Of all the five missions along the San Antonio river, by far the most famous is of course the “Alamo”. Although neither the biggest or the most prosperous, this structure is forever burned into the annals of American History. Originally named “Mission San Antonio de Valero”, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years. Construction began on the present site in 1724. In 1793, Spanish officials secularized San Antonio’s five missions and distributed their lands to the remaining Indian residents. These people continued to farm the land as life went on. In the early 1800’s, the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the former mission. The soldiers referred to the old mission as the Alamo (the Spanish world for cottonwood) in honor of their hometown. The Commander established the first recorded hospital in Texas in the Long Barracks. The Alamo was home to both Revolutionaries and Royalists during the 10 year struggle for independence. The military, Spanish Rebel, and then Mexican continued to occupy the Alamo until the Texas Revolution. Around the turn of the 1800 century, Spain, wishing to increase the population of Northern Mexico, introduced a land grant and free tax base for anyone willing to settle. Americans flocked to Texas to take advantage of this generous offer. Soon 3 out of 4 residents of what would become Texas were of European decent. With the Mexican revolution and it’s liberation from Spain, the Dictator Santa Anna, renounced all previous treaties granted to the Europeans and instituted continually increasing taxes. The people resisted, and Santa Anna sent his brother-in-law and several hundred soldiers to punish and disarm the Europeans. San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. In December of 1835, Ben Milam led Texan and Tejano volunteers against Mexican troops quartered in the city. After five days of house to house fighting, that forced General Martin Perfecto de Cos and his soldiers to surrender. The victorious volunteers then occupied the Alamo, already fortified prior to the battle by Cos’s men. Mexico’s president dictator, General Antonio Santa Anna, outraged by Texan aggression, departed Mexico city with several thousand battle hardened troops. The Texans, now trying desperately to organize, and form an army under the direction of Sam Houston, needed time to train. Houston, realizing that the Mexican invasion had started, sent a detachment to San Antonio to disable the cannons at the Alamo and destroy the fortification. He placed William Travis and Jim Bowie in charge of the group. Davy Crockett and his Tennesseans joined the group. Upon their arrival at the Alamo, Travis was reluctant to destroy the fortifications, preferring instead to defend the compound. On February 23, 1836, the arrival of General Santa Anna’s advanced cavalry nearly caught the defenders by surprise. Undaunted, the Texans and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo together. After surrounding the structure, Santa Anna demanded the unconditional surrender of the compound. Travis responded with a single blast from one of his cannons. For the next 13 days, Santa Anna bombarded the Alamo. Travis sent out many dispatchs asking for reinforcements. 32 volunteers from Gonzales did respond. It is rumored that with all hope of survival fading, Travis drew a line in the sand with his sword, asking all those willing to die for their newly forming country to step over. All but one are believed to have crossed. The total complement was now at 187 men, 16 women and children and one black slave. Jim Bowie, fighting a fever was retired to a room on the south wall, leaving Travis solely in charge. In the pre-dawn hours of March 6th, 1836, Santa Anna amassed 1400 troops near the north wall. Travis positioned on that wall commanded the defense. He received a fatal shot in the head early in the fight. Davy Crockett, and his followers defended the east side of the church and died at their posts as the Mexican troops poured over the wall. By 6:30 AM, the last shots had been fired. Only 14 men remained combat ready. True to his word, Santa Anna marched these men into the court yard and shot them dead. He then ordered his soldiers to kill the remaining injured. With all 187 men dead, the women and children were removed from their hiding place in the southwest corner of the church and along with the only slave, were allowed to see the carnage in hopes that their story, when told, would deter any further resistance by the residents of Texas. His hopes were vanquished when “Remember the Alamo” became the battle cry of the Texan rebellion.