"Origin and fall of the Alamo, March 6, 1836"" Topic

Testimony of Sergeant Becerra from the "Origin and fall of the Alamo, March 6, 1836."

"…Santa Anna was in Texas to put down a rebellion. To him, the best way to do that was to show no mercy and win quick and decisive victories which would dishearten the rebels. The Garrison of the Alamo mission in San Antonio had been besieged for 13 days. The Mexicans had defeated nearby garrisons and no help was going to come from the main army. Even so they were not expecting to be attacked before the enemy had broken down the walls.

"On the 3d of March Gen. Tolza arrived. The greatest activity prevailed in every department. The plan of assault was formed and communicated to the commanders of corps, and others, on the 5th. On the same day ammunition, scaling ladders, etc, were distributed. Everything was made ready for the storming. During the night troops were placed in position About three o'clock on the morning of the 6th the battalion Matamoros was marched to a point near the river, and above the Alamo. In their rear were two thousand men under Gen. Cos. Gen. Castrillon commanded this part of the army. Gen. Tolza's command held the ground below the Alamo. Gen. Santa Anna spent the night in the work near the Alamo. The troops were to march to the attack when the bugler at headquarters sounded the advance. The bugle was sounded at 4 o'clock a. m., March 6, 1836. The troops of Gen. Castrillon moved in silence. They reached the fort, planted scaling ladders, and commenced ascending, some mounted on the shoulders of others. A terrible fire belched from the interior. Men fell from the scaling ladders by the score, many pierced through the head by balls, others felled by clubbed guns. The dead and wounded covered the ground. After half an hour of fierce conflict, after the sacrifice of many lives, the column of Gen. Castrillon succeeded in making a lodgment in the upper part of the Alamo to the northeast. It was a sort of outwork. I think it is now used as a lot or courtyard. This seeming advantage was a mere prelude to the desperate struggle which ensued.
The doors of the Alamo building were barricaded by bags of sand as high as the neck of a man ; the windows also. On the top of the roofs of the different apartments were rows of sand bags to cover the beseiged. Our troops, inspired by success, continued the attack with energy and boldness. The Texians fought like devils. It was at short range — muzzle to muzzle, hand to hand, musket and rifle, bayonet and bowie knife — all were mingled in confusion. Here a squad of Mexicans, there a Texian or two. The crash of firearms, the shouts of defiance, the cries of the dying and wounded, made
a din almost infernal. The Texians defended desperately every inch of the fort — overpowered by numbers, they would be forced to abandon a room. They would rally in the next, and defend it until further resistance became impossible. Gen. Tolza's command forced an entrance at the door of the
church building. He met the same determined resistrnce without and within. He won by force of numbers and a great sacrifice of life. There was a long room on the ground floor. It was darkened. Here the fight was bloody. It proved to be the hospital. A detachment of which I had command had captured a piece of artillery. It was placed near the door of the hospital, doubly charged with grape and canister, and fired twice. We entered and found the corpses of fifteen Texians. On the outside we afterward found
forty-two dead Mexicans. On the top of the church building I saw eleven Texians. They had some small pieces of artillery and were firing on the cavalry and on those engaged in making the escalade. Their ammunition was exhausted, and they were loading with pieces of iron and nails. The captured piece was placed in a position to reach them, doubly charged, and fired with so much effect that they ceased working their pieces."…"
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

A colorful account, but be it duly noted that Sgt. Becerra's reliability as an accurate or truthful source is held doubtful by many contemporary Alamo historians and researchers. He claims to have personally witnessed the deaths of Travis, Bowie, AND Crockett, for example.

Seems that all of the Mexican source sounds doubful my friend… but they were there too!. (smile)

I have read so many books about the Alamo (the other side) and imho I really beleived that Crockett surrender and was murdered because the mexican officers cannot restrain the vengance of the mexican soldiers…

Amicalement
Armand