172 years ago today: the end of 13 days of glory

The following composed by a friend, Carol Baker. Thanks, Carol!

“Here, on this new Thermopylae, our monument
shall tower on high, and ‘Alamo!’ hereafter be on
bloodier fields the battle-cry!”

Thus Travis from the rampart cried.
And when his warriors saw the foe
Like whelming billows move below,
At once each dauntless heart replied:
“Welcome, the Spartan’s death —
‘Tis no despairing strife;
We fall–we die–but our expiring breath
Is Freedom’s breath of Life!”

excerpt from Hymn of the Alamo by R.M. Potter, written before 1879

March 6, 1836: The approximately 186 defenders of the old mission San Antonio de Valero in San Antonio, known as the “Alamo” were killed to the last man after a siege of 13 days. When they refused to surrender to an opposing force of some 5,000 troops under General Santa Anna, he ordered the bugler to play DeGuelo signaling the battle would be to the death. Their hold out at the Alamo forced Santa Anna to keep troops there, and allowed enough time for the fledgling Republic of Texas to gather its forces for the decisive battle on April 21, 1836 further south, at a place called San Jacinto.

There used to be a plaque on the capitol grounds from the country of Greece placed in honor of the defenders that said [to the best of my recollection]:

"Thermopylae had her messenger of defeat; the Alamo had none."