“If we succeed, the country is ours. It is immense in extent, and fertile in its soil and will amply reward our toil. If we fail, death in the cause of liberty and humanity is not cause for shuddering. Our rifles are by our side, and choice guns they are, we know what awaits us, and are prepared to meet it.”
-Letter from Daniel William Cloud of Kentucky, a defender of the Alamo, en route to San Antonio, dated Dec. 26, 1835

On this day in 1836, the Battle of the Alamo began when Mexican Army General Antonio López de Santa Anna marched his army across the Rio Grande through poor weather to suppress the Texas rebellion.

The small Alamo Mission of San Antonio was only a short stop en route to Santa Anna’s ultimate objective of capturing the Texas government and restore the rule of the central Mexican government.

In January 1836, William Travis - commander of the Texan army - was ordered by Sam Houston to go to the Alamo and defend it. Travis arrived in San Antonio with a mere 29 reinforcements - a group that eventually rose to nearly 200 after pleas for assistance in nearby communities were answered.

Still, Santa Anna’s troops far outnumbered the Texas; nonetheless, the defenders held out for 13 days against Santa Anna’s army.

According to legend, Travis drew a line on the ground and asked any man willing to stay and fight to step over — and all except one did so. As the defenders saw it, the Alamo was the key to the defense of Texas, and they were ready to give their lives rather than surrender their position to Santa Anna.

Eventually the Alamo fell, but the battle has lived on in lore and symbolism as the heroic struggle against overwhelming odds.

Music Celebrations has strong ties to the local culture and community in San Antonio. Among other historical sites, music ensembles that participate in the National Festival of the States concert series have the opportunity to visit and explore this epic American symbol of the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.