 Frontier fighters to the immortal battalions who carved civilization out of the western wilderness. The southwest chapters of American history hold no more heroic incident than the valor patriotism and martyrdom of the 183 Texans who were massacred in the Alamo of San Antonio by 8,000 Mexican soldiers under General Antonio Lopez de Santana, president dictator of Mexico. December 1833. Enter. General Santana, your excellency. Dispans with the formalities. What it is you want? The Americano from Texas, Stephen Austin. I heard my congressman sent him home, broken in purse and a spirit. It was indeed discouraged, excellency, but before he left Mexico City, he addressed these letters to the Episcios in San Antonio, which have been referred back to your excellency. It contains three noble utterances. Three, isn't it? Order his arrest then and immediate transport back here. I will show this gringo how Mexico deals with treachery, especially Americano treachery. Austin's incarceration in the Mexican dungeon was a direct challenge to the Texans, but as any militant action would surely result in Austin's death, there was no popular outburst. Then, October 5th, 1834. The council to decide certain matters relating to our Texas province is open. Bring in the prisoner, Stephen F. Austin. Yes, excellency. Be seated, my good senior, Austin. This is a trial. I want a lawyer. No, my dear senior, it's not a trial. Rather, he's a council to decide the political position of Texas. Texas will be satisfied with nothing less than full statehood. Calmness, senior. Calmness, that bag of... How can I keep calm with Texas suffering under your despotic misrule? Senor de Zavala, what do you think we should do with the Texas? Your excellency, I am in favor of this division from Pueblo. And you, Senor Fernandez? I concur with de Zavala. Texas should be a separate state in the Mexican Federation. Herr General, even your closest advisers see the justice of our demands. Silencio, prisoner. The trial, Senator Anna, have decided. You, Austin, will go back to your dungeon to rot. Texas will remain attached to Coahuila. And my war office will dispatch 4,000 troops to Texas to protect the gringos there from the Indians. 4,000-pick soldiers to save an insurgent mob of land thieves from the blood-thirsty red savages. 1935, political conditions in the state of Coahuila have become so chaotic that satana and the pretext of a land theft scandal in which certain Americans were alleged to be involved sent General Manuel Perfecto Cos and an army to dissolve that state's civil government. Then, early in 1836, a truce was declared in the bitter factional strife and for the fourth time in the history of Texas, a convention is in session at Washington on the Brasov River. Gentlemen, gentlemen, a little more order, please. I'm Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman. The chair recognizes Mr. George C. Childress, the delegate from Red River. You have all read Texas Declaration of Independence. I move it be adopted. Mr. George W. Hockley has the floor. Does the delegate from Red River know that Texas has no government, no army, and no foreign credit? And does the delegate from Red River know that if we adopt his proclamation, all of us here assembled and our families too will face persecution? I recognize as General Sam Houston- But my secret service is just informed me that General Santa Ana himself is moving on San Antonio at the head of over 8,000 Mexican soldiers. Is there any special significance that Santa Ana is personally in command of this? Is it determined to crush Texas? And if his march is not delayed in San Antonio? General Castillo. Arch, excellent. Your despise. What do they report? There are less than 200 men barricaded in the devil out of mission, the Elimo, excellent. They are disorganized, short of ammunition and without supply. But their spirit, General Alamonte, their confidence, their valor and discipline, those are factors a good general does not ignore, even though the odds are greatly in his favor. General Santa Ana, though all the Americanos in the Elimo stand on the threshold of death, they sing excellently. They will never be taken alive. Bueno, he's fine. The subjugation of the Elimo will go down in history as a glorious feat of Mexican arms. And the personal victory for me, Santa Ana. February 12th, Colonel Travis. Any news about the relief I asked for? None of the couriers have returned, Colonel. I guess the convention's too busy debating abstract subjects to consider us in the Elimo. Bowie, Texas needs fighting men, not orators. You're a crocket. Welcome to the Elimo. I see you've got old Betsy with you, Davey. Who are you? It's kind of dark in here. Oh, June in bed. I've got a bad leg, Davey. How come you down in this country? Well, they didn't want me in Congress any longer. So I told my Tennessee constituents to go to a warmer climate. And I hid you going to be in for a warm time yourself, Davey. Warmer cold, Colonel Travis. Here. December 1836. The siege of the Elimo begins. The mission fortress is entirely surrounded. Saturday night, March 4th. What a filthy chamber, Elimo. It is the only one in San Antonio which commands the view of our objective, Honorable Santa Ana. And tell me, how long will our artillery ammunition hold out? Not long after dawn tomorrow, Excellency. Twenty-one pieces devour many cannonballs. I shall attack at dawn then, with rifles and cold steel. You, Eneral Castrillon. The Excellency? You will make the infantry assault. And remember, not a gringo leaves the... Senor. The Excellency? After this, Mexico never will again suffer any foreigners. Whatever their origin may be. To pollute her holy, consecrated soil. It's getting out of the daylight. Travis, you better get some sleep. No, I'm not tired, baby. How's Jim Bowie? Bowie's still in bed. But cheerful. Says he'll last as long as the Elimo. Crockett, look out that window. Tell me what you see. He started several bonfires. Anything else? No. Oh, yes, yes, Colonel. Now, see, something that wasn't there last night? It looks like a dirty bedsheet. The black flag. Santa Ana's signal of death. Now, the final assault's only a few minutes off. Colonel Travis, how many men are out there, do you reckon? Around 8,000, baby. Ooh. Against 183 Americans. Yeah. Santa Ana's taken no chances. Well, what puzzles me, Colonel, is why you and your men didn't retreat to Gonzales with Sam Houston. Well, we had no other course, baby. For nearly two weeks, we delayed Santa Ana's advance just long enough, I hope. We'll allow the American settlers between the Guadalupe and the Brazos to escape those butcher boys out there. Good military tactics, Colonel. But will it be worth the price? They'll be Crockett, your a Tennessee man and a brave one. But even you don't know the spirit, the soul of Texas. This time tomorrow, Davy, will probably all be dead. Those fires out there are for our bodies. But, Davy, we'll die on the threshold of Texas liberty. And the price we'll pay will be cheap. Dirt cheap. Come, Colonel, this may be my old Betsy Gunn's last song, but he's going to sing it a cuddle against a fine group of Tennessee whiskers as they were sprouting the whole of Texas. And a spirit, Davy, when Tennessee fights on the side of Texas, the great of the odds. The Alamo was one of the cruelest and most ferocious in the history of the world. 183 patriots exterminated to the last man. Yet, their sacrifice accomplished its glorious purpose, Texas liberty, and eventually triumphant American statehood. Another splendid page torn from the blood-soaked journal of frontier fighters. Immortal documents of valor and savage courage against appalling odds.