I shall never surrender or retreat ... I Am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what it is due to his honor and that of his country-VICTORY OR DEATH." This was a letter sent by William Barret Travis during the siege of the Alamo on February 24, 1836. It was a cry for help to anybody and everybody willing to listen.

It all started in 1830 with Stephen Austin, a leader of American pioneers in the wild, living in Texas, under the rule of the Mexican government, who had solved two major problems that the settlers had with the government. The colonist were now allowed to keep slaves in Texas, even though no other areas under Mexican rule owned slaves and the second was the government made sure that Texans would be protected by the Mexican government from suits to collect debts that they had contracted in the United States before their immigration to Texas. All over the South were signs on bankrupt homes homes saying "Gone to Texas" were they did not have to pay off their debts (Downey 42).

Austin and his followers were very hot tempered and ready to start up with any government that they disliked. They soon found a chan

Whereas, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and other military chieftains, have by force of arms overthrown the federal institutions of Mexico, and dissolved the social compact which existed between Texas and other members of the Mexican confederacy; now the good people of Texas, availing themselves of their natural rights, Solemnly declare:

The Texans protested and soldiers were sent to control the mobs. After the release of Austin on September 1, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna had been elected President of Mexico. In the fall of 1835 Santa Anna had sent more troops, under the leadership of his brother in law General Martin Cos, to Texas in order to enforce the immigration laws. Austin and some soldiers had surrounded settlements in Mexican territory and were considered by the government to be rebels. Mexico had no choice but to attempt to use military forces. Thirty thousand Texans were willing to fight against a nation of seven million. They did not receive any government aid from the United States but sympathetic Southern states secretly sent troops.

To the death they fought. Massacred by the Mexican army only four survivors remained. Mrs. Dickenson, her child and two male slaves. Nobody else was spared. From that point on the Texans used the battle cry " Remember the Alamo!"( Downey 57 ).

October 9, 1835 Ben Milan led an attack at Goliad. The Mexicans were surprised and surrendered to the pioneers who ended up with numerous weapons and ten thousand dollars. Later that month Austin sent troops under Bowie to San Antonio. While camping they were attacked by Mexican troops. The Texan solders dominated this fight coming out with only one fatality. They could have gone on to capture San Antonio but Austin said that they needed to reorganize themselves. The siege continued on for an additional six weeks.

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Approximate Word count = 2129
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)