How Many Texians Died At The Alamo?
In the years immediately following the battle, the number of slain Texians was placed at approximately 150. This number was based on a note written by Albert Martin, an Alamo courier, on the back of William B. Travis’ letter of February 24, 1836. Martin wrote “When I left there was but 150 men determined to do or die . . . .” [15] Later, historians took that figure and added the 32 known members of the Gonzales Ranging Company who arrived at the Alamo during the early morning hours of March 1st. (Supporting this number is Ramón Martínez Caro, Santa Anna’s private secretary, who lists the number of slain Texians as 183. [16]) The number stood at 182 until the 1980s, when several more names were added, bringing the total to first 187, and then 189. One of the earliest lists of Texians killed at the Alamo can be found in the March 20, 1836, entry of William Fairfax Gray’s diary. Colonel Gray, a Virginian, had come to Texas as a land company agent and was present at Washington-on-the-Brazo
