there, perhaps even revealing defenders whose corpses were spared the flames. The Alamo installed thesestunning bronze sculptures of historical figures from the Texas Revolution in our Cavalry Courtyard. It is believed most of the Tejanos left when Seguin did, either as couriers or because of the amnesty. We have 150 men and are determined to defend the Alamo to the last. Esparza's brother Francisco was a soldier in the Mexican army and received permission from Santa Anna for a Christian burial. The family's two-room stone house, an old Indian dwelling that had been deeded to them, was on the Plaza de Valero near the southwest corner of the mission compound. R.A. Gillespie and Capt. and the bones and ashes of the Alamo dead still in visible piles were shoveled into a large coffin and secretly buried under the altar of what is now the San Fernando Cathedral. Todish (1998), p. 82; Lindley (2003), p. 144; Moore (2007), p. 100. [22] He devoted a chapter to deconstructing Williams' research as "misrepresentation, alteration, and fabrication of data",[23] criticizing her sole reliance on the military land grants without checking through the muster lists to identify the combatants. Lindley (2003), p. 144; Todish (1998), p. 79. Reuben M. Potter, who was in San Antonio shortly before the Civil War, later wrote in 1878 that the rude landmarks which once designated the place had long since disappeared. Francisco Antonio Ruiz, the alcalde, later recalled in an account for the 1860 Texas Almanac that Gen. Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna assigned a company of dragoons to build a pyre. Almonte did not record names, and his count was based solely on who was there during the final assault. Some lore give the birthplace of Sewell as Tennessee but have no definitive source; however, scholars and other sourcing, including the Alamo, say he was born in England. We killed Davy Crockett., Its a lesson many Latinos in the state dont learn until mandatory Texas history classes taught in seventh grade. Groneman (1990), pp. Everetts renderings of the Alamo ruins support eyewitness accounts of the battle and its aftermath. All Rights Reserved. Six Alamo defenders are listed officially as being from New York. In his 1890 book San Antonio de Bxar: A Guide and History author William Corner recalled one specific discovery of remains that echoes the descriptions of Everett and Bernard. Nofi (1992), p. 79; Myers (1948), p. 202; Groneman (1990), pp. By then the presence of defenders skeletal remains within the chapel was common knowledge in San Antonio. Lindley (2003), p. 143; Groneman (1990), p. 25. It was probably connected with Lindos which is supported by epigraphic finds from that city. Terry Scott Bertling / San Antonio Express-News. At first the battle was primarily a siege marked by artillery duels and small skirmishes. C. Neill, Left after February 25, later served as a baggage guard at the Battle of San Jacinto, Entered March 1 or 4 Gonzales Mounted Ranger Company; namesake of. Groneman (1990), p. 22; Moore (2007), p. 100. Todish (1998), p. 76; Groneman (1990), pp. That portion in the vicinity of the Alamo, across the river and on the other side of town, was a decidedly unsafe place because of skulking Indians. Several are labeled as severely wounded, while defender James Nowlan is listed as dangerously wounded. Whether any of these men survived until the March 6, 1836, final assault is unknown. In 1846, with the Mexican War raging, Captain James Harvey Ralston moved to transform the ruins of the chapel and adjacent long barrack into a depot for the U.S. Army Quartermaster Department. 6061, 66; Todish (1998), p. 89; Lindley (2003), p. 133. [2], In an effort to tamp down on the unrest, martial law was declared and military governor General Martn Perfecto de Cos established headquarters in San Antonio de Bxar, stationing his troops at the Alamo. The siege of the Alamo lasted for 13 days, from Feb. 23 to March 6, 1836, when the Mexican army surrounded and attacked the Alamo. Amos was located in the Rhodian Peraia in Caria on the Mediterranean coast. He has been a reporter at the Express-News since 1985, covering a variety of issues, including public safety, criminal justice, flooding, transportation, military, water and the environment. The Battle of the Alamo during Texas' war for independence from Mexico lasted thirteen days, from February 23, 1836-March 6, 1836. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! Santa Anna's Mexican army killed virtually all of the roughly 200 Texans (or Texians) defending the Alamo, including their leaders, Colonels William B. Travis and James Bowie, and the legendary. The 1900 Census lists Samuel Ludlow, his wife, daughter, mother-in-law, and nine boarders at 309 Commerce St. Death united in one place both friends and enemies, recalled Mexican Colonel Jos Enrique de la Pea of that hellish day, adding, within a few hours a funeral pyre rendered into ashes those men who moments before had been so brave that in a blind fury they had unselfishly offered their lives and had met their ends in combat.. Some statues are recognizable from their former locations at SeaWorld and the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, while others were crafted specifically for the Alamo Sculpture Trail, following the footpath from the Briscoe Western Art Museum to the Alamo. On Feb. 25, 1837, Texan Lt. Col. Juan Seguin gave the defenders a formal military funeral. Three volleys and the blowing of taps ended the ceremony. Attraction status, hours and prices change without notice; call ahead! (Image credit: Dean Fikar via Getty Images) The discovery of three. Mexican Colonel Juan Almonte, Santa Anna's aide-de-camp, recorded the Texian fatality toll as 250 in his March 6 journal entry. The Texas Revolution began in October 1835 with a string of Texan . An Alamo master plan under development for the city, Texas General Land Office and nonprofit Alamo Endowment includes a proposal to repair the Cenotaph and relocate it, possibly to a pocket park along Market Street, on the south end of the pedestrian bridge, in proximity to the Ludlow and Springfield sites. The discovery of various skeletons, skulls and bone fragments over the intervening 185 years indicate the disposal of the Texian dead wasnt as neat and tidy as history books generally portray. The skull resides at the Center for Archaeological Research on the University of Texas San Antonio campus. The corpses of the slaughtered garrison were dragged outside, and Santa Anna's soldiers then doused them with oil and burned them in three big bonfires. The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 March 6, 1836) was a crucial conflict of the Texas Revolution. [1] President Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna and the government in Mexico City believed the United States had instigated the insurrection with a goal of annexing Texas. Test your knowledge withour Defender's Crossword Puzzle. This event is so significant in my mind that I always try to devote a column that honors the heroism of these men on or around the anniversary of the occasion. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Many of those were killed by the Mexican army. Kindling wood was distributed through the pile and about 5 oclock in the evening it was lighted., Dr. J.H. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. Groneman (1990), pp. [Note 3] Others who had left intending to return were unable to re-enter. The pyres were on opposite sides of what is now East Commerce Street, one where the now-demolishedHalff building sat, and the other on the site of the old Ludlow house, according to the newspapers account.