Hello there! My name is Matthew. I live in a small home in San Antonio, Texas with mother and father. I was born in 1827, and I am 9 years old! My family and I can see a big building called the Alamo from the street. It's a place that everyone in town knows. 

These brave men came to defend the Alamo!

They whispered. "Davy Crockett, James Bowie, and Colonel William B. Travis."

One day not too long ago, riders came into town. They all had very dusty clothes on and they carried rifles. People all over town and even my parents whispered their names.

My father told me that a very large army was coming soon. These defenders that came worked hard to fix the walls and gather up supplies. Families similar to mine stayed close together. Everyone in the town hoped and prayed for peace, but we were also prepared for danger...

Even with all of these scary ideas, we still had to keep going on with our lives! I helped my mother grind corn and fetch water. At night, we heard music from the Alamo. The defenders played songs to stay brave. We played lots of songs to stay brave too.

One morning, loud drums echoed across San Antonio. When I looked outside, I saw the Mexican army marching in. Their red and white flags waved in the wind. My mother pulled me in close and held me tight. The entire town knew there was about to be a serious change.

The defenders of the Alamo stayed inside of it. Families like mine stayed inside of our home. We could hear cannons going off in the distance. The ground would shake sometimes, and dust would fall down from the ceiling. My father always said that the defenders inside of the Alamo were holding strong.

When I would feel scared, my father would tell me stories about the men inside of the Alamo. He said, "Colonel Travis is young but strong." "James Bowie is sick, but he still gives the orders." "And Davy Crockett keeps everyone's spirits up," he said. I could just imagine each of those brave men standing tall and mighty.

For many days, time felt so slow and so heavy. We heard more strange and distant sounds morning and night. My mother prayed and so did I. My father helped my neighbors find food and water. Each of us in town tried to stay hopeful.