On February 24, 1836, from the Alamo in Bexar, William Barrett Travis appealed to the people of Texas and all Americans, saying he was besieged by a thousand or more Mexican troops under Santa Anna. He reported a continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours without losing a man, said the enemy had demanded surrender at discretion with the threat that the garrison would be put to the sword if the fort were taken, and answered that demand with cannon shot while the flag still waved from the walls. Declaring that he would never surrender or retreat, he called for aid in the name of liberty, patriotism, and everything dear to the American character, warned that enemy reinforcements were arriving daily and could raise their numbers to three or four thousand in four or five days, and vowed to hold out as long as possible and die like a soldier, closing with "Victory or death." In a postscript he added that the Lord was on their side and that after having fewer than three bushels of corn when the enemy first appeared, the defenders had found 80 or 90 bushels in deserted houses and brought 20 or 30 head of beeves inside the walls.