Saturday, February 27, 1836: The Mexicans search for provisions
Even though the temperature had risen to 39 degrees, the robust, northerly wind kept it bitterly cold. Other than the weather, Santa Anna had another major issue.
General Vicente Filísola, his second in command, was in charge of the supply wagons and livestock. Santa Anna wouldn’t be able to feed his troops without these supplies. However, throughout the march north, Filisola had to continually push the wagons and livestock across rain-soaked trails and swollen rivers. These heavy wagons and animals repeatedly became mired in the mud, slowing his march to Béxar.
What made the situation even worse for Santa Anna was that the defenders had taken most of the provisions from the town into the Alamo on February 23rd. This forced Santa Anna to look to the countryside.
Sending a small company of men led by Lieutenant Manuel Menchacho, the Mexicans raided the surrounding Tejano ranchos in search of provisions. Two of those ranchos belonged to Erasmo Seguín and Francisco Flores de Abrego y Valdes.
Besides Filisola, General Antonio Gaona and his three battalions were also days away. In addition to the three battalions, Gaona also brought two 12-pounder siege cannons, which would be needed against the Alamo’s walls.
Santa Anna desperately wanted those supplies and the men of Filisola and Gaona, so he sent a messenger ordering them to hurry up. Receiving this order, Gaona brought his command to a forced march. That is, all except the two 12-pound cannons. Why hadn’t Gaona included those cannons in his forced march? Because Santa Anna hadn’t asked for them.
Although Gaona would arrive sooner, Filisola and the cannons wouldn’t get to Béxar until March 8th, two days after the final attack.
On this day, Santa Anna continued trying to cut off the Alamo’s water supply. Sending engineers north to where the acequia met the San Antonio River, they attempted to dam it. But there was a problem. They found that they were in the range of the Defender’s famous “long rifles.”
The engineers couldn’t do their work with bullets whizzing around them. They finally completed their task when they moved further north, out of range. However, Travis had already dug another well inside the fort by then.
On February 27th, less than a hundred miles east of the Alamo, couriers Albert Martin and John W. Smith led the Gonzales Mounted Ranger Company volunteers out of Gonzales to reinforce the Alamo.
Still Current 