The Man from the Alamo

Personally, I agree with Sam Houston.

I say we have to fight for our rights.

Well, I disagree.

We've gotten along all right as a free state

under the Mexican Republic for years.

I see no reason to fight.

You've overlooked one thing, Jim.

Although the Spanish gave us

the right of colonization in 1821,

when Santa Anna seized control of the presidency,

we ceased to be a free state.

Now, we can either fight or face the prospect

of a government by a military authority.

General Houston.

Gentlemen, I'll get to the point.

I have been commissioned to recruit an army

for the defense of Texas as an independent republic.

Many of you are already well acquainted

with the difficulties implicit

to such an undertaking.

The others of you soon will be.

If victory is to be ours in the coming struggle,

we must have every able-bodied man

in Texas under arms.

In the absence of any active fighting, Sam,

it's becoming increasingly difficult

to convince the people of their danger.

The men are reluctant to leave their families and farms.

That is why I called you gentlemen together.

I have just received a dispatch that General Santa Anna

has occupied San Antonio.

Colonel Travis, with less than 200 men,

has withdrawn across the river to the Alamo

to prepare for its defense.

At this moment, that is the only military force

between the Mexican army and the Sabine River.

And those men need help.

How do you feel, Jim?

I'd feel better if somebody move me out on that wall.

Never get any shooting done in here.

Don't be too sure of that.

There's a lot of them left out there,

some of them might even pay you a visit.

Just bring them in,

me and Mr. Bowie's all ready for them.

I don't think we'll have to bring them in, Sam.

It looks as though they intend to come in on their own.

No word from Houston?

Not yet.

You figure the messenger got through?

I hope so.

Sam's a good man.

He'll send some boys down to help us.

He'd better send them pretty quick.

It's no use to fret, Bill.

You can always run out if things get too tough.

Nah, you aren't planning on leaving, are you, Jim?

No, I guess not.

I don't figure I could run very good.

I don't run good either, Jim.

Colonel Travis!

Colonel Travis!

Yes?

There's a Mexican out there riding under a white flag.

Says he wants to talk to you.

What did he say, Colonel?

He just said, if we don't walk

out of here right now with our hands in the air,

we won't walk out at all.

What are you gonna tell him, sir?

Is this cannon loaded?

Yes, sir.

This is driving me crazy.

First, they spend a couple hours blowing the place apart,

then you have to sit around for a couple of hours

and there ain't a sound. You don't figure

they're running out of ammunition, do you?

Why don't you stick your head over the side and find out?

I ain't that curious.

/ ain't had no real sleep in four days.

How long is a man supposed to stand it?

If you get tired of it here,

why don't you just open the gate and walk out.

I've been thinking, the biggest mistake I ever made

was when I walked in.

You had all the way from Tennessee to think it over.

If I'd had five more miles to go,

I'd probably have changed my mind.

I don't understand that anyway.

What are you guys from Tennessee

doing way down here?

Ain't no war in Tennessee.

Seems to me you could've found one nearer home.

Yeah, well, we was considering in starting one,

but Davy Crockett said you Texans need some help,

so I come down here to fight.

I'm fighting.

Still don't know what I'm fighting for.

What are you fighting for?

I got a ranch up at Oxbow, with a wife and kids.

There's four or five more of us

got a ranch up that way, too.

Ain't that right, Stroud?

Yeah.

Does that answer your question?

Got a family of my own in Tennessee.

/ wish mine was there instead of where they are.

Yeah? Where's Oxbow located?

Up north of here.

There ain't no Mexicans up that away, is there?

Well, none that I know of.

Well, I don't see what you got to worry about.

It's not the Mexicans I'm worried about.

We got word that Santa Anna's giving out land

grants to Texans to fight on his side.

Why? You don't think anybody's gonna hire out to him, do you?

Yeah, know one of them already.

Got a lot of followers too, fella named Jess Wade.

Well, here we go again.

Hold it. It's one of our boys!

Came right through the Mexican line.

It's one of our boys!

Open those gates!

I'm Colonel Crockett, lieutenant.

What can I do for you? I've got a dispatch

from General Houston. Where's your commanding officer?

Hey, lieutenant!

What's going on up north?

Same thing that's going on here.

They started raiding up around Oxbow.

You heard what the man said, didn't you?

Yeah, I heard him. Come on, let's go.

Stroud! Kay!

Come with me, I wanna talk to you.

Bill!

It. Lamar, sir.

I have a message from General Houston.

We've been expecting you.

How soon will the troops be here?

There are no troops.

Right now, the General's recruiting a fighting force

for the defense of Texas.

It may be days before-- Why'd Sam waste his time

sending us a message like this?

The General asked that you hold the Alamo as long as you can.

There's a whole army out there.

How long does he think we can keep them back?

I don't know, sir.

But he feels, the longer the Alamo holds,

the better his chances are

of getting ready for Santa Anna's army.

Dave, muster the men.

So there's just five of us here

got families up there in Oxbow,

nobody to take care of them.

If one of us don't do it, nobody else will.

Now, one man here ain't gonna make any make any difference

but one man up there could take care

of all our womenfolk and kids and get them to a place

where they're safe and then come back.

How is he going to get out?

The messenger from Houston got in, didn't he?

Who's it gonna be?

Well, If it's agreeable with all you, fellas,

I figured we draw lots for it.

I got a hand full of beans here and one of them is black.

Whoever draws the black bean goes.

You wanna start her off, Johnny?

Why not?

I have here a dispatch from General Houston.

"March the 2nd, 1836.

"On this date, Texas has been declared

an independent republic.”

That's fine, Colonel.

But what I wanna know is, are we going

to get reinforcements or not?

We haven't slept in a week.

I'm afraid we aren't.

General Houston doesn't have an army.

He's recruiting one as fast as he can.

So if General Santa Anna can be held here

for a few days longer,

it can mean the difference

between life and death for Texas.

We all know General Santa Anna

is going to give no quarter.

I'm staying here, but anyone else who wants,

may withdraw.

Those who volunteer to stay with me,

step forward.

Would you help me out, Sam?

Anyone up there who wants to leave?

Mr. Stroud, I assume you have your reasons for leaving.

I'll see that you get a horse in a moment.

Lieutenant.