"THE WHOLE GARRISON WERE KILLED..."

SANTA ANNA STORMS ALAMO, TAKES NO PRISONERS

San Antonio, Texas (JFK+50) On March 6, 1836, Mexican troops under General Santa Anna stormed the walls of the Alamo compound near San Antonio de Bexar*.  The old mission was defended by less than 200 Texan rebels led by Col. William B. Travis**, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett.

The Alamo fell on the 13th day of a siege that began in late February.  With shouts of "Viva Santa Anna" and music from buglers, the Alamo's walls were penetrated by Mexican troops.   All Texan defenders were "put to the sword" and Santa Anna continued his march northward into Texas.

One of Santa Anna's soldiers described the fall of the Alamo by writing...

"The whole garrison were killed except an old woman and a negro slave for whom the soldiers felt compassion, knowing they had remained from compulsion alone."

"Remember the Alamo" became the battle cry of Sam Houston's army which later defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto and won Texas independence.

*San Antonio de Bexar was captured by Texan forces in December 1835.  The Alamo mission had 21 pieces of artillery.  When Bowie arrived on Jan 18, 1836, he saw the Alamo as a necessary buffer between the Mexican army and the Texan settlements to the north.

**William Barrett Travis (1809-1836) was born in South Carolina and studied law in Claiborne, AL.  WBT founded the Claiborne Herald & passed the bar in 1829.  His law practice foundered and he fell into debt.  WBT gave his men the option to attempt escape but only one man took him up on the offer.

SOURCES

"Battle of the Alamo," Texas State Historical Association, www.tshaonline.org/

"13 Days of Glory," The Alamo:  The Shrine of Texas Liberty, www.thealamo.org/

"Remember the Alamo!, 1836," www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/

  

David Crockett Historical Marker^

Madison County Courthouse

Jackson, Tennessee (2011)

Photo by John White

^JFK+50 Note:   

According to David Folds in "Gone to Texas," Crockett said "You can go to hell, but I am going to Texas!" on November 1, 1835.

DC was defeated for re-election in 183o & re-elected in 1832.  He was defeated a second time in 1834.  He served 3 terms in US Congress:  1827-1829, 1829-1831 & 1833-1835. 

THIRTEEN DAYS OF GLORY

JFK+50:  Volume 6, No. 1880

THE ALAMO FELL 180 YEARS AGO

San Antonio, Texas (JFK+50) One century and eighty years ago this morning, March 6, 1836, Mexican troops under General Santa Anna stormed the walls of the Alamo compound near San Antonio de Bexar*.

The Alamo was defended by less than 200 Texan rebels led by Col. William B. Travis**, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett.

The Alamo fell on the 13th day of a siege that began in late February.  With shouts of "Viva Santa Anna" and music from buglers, the Alamo's walls were penetrated by Mexican troops.

All the Texan defenders were "put to the sword" and then Santa Anna continued his march northward into Texas.

"Remember the Alamo" would become the battle cry of Sam Houston's Texas army which would later defeat Santa Anna at San Jacinto and win the independence of Texas.

*San Antonio de Bexar had been captured by Texan forces in December 1835.  The Alamo mission had 21 pieces of artillery and most of them were installed on the walls by chief engineer Green B. Jameson.  When Jim Bowie arrived on January 18, 1836, he saw the Alamo as a necessary buffer between the Mexican army and the Texan settlements to the north.

**William Barrett Travis (1809-1836) was born in South Carolina and studied law in Claiborne, AL.  WBT founded the Claiborne Herald & passed the bar in 1829.  His law practice foundered and he fell into debt. 

 WBT left for Texas, joined the rebel forces and commanded forces at the Alamo.  He responded to Santa Anna's demand to surrender with a cannon shot.  He gave his men the option to attempt escape but only one man took him up on the offer.

SOURCES

"ALAMO, BATTLE OF THE," Texas State Historical Association, www.tshaonline.org/

"13 Days of Glory," The Alamo:  The Shrine of Texas Liberty, www.thealamo.org/

SIEGE OF THE ALAMO BEGINS

JFK+50:  Volume 6, No. 1869

TEXAN FORCES AT THE ALAMO SURROUNDED BY SANTA ANNA 

San Antonio, Texas (JFK+50) One hundred and eighty years ago today, February 24, 1836, several thousand Mexican soldiers under General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna surrounded one hundred and fifty Texan rebels within the compound of the Alamo, an old abandoned Spanish mission, here in San Antonio on the first day of what was to be a thirteen day siege.

San Antonio de Bexar and the Alamo had been captured by Texan forces in December 1835.  The old mission had 21 pieces of artillery and most of them were installed on the walls by chief engineer Green B. Jameson.  When Jim Bowie arrived on January 18, 1836, he saw the Alamo as a necessary buffer between the Mexican army and the Texan settlements to the north.

It was clear, however, that the Alamo could not hold without reinforcements. General Sam Houston, seeing the futility of the situation, recommended the old mission be abandoned and destroyed.  That advice, obviously, would not followed.

Colonel Bowie, down with what has been described as typhoid pneumonia, relinquished command to Colonel William Barrett Travis* who responded to Santa Anna's demand to surrender with a cannon shot.  Colonel Travis then sent out a message to his comrades at Gonzales.  He wrote...

"The enemy in large force is in sight.  We want men and provisions.  Send them to us.  We have 150 men and are determined to defend the garrison to the last."

*William Barrett Travis (1809-1836) was born in South Carolina and studied law in Claiborne, AL.  WBT founded the Claiborne Herald & passed the bar in 1829.  His law practice foundered and he fell into debt.  WBT left for Texas, joined the rebel forces and commanded forces at the Alamo.

SOURCES

"ALAMO, BATTLE OF THE," Texas State Historical Association, www.tshaonline.org/

"13 Days of Glory," The Alamo:  The Shrine of Texas Liberty, www.thealamo.org/

Colonel William B. Travis

Alamo Commander

MARBURY V MADISON RULING 211 YEARS AGO 

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) Two centuries and eleven years ago today, February 24, 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall announced the Supreme Court's decision in the landmark case Marbury v. Madison.

The majority ruled that President Thomas Jefferson was wrong when he permitted his Secretary of State, James Madison, to prevent William Marbury from receiving his commission as Justice of the Peace here in the Nation's Capital.

The court also ruled that it had no jurisdiction in the case and that the Judiciary Act of 1789 which allowed it jurisdiction was unconstitutional.

This marked the first time the high court had ruled when a federal law does not meet the test of the United States Constitution, it is invalid.  

The decision in Marbury v. Madison firmly established the principle of judicial review.

William Marbury

SIEGE OF THE ALAMO BEGINS IN TEXAS

San Antonio, Texas (JFK+50) General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, whose forces numbered several thousand surrounded less than 200 Texan rebels within the compound of an old abandoned Spanish mission called the Alamo at San Antonio de Bexar 178 years ago today, February 24, 1836.

Santa Anna demanded its' commander, Colonel William B. Travis, to surrender.

Travis, assisted by Jim Bowie, commander of volunteers, answered the demand with a cannon shot.

Congressman David Crockett, accompanied by some of his "Tennessee volunteers", was also at the Alamo.

This began a 13 day siege culminating in a final assault on March 6, 1836.  All Texans inside the walls of the Alamo were either killed in the battle or put to the sword thereafter.

William B. Travis

ANDREW JOHNSON IMPEACHED

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) The House of Representatives voted 11 articles of impeachment 146 years ago today against President Andrew Johnson of Tennessee here in Washington.

9 of the 11 articles related to Johnson's violation of the Tenure of Office Act by the removal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a radical, who like many members of Congress opposed Johnson's reconstruction policies which they considered to be too lenient.

Andrew Johnson became the first President of the United States in history to be impeached or charged with "high crimes and misdemeanors."

The Senate impeachment trial, lasting from March 13 to March 26, 1868, ended with Johnson's acquittal.  He would complete his term which began with the death of President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865.

Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson

United States Senate