Twiggs Surrender, San Antonio, TX, Feb. 12.2011

These pictures are of the 2011 Twiggs Surrender Reenactment in front of the Alamo in San Antonio. Read about the history of the event below the slide show.

Digital slideshow

After the Mexican-American War, Brigadier General David E. Twiggs

was appointed brevet major general and commanded the Department

of Texas. Twiggs's command included about 20% of the U.S. Army

guarding the border of the U.S. and Mexico. As the states began to

secede, Twiggs met with a trio of Confederate commissioners, including

Philip N. Luckett and Samuel A. Maverick, and surrendered his entire

command to them. At the time of his surrender, Twiggs was in San

Antonio with approximately 200 Union soldiers, the remainder of his

troops scattered along the border between the United States and Mexico.

1,000 Secessionist militia entered the city, intent on capturing the

Union arsenal there. With his troops outnumbered five to one, Twiggs

surrendered on February 16, 1861. All Federal troops then left Texas for the

East coast.