The Fall of the Alamo ~ page 12

During the twenty-third the siege as before remarked, continued with increasing severity. An incessant bombardment was kept up day and night, while a hail of bombs and cannon balls was poured within the walls, and, strange as it may seem, without the loss of one of our besieged. The garrison replied with great vigor from their guns mounted around the walls. This continued from day to day until the morning of the third of March when, if there was any change, the bombardment increased in severity. Indeed the din and roar of the artillery had become a monotony, which, though it was kept up by the enemy with great loss to them, was, nevertheless, fast subduing the physical strength and vigor of the garrison. Their number being insufficient to man the walls by detail, every man was required at his post and sleep was out of the question. About mid-day on the third of March, whilst the Texians were at their posts, maintaining their position against the charges of the enemy as usual, a hideous yell was raised by the population of the town. The cry "Santa Anna," "Santa Anna," was shouted throughout the city. This attracted the attention of all, and a large body of the enemy was seen entering the streets of the city on the west side. The buildings were at that time so low that the entire city could be viewed from the Alamo. The besiegers for a while slackened the vigor of their operations and joined in the general rejoicing.

This incident was related to me by J. W. Smith, Mrs. Dickinson and Travis’ negro boy, all at different times, and in substance the same. To consider it singly, without any connection with others of a like bearing, would be to consider the whole in mystery, unless there were no assertions that Santa Anna’s arrival took place before that time in which case it would be at once fix the time of that event on the third of March. But as it is we could not account for it in any other way. This we must do, we must give it a place somewhere. It was the opinion of Mr. Smith and the other persons mentioned that neither Santa Anna nor his main force were at San Antonio at any time during the siege before this event took place, and that opinion is supported by some very strong circumstantial evidence. First, it is not reasonable to suppose that so large a body of men could have been in and about the city during the siege without being seen from the Alamo, the country around being comparatively open, unless they concealed themselves during the day, and if they had arrived at any time before, why should such a parade, the like of which had not occurred before, be made over them at this late day? Again, we could have no good reason for supposing that Santa Anna could have been encamped around the walls of the Alamo, for nearly two weeks, with an army of five thousand men, and have made no effort to take it, especially when he must have been aware of the importance of an early blow. The question might be asked here, "If he knew so well the importance of haste in his movements, why did he not attack the fortress as soon as he reached it, instead of waiting nearly three days?" To which I would answer that his men had just been on a heavy march and that he might have doubted the result of an assault with jaded troops, while good judgement counseled a few days rest, and further some time was necessary for reconnoitering the position for a proper disposition of the column for an assault.

Furthermore, there can be no sufficient reason why the demand of a surrender should have been made in the name of Colonel Almonte, if the General-in-chief had been present himself. Almonte told me in person that Santa Anna did not reach Bexar until after he did, though he did not state the exact date. Whether these circumstances are sufficient to fix the time on the third of March or not, they certainly have their bearing and are entitled to proper consideration.⁸