Re: Alamo:

We've dealt with this before. There was even a thread called "Alamo:   Needless Martyrs?"   Easy to blame Houston--if you do no research.

From the earlier thread:   

General Houston, in charge of the regulars, had in fact sent Jim Bowie to carry the word to destroy the Alamo and retire to a more defensible position--as originally a mission, it was not a good place to be besieged.

But what appears to have happened is that when Bowie got there he was so impressed with what had been done to improve the position-- and he possibly considered it essential as a forward post--that he decided to stay and help improve it further. Houston had sent a message to Gov. Smith (who of course was no real governor, but seems to have been the head of the governing committee of Texas, a la the Continental Congress.) Houston told Smith that the the Alamo should be abandoned if Smith saw fit. Gov. Smith apparently did not see fit.

The defenders of the Alamo did call for reinforcements but few came, due to their own problems.   Goliad, for instance, was a real fort--but still the defenders wound up surrendering--and being massacred.