Cleveland Kinloch Simmons

Cleveland Kinloch Simmons (June 8 1815 - March 6 1836) was a deffender of the Alamo and one of the between 180 and 250 men who were killed defending the Alamo.

Background

Cleveland was born in Charleston, South Carolina to William Simmons and Sarah Clifford Young. Not much is known about his childhood, but it is known in January of 1836 Simmons boarded the "Santiago" at came to Coahuila y Tejas. When he arrived he received a commission as a Lieutenant in the cavalry from Henry Smith before leaving to the Alamo. Cleveland arrived at the Alamo as an officer of Capt. John H. Forsyth's cavalry company, which came with Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis.

Alamo

Simmons with the calvary arrived in early February in San Antonio de Bexar. It wasn't until February 23 did any military action by the Mexicans occur. Santa Anna would attack almost every day by bombardment or his army's force between February 23 and March 6. As the legend goes between March 3 and March 5 before the final Mexican assault, Travis assembled all of the Alamo's defenders in the main plaza of the Alamo. Stating that reinforcements would not be coming, Travis withdrew his sword and drew a line in the dirt. He then told those men who were willing to stay and die with him to cross the line; those who wanted to leave could do so without shame, Cleveland crossed the line. On March 6, 1836, following a thirteen-day siege, Cleveland along with Travis, Bowie, David Crockett, and James Bonham were killed in a night attack along with about 180-250 other defenders during the Battle of the Alamo. The Mexicans overran the Alamo, surrounded it, used ladders to climb over the walls and broke down the fort's defenses. When Santa Anna came into the Alamo he ordered the deffenders burned.Later that year Juan Seguin would come back and bury his fellow deffenders.

ources

* [http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/fsi47.html Cleveland Kinloch Simmons]

ee also

*Battle of the Alamo
*Alamo
*Texas Revolution