190th anniversary of the start of the siege of the Alamo
On this day 23rd February, 1836 the siege of the Alamo would commence. The Alamo was a former Spanish mission in San Antonio, Texas. General Sam Houston had given orders to abandon it as he knew it could not be successfully defended. But the defenders disobeyed his orders and had decided to stay as it contained a number of cannon and they had no way to take the valuable weapons with them if they retreated.
Like so many of the defenders at the Alamo, General Sam Houston was also of Ulster-Scot decent. He was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Texican army in March, 1836. While the siege of the Alamo was taking place he realised it bought his Texan forces precious time to carry out a strategic retreat and to train his small, ill-equipped army.
That Thirteen days that the Alamo held out against the vastly numerically superior forces of General Antonio López de Santa Anna from the 23rd February, 1836 to the 6th March, 1836 was so important. It is estimated that over 80% of the defenders were of Ulster-Scots decent. The defenders included the famous Tennessee frontiersman and politician David Crockett with family links to Castlederg in County Tyrone. Before and during the siege the defenders under the control of Lieutenant Colonel William Travis and frontiersman James Bowie (inventor of the Bowie knife) both once again from Ulster-Scots families had improved the defences considerably at the adobe block built mission. Travis would assume full control during most of the siege after Bowie became too ill to command his own volunteers.
They were all very brave men in the true spirit of the Ulster-Scot tradition and gave their lives for Texas Freedom while forcing a terribly high price in terms of casualties on the forces of Santa Anna. During the siege on the 2nd March, 1836 Texas declared independence from Mexico.
They knew it was impossible to hold out indefinitely against the battle hardened troops of Santa Anna many from Europe. By the end of the siege on the 6th March, 1936 all the defenders would have been killed or executed as no quarter was given. Santa Anna ordered the Deguello played which is commonly known as the “cut throat” song to let the defenders know what they ultimately faced.
The blood sacrifice of the Alamo did indeed buy precious days as General Houston retreated until a he found the perfect place to stop running and face Santa Anna. Santa Anna considered himself the Napoleon of the west and this would ultimately help Houston in a battle plan to defeat him.
That defeat would come on the 21st April, 1836. When General Sam Houston directed a victorious surprise attack on the forces of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. That decisive battle may have only lasted 18 minutes but it did gain independence for the Lone Star State of Texas. During it, Houston first used the famous battle rallying cry of “Remember the Alamo!” Sam Houston would go on to become the first and third Presidents of Texas.
Stevan Patterson Castlederg, County Tyrone