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23 February in military history: Siege of the Alamo begins, 1836

Military history · 23 February · Texas RevolutionFull calendar

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Painting of the last fight inside the Alamo: in the center Davy Crockett in buckskins swings his rifle like a club as Mexican soldiers with bayonets surge toward him through gun smoke, with fallen defenders on the ground and the stone walls of the mission behind.
The Fall of the Alamo by Robert Jenkins Onderdonk, about 1903. It shows the final assault of 6 March 1836, which ended the siege that began on 23 February. Public domain. Robert Jenkins Onderdonk, about 1903, Texas State Archives.
Quick answer

On 23 February 1836 the Mexican army of General Antonio López de Santa Anna reached San Antonio de Béxar, and the Texian garrison of William B. Travis and James Bowie withdrew into the Alamo. The siege lasted 13 days and ended in the storming of 6 March. On 23 February 1945 Marines raised the flag on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi.

The Battle of the Alamo, 1836: the last stand in Texas

23 February to 6 March 1836 · 190 years ago

Mexico won the Alamo on 6 March 1836: about 1,800 troops stormed the mission after a 13-day siege and killed nearly every defender. How did Crockett die?

Read the full story of The Battle of the Alamo, 1836: the last stand in Texas ›

Frequently asked questions

When did the siege of the Alamo begin?

On 23 February 1836, when Santa Anna's army reached San Antonio de Béxar. The siege lasted 13 days and ended with the assault of 6 March 1836.

What did Travis's Victory or Death letter say?

Written on 24 February 1836 to the people of Texas and all Americans in the world, it reported 24 hours of continual bombardment, promised that Travis would never surrender or retreat, and asked for help. It ended with the words Victory or Death.

Did reinforcements reach the Alamo?

Only a few. On 1 March, 32 men from Gonzales got through the Mexican lines, the only reinforcements that answered Travis's call.

How many defenders were at the Alamo?

About 150 at the start of the siege. The official list counts 189 defenders who died in the storming of 6 March 1836, and the exact number is still debated.

What happened on Iwo Jima on 23 February 1945?

A Marine patrol raised a small American flag on top of Mount Suribachi, and later that day a larger flag replaced it. Joe Rosenthal's photograph of the second raising won the Pulitzer Prize.

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