February 23, 1836, the Siege of the Alamo began when Colonel William B. Travis ordered his men to fire the 18-Pounder Cannon from the southwest corner of the Alamo into the Mexican encampment in response to General Santa Anna’s offer to surrender. Like several other cannons from battle of the Alamo, the 18-Pounder was taken off of its carriage and disabled by the Mexican army. Eventually, the cannon was lost to history.
History comes to life with a replica of this cannon on display at the southwest corner of the Alamo on a period-correct, hand-made carriage. This immersive exhibit provides an up-close encounter with a full-size replica of the cannon the Alamo Defenders fired in 1836 to tell Santa Anna that they would remain defiant and never surrender.
This exhibit also teaches visitors about the home of Alamo Defender José Toribio Losoya, who was born at the Alamo in 1808 and died defending it in 1836. With the exhibit in the southwest corner of the original Alamo compound - the very location of the Losoya house in 1836 - visitors will be able to better understand Alamo history exactly where it happened.
The exhibit is free to the public, and will be open during normal Alamo operating hours from 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. An elevator lift will be available for accessibility.
Cannon History
The 18-Pounder Cannon was cast in Sweden and brought to the United States. The cannon came to Texas via New Orleans aboard the Columbus on October 11, 1835 and was offloaded at Dimmit’s Landing near Lavaca Bay. The 18-Pounder arrived in San Antonio in December of 1835. Due to a lack of carriages, one had to be constructed upon arrival. It was then placed in the southwest corner of the Alamo fort. After the battle, the 18-Pounder was taken off of it’s carriage, the muzzle was spiked, the trunnions and cascabel were broken off, and was buried in a nearby defensive trench. The 18-Pounder was rediscovered in 1858 by the U.S. Army and was eventually moved to the nearby park of San Pedro Springs. By 1917, the cannon disappeared from its pedestal at San Pedro Springs Park and was lost to history.
In 2020, the Alamo Collections and Research Team conducted a research project in order to reconstruct the 18-Pounder cannon and carriage. The reconstructed 18-Pounder gives visitors a glimpse of a long-lost piece of Alamo history.
Caliber: 18 pounder
Weight: 2,000 lbs
Length: 7’ 8”
Diameter of Bore: 5.25"
