DH> I have heard that the decision to defend the Alamo was a violation of 
DH> direct order from Sum Houston. Comments?
 
        It was.  Houston only had about 800 irregulars to defend Texas
against the force of 18,000 battle hardened troops under the command of
General Santa Anna de Lopez.  Houston wanted to pull back, extend Santa
Anna's lines of supply, and fight a battle as far from Mexico proper as
possible.  Two major fortifications, San Antonio and Goliad, held about
600 of Houston's troops.  200 at the Alamo under Travis and 400 at
Goliad under Fannin. 
         Houston ordered both to retreat with their cannon which
represented the entirety of the cannon available to the army.  Travis
and Bowie decided to stand and sent word to Fannin to come and help
with the defense of the Alamo when it was discovered Santa Anna was
going to put it under siege with over 6,000 troops.  
         Fannin started out, decided it was to wet to drag his wagons
to San Antonio, and returned to Goliad.  Then, after receiving a new
set of orders from Houston to retreat immediately Fannin set out for
the east only to be caught up with and surrounded in an open field by
General Cos and about 4,000 men the next day.  
         Ultimately the 187 defenders of the Alamo were killed to the
last man after 13 days of relentless bombardments and attacks, taking
with them, almost 2,000 of Santa Anna's force.  Fannin wasn't even that
fortunate.  He and his men fought the in open prarrie until their
ammunition ran out and were forced to surrender to Cos who promised
they would be given free passage to New Orleans if they promised not to
return to Texas.  Instead, a few days later, all four hundred of
Fannin's men were marched out and executed by ther Mexicans.
          A sant six weeks later, with cries of "Remember the Alamo"
and "Remember Goliad", after burning his escape bridge behind him,
Houston's rag tag force of 800, mostly new recruits, attacked 3,000
regulars under Santa Anna at San Jacinto.  Those men, which included
two of my own ancestors, attacked with such feriocity and anger over 
Goliad and the Alamo that the Mexican force was crushed.  At the end of
the day 700 Mexicans lay dead on the battlefield, another 700 were
captured, and the remainder fled for their lives.  It was a total rout.
          The next day Santa Anna himself was captured dressed as a
private attempting to escape.  His capture sealed the totality of the
victory at San Jacinto and assured the birth of the free and
independent Republic of Texas. 
  
                                              Mike Angwin
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