The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 37, July 1933 - April, 1934 Page: 157

THE
SOUTHWESTERN HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
VOL. XXXVII JANUARY, 1934 No. 3
The publication committee and the editors disclaim responsibility for views expressed
by contributors to THE QUARTERLY
A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE SIEGE OF THE ALAMO
AND OF THE PERSONNEL OF ITS DEFENDERS
AMELIA WILLIAMS
CHAPTER IV
HISTORICAL PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE ALAMO
1. The Total Number of Inmates of the Alamo
There are many historical problems growing out of the siege
and fall of the Alamo, some of which cannot be definitely set-
tled. It is the purpose of this chapter, however, to discuss those
problems and to present such solutions of them as I have more
or less tentatively arrived at.
How many Texans' were in the Alamo, and how many died
there? Authorities vary in their attempt to answer this ques-
tion, some putting the number of persons at the Alamo as low
as 150; others report more than 200. This discrepancy is due
largely, I think, to differences in interpreting Travis's reports.
Those who give the low numbers always cite Travis's letters as
proof of their statements; but in his reports from the Alamo
after February 23, Travis counted only well men, men upon
whom he could depend for effective service. At no time after
the siege of San Antonio in December, 1835, were there fewer
than twenty or thirty sick and wounded men in the hospital of
'Under the term Temans, I include all who were in the fortress--Anglo-
Americans, Mexicans, men, women, and children.