Did You Know? | The Alamo | Marker Number 96

Mission San Antonio de Valero was established nearby in 1718 and relocated to this site in 1724. By 1762, the Mission Plaza was enclosed by thick stone and adobe walls with an 11 x 14-foot main gateway on the south wall. In 1803, Spanish cavalry from San Carlos de Parras del Alamo, Mexico occupied the secularized mission and built one-story barracks inside the south wall on each side of the gateway. The Alamo complex was occupied in 1835 by Mexican soldiers under General Cos, who fortified the gateway with artillery and a defensive lunette. Texas patriots captured the Alamo in December 1835, but faced siege by forces led by General Santa Anna beginning February 23, 1836. Couriers used the main gateway to depart during the siege. On March 6, Mexican troops breached the gateway and retook the Alamo. Following the assault, some observers stated that Colonel James Bowie and others died in the low barracks. The barracks and gateway were demolished in 1871, merging Valero Plaza with the Alamo's plaza to create open space. (1996)