Editing Texas Revolution (section)

===Alamo===
{{Main|Battle of the Alamo}}
[[File:1847 watercolor of The Alamo in San Antonio.jpg|left|thumb|alt=The front of a brick building; the top of the building appears torn off. Around the arched doorway are four niches, now empty. There are two small square windows.|The [[Alamo Mission]], painted 10 years after the battle]]
<!--[[File:Alamo pano.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Alamo Mission]] in modern times. The distinctive bell-shaped facade was added decades after the battle.]]-->
Fewer than 100 Texian soldiers remained at the Alamo Mission in Béxar, under the command of Colonel [[James C. Neill]].<ref name=todish29/>  Unable to spare the number of men necessary to mount a successful defense of the sprawling facility,<ref name=edmondson252>Edmondson (2000), p. 252.</ref> in January Houston sent Bowie with 30 men to remove the artillery and destroy the complex.<ref name=todish31>Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 31.</ref><ref group=Note>Houston's orders to Bowie were vague, and historians disagree on their intent. An alternative interpretation is that Bowie's orders were to destroy only the barricades that the Mexican army had erected around San Antonio de Béxar, and that he should then wait in the Alamo until Governor Henry Smith decided whether the mission should be demolished and the artillery removed. Smith never gave orders on this issue. Edmondson (2000), p. 252.</ref> In a letter to Governor Smith, Bowie argued that "the salvation of Texas depends in great measure on keeping Béxar out of the hands of the enemy. It serves as the frontier [[picket (military)|picquet]] guard, and if it were in the possession of Santa Anna, there is no stronghold from which to repel him in his march towards the Sabine."<ref name=todish31/><ref group=Note>The [[Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana)|Sabine River]] marked the eastern border of Mexican Texas.</ref> The letter to Smith ended, "Colonel Neill and myself have come to the solemn resolution that we will rather die in these ditches than give it up to the enemy."<ref name=todish31/> Few reinforcements were authorized; cavalry officer [[William B. Travis]] arrived in Béxar with 30&nbsp;men on February 3, and five days later a small group of volunteers arrived, including the famous frontiersman [[Davy Crockett]].<ref name=hardin117>Hardin (1994), p. 117.</ref> On February 11, Neill left to recruit additional reinforcements and gather supplies.<ref name=todish32>Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 32.</ref>  In his absence, Travis and Bowie shared command.<ref name=hardin120/>

When scouts brought word on February 23 that the Mexican advance guard was in sight, the unprepared Texians gathered what food they could find in town and fell back to the Alamo.<ref name=hardin121/>  By late afternoon, Béxar was occupied by about 1,500 Mexican troops, who quickly raised a blood-red flag signifying [[no quarter]].<ref name=todish40>Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 40.</ref> For the next 13 days, the Mexican army [[Siege of the Alamo|besieged the Alamo]]. Several small skirmishes gave the defenders much-needed optimism, but had little real impact.<ref name=todish42and43>Todish ''et al.'' (1998), pp. 42–43.</ref><ref name=edmondson325>Edmondson (2000), p. 325.</ref>  Bowie fell ill on February 24, leaving Travis in sole command of the Texian forces.<ref name=hardin129>Hardin (1994), p. 128.</ref>  The same day, Travis sent messengers with a letter [[To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World]], begging for reinforcements and vowing "victory or death"; this letter was reprinted throughout the United States and much of Europe.<ref name=todish42and43/>  Texian and American volunteers began to gather in Gonzales, waiting for Fannin to arrive and lead them to reinforce the Alamo.<ref name=hardin133>Hardin (1994), p. 133.</ref>  After days of indecision, on February 26 Fannin prepared to march his 300 troops to the Alamo; they turned back the next day.<ref name="auto">Davis (2006), p. 236.</ref>  Fewer than 100 Texian reinforcements reached the fort.<ref name=edmondson340>Edmondson (2000), p. 340.</ref>

Approximately 1,000 Mexican reinforcements arrived on March 3.<ref name=edmondson349>Edmondson (2000), p. 349.</ref>  The following day, a local woman, likely Bowie's relative [[Juana Navarro Alsbury]], was rebuffed by Santa Anna when she attempted to negotiate a surrender for the Alamo defenders.<ref name=edmondson355>Edmondson (2000), p. 355.</ref> This visit increased Santa Anna's impatience, and he scheduled an assault for early on March 6.<ref name=todish49>Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 49.</ref>  Many of his officers were against the plan; they preferred to wait until the artillery had further damaged the Alamo's walls and the defenders were forced to surrender.<ref name=hardin136>Hardin (1994), p. 136.</ref>  Santa Anna was convinced that a decisive victory would improve morale and sound a strong message to those still agitating in the interior and elsewhere in Texas.<ref name=davis220>Davis (2006), p. 220.</ref>

[[File:FalloftheAlamo.jpg|thumb|''The Fall of the Alamo'' depicts [[Davy Crockett]] swinging his rifle at Mexican troops who have breached the south gate of the mission.]]
In the early hours of March 6, the Mexican army attacked the fort.<ref name=hardin138>Hardin (1994), p. 138.</ref> Troops from Béxar were excused from the front lines, so that they would not be forced to fight their families and friends.<ref name=todish49/>  In the initial moments of the assault the Mexican troops were at a disadvantage. Although their column formation allowed only the front rows of soldiers to fire safely, inexperienced recruits in the back also discharged their weapons; many Mexican soldiers were unintentionally killed by their own comrades.<ref name=todish52>Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 52.</ref>  As Mexican soldiers swarmed over the walls, at least 80 Texians fled the Alamo and were cut down by Mexican cavalry.<ref name=davis223>Davis (2006), p. 223.</ref> Within an hour, almost all of the [[List of Alamo defenders|Texian defenders]], estimated at 182–257 men, were killed.<ref group=Note>Brigido Guerrero convinced the Mexican army he had been imprisoned by the Texians. Joe, the slave of Alamo commander [[William B. Travis]], was spared because he was a slave. Some historians also believe that Henry Warnell hid during the battle, although he may have been a courier who left before the battle began. He died several months after the battle of wounds incurred during his escape. See Edmondson (2000), pp. 372, 407.</ref>  Between four and seven Texians, possibly including Crockett, surrendered. Although General [[Manuel Fernández Castrillón]] attempted to intercede on their behalf, Santa Anna insisted that the prisoners be executed immediately.<ref name=hardin148>Hardin (1994), p. 148.</ref>

Most Alamo historians agree that 400–600&nbsp;Mexicans were killed or wounded.<ref name=todish55>Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 55.</ref><ref name=hardin155>Hardin (1994), p. 155.</ref> This would represent about one-third of the Mexican soldiers involved in the final assault, which historian Timothy Todish remarks is "a tremendous casualty rate by any standards".<ref name="todish55"/>  The battle was militarily insignificant but had an enormous political impact. Travis had succeeded in buying time for the Convention of 1836, scheduled for March 1, to meet. If Santa Anna had not paused in Béxar for two weeks, he would have reached San Felipe by March 2 and very likely would have captured the delegates or caused them to flee.<ref name=davis229>Davis (2006), p. 229.</ref>

[[List of Texian survivors of the Battle of the Alamo|The survivors]], primarily women and children, were questioned by Santa Anna and then released.<ref name=todish55/>   [[Susanna Dickinson]] was sent with Travis's slave Joe to Gonzales, where she lived, to spread the news of the Texian defeat. Santa Anna assumed that knowledge of the disparity in troop numbers and the fate of the Texian soldiers at the Alamo would quell the resistance,<ref name=edmondson378>Edmondson (2000), p. 378.</ref> and that Texian soldiers would quickly leave the territory.<ref name=hardin158>Hardin (1994), p. 158.</ref>