To the People of Texas

midwayhorn

100+ Posts
Commandancy of the The Alamo

Bejar, Feby. 24th. 1836

To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World—

Fellow Citizens & compatriots—

I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna — I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man — The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken — I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls — I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch — The enemy is receieving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country — Victory or Death.

William Barrett Travis.

Lt. Col. comdt.

P. S. The Lord is on our side — When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn — We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves.

Travis
 
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My great, great grandfather, James Clinton Neill commanded The Alamo before taking leave for a few months to take care of his family. He was on his way back when it fell. Story was that they didn't expect the Mexican army to arrive until Summer.

Anyway, he was also in command at Gonzales, TX which was the first battle of the war. I was just thinking, if he made it back in time, I guess I wouldn't be here. Weird.

God Bless Texas
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God bless Texas
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Had to memorize the entire letter in Mr Dennis Briles - father of Art - 7th grade Texas history class.

Can still recite it.






Newdoc >> stick it in your ear
 
Leave it to some far right wingnuts to turn a thread celebrating Texas into another BO hate-fest.

Even CedarParkFan resisted doing that, God bless him.
 
The hispanic residents of San Antonio told Travis Santa Anna was coming but what do a bunch of Mexicans know?

His logistics talents were such that when the centralist army did show up he had no food put away and had to raid some local jacales to scrape by.

The celebrated cannon shot came as Bowie was trying to talk to Santa Anna (see the papers of the Texas revolution for Feb 23).

He did not ask for or want a command and told Houston he thought he should be a recruiter.

He got surrounded and his entire command got slaughtered. He could write a great letter, largely as a result of reading a lot of Walter Scott novels. And he was very brave and a true patriot.

If he was around today he would be a likely Governor of Texas. Talking big and screwing up the details will get you a long way in our illustrious state.
 
I don't have as great of a story to tell other than that I am a descendent of Sion Bostick- one of the scouts who captured Santa Anna at San Jacinto. So clearly this date is a big event in our family.

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To all you late comers who came in the 1900's, welcome
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