“The Gonzales Immortals”Commemorative Edition

During a Gonzales City Council meeting in January, 2013, plans were announced for the annual Gonzales County Day at the State Capitol — and Council members were also apprised of an advisory from Land Com-missioner Jerry Patterson querying Gonzales’ interest in taking part in the ceremonies surrounding the return of Travis’ famed “Victory or Death” letter to The Alamo.

Of The Alamo’s 188 defenders, nearly one in four were from Gonzales. It was 32 men from Gonzales who re-sponded to the Travis Letter, riding into the besieged mission in the pre-dawn hours of March 1, 1836 — the only reinforcements received by the embattled defenders.

The response from the Gonzales community — where many residents are either directly descended from or related to the 41 men from Gonzales who died at The Alamo — was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

The Travis Letter returned to The Alamo on Feb. 27, and The Cannon newspaper was there to cover the event. We also asked for and received permission from the GLO to distribute copies of the special Immortal 32 Com-memorative created to honor the men of Gonzales who died at The Alamo.

Two days later, on March 1, The Cannon was again on-hand at very somber ceremonies to honor the nine origi-nal garrison members and the “Immortal 32” Gonzales Rangers of the Alamo Relief Force, and again received permission to distribute free copies of our Commemorative. As the name of each of the 41 men from Gonzales was read, a related member of the Gonzales delegation of more than 200 people present answered roll call with “Here!”

Gonzales Immortals The CannonThursday,

February 28, 2013

D

Since the above was written I heard a very heavyCannonade during the whole day think there musthave been an attack made upon the alamo We wereshort of Ammunition when I left Hurry onall the men you can in haste

When I left there was but 150 determined to do or die tomorrow I leavefor Bejar with what men I canraise and will be there Mondayat an events

Albert MartinGonzalesFeb. 25

Nb...I hope Everyone will Rendevu atgonzales as soon as possible as the Brave Solders are suffering do not deglect thepowder. is very scarceand should not be deladone moment”

L Smither

(front page)Commandancy of the Alamo------

Bejar Fby. 24th 1836

To the People of Texas &all Americans in the world------

Fellow citizens & compatriots------

I am besieged, by a thousandor more of the Mexicans under

Santa Anna ----- I have sustaineda continual Bombardment &

cannonade for 24 hours & havenot lost a man ----- The enemyhas demanded a Surrender at

discretion, otherwise, the garrisonare to be put to the sword, if

the fort is taken ----- I have answeredthe demand with a cannonshot, & our flag still wavesproudly from the wall ----- I

shall never Surrender or retreat

Then, I can on you in thename of Liberty, of patriotism &every thing dear to the American

character, to come to our aid,

(Second Page)with all dispatch ----- The enemy isreceiving reinforcements daily &will no doubt increase to three orfour thousand in four or five days.If this can is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as

possible & die like a soldierwho never forgets what is due to

his own honor & that of hiscountry ----- Victory or Death

William Barret TravisLt. Col. Comdt

P. S. The lord is on our side-

When the enemy appeared in sightwe had not three bushels of corn---

We have since found in desertedhouses 80 or 90 bushels & got into

the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves---

Travis

Martin’sPost-Script

Smithers’Post-Script

Travis’ ‘Victory or Death’ Call for Aid

Salute to the

About 4 PM on 23 Feb 1836, Launcelot Smithers left the Alamo and made the 76-mile ride to Gon-zales where he announced the ar-rival of the Mexican army in San Antonio de Bexar with a note from Alamo Commander, Col. William B. Travis, to alcalde Andrew Pon-ton appealing for reinforcements.

On the same day of arrival of the message, Acting Commis-sioner and Aide-de-Camp to the Provisional President of the Re-public of Texas Byrd Lockhart completed the muster of 23 into the Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers. The Gonzales Rangers were officially attached to Col. Travis’ command within the provisional Republican Army. That company, along with several other individuals, joined the Gon-zales Alamo Relief Force on Feb. 24 and thereafter are often listed as members of the company even though no official muster roll is available.

On Feb. 24, Smithers wrote from Gonzales:

Gonzales, Feby, 24 1836, To all the In-habitants of Texas: In a few words there is 2000 Mexican soldiers in Bexar, and 150 Americans in the Alamo. Sesma is at the head of them, and from the best accounts that can be obtained, they intend to show no quarter. If every man cannot turn out to a man every man in the Alamo will be murdered. They have not more than 8 or 10 days provisions. They say they will defend it or die on the gorund. Provisions, ammu-nition and Men, or you suffere your men to be murdered in the Fort. If you do not turn out Texas is gone. I left Bexar on the 23rd. at 4 P.M. By the Order of W.V. Travis. L. Smithers.

Later that day, the passionate and alarming appeal of Colonel Travis in his own handwriting to all people of Texas and all Ameri-cans left the Alamo for Gonzales, carried by Captain Albert Martin, who first delivered it upon his ar-rival on the 25th to Smithers, who carried it on to San Felipe on the 27th. It is believed that Smithers may have left the original copy with Alcalde Ponton while moving on to other sites with extracts or copies.

Ponton distributed copies or the essence of the letter to other mun-cipalities in Texas where broad-sides and flyers were made for dis-tribution as well as printing in the

newspapers The Texas Republican and Telegraph and Register on 2 Mar and 5 Mar, respectively.

On the back of the letter, Capt. Martin penciled in

Since the above was written I heard a very heavy Cannonade during the whole day think there must have been an attack made upon the alamo We were short of ammunition when I left Hurry all the men you can in haste. Albert Martin (signed). When I left there was but 150 determined to do or die tomorrow I leave for Bejar with what men I can raise [illegible] at all events [illegible] Col. Almonte is there the troops are under the Command of Gen. Seisma

An additional note by Smithers was handwritten sideways to the above:

Nb I hope that Every One will Rondevu at gonzales as soon poseble as the Brave Solders are suffering do not neglect this powder is very scarce and should not be delad one moment L. Smither

According to Dr. John Suther-land in his personal memoirs, The Fall of the Alamo, he also left the Alamo under order from Travis between 3 and 4 p.m. on Feb. 23 and arrived in Gonzales at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24, with cou-rier John W. Smith.

Two earlier appeals from Travis to Col. Fannin at Goliad had re-sulted in an aborted start toward San Antonio with his force of 350 men when Fannin heard of the ap-proach of Gen. Urrea’s army. He opted to plan to oppose Urrea’s force rather than respond to the Alamo.

His delay led to his force being surrounded and taken prisoner on March 20. On direct orders from Santa Anna, Fannin’s surviving force was marched onto the open prairie at La Bahia (Goliad) on March 27 and massacred.

Responding to Col. Travis’ ap-peals, the main contingent of the Gonzales Alamo Relief Force de-parted the town square of Gonza-les at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, led by commanding officer Lieutenant

George C. Kimble of the Gonzales Rangers. The senior officer ac-companying the relief force was courier Capt. Albert Martin who had delivered the appeal to both Smithers and Gonzales.

The force was guided by Alamo courier John W. Smith, a resident of San Antonio de Bexar. Accord-ing to Dr. John Sutherland, the group consisted of 25 men who left Gonzales and increased to 32 with those who joined along the way, in particular near Cibola Creek.

On Feb. 29, the group prepared to find a way into the Alamo through the surrounding Mexican forces. Dr. John Sutherland relates the story that

“On reaching the suburbs of the city they were approached by a man on horseback who asked in English, ‘Do you wish to go into the fort, gentlemen?’ ‘Yes’ was the reply. ‘Then follow me,’ said he, at the same time turning his horse into the lead of the company. Smith remarked, ‘Boys, it’s time to be af-ter shooting that fellow,’ when he put spurs to his horse, sprung into the thicket, and was out of sight in a moment, before a gun could be got to bear on him.”

After being shot at by Alamo sentries, the gates swung open and the Gonzales force made their dash into the fort at 3 a.m., Tues-day, March 1, 1836.

The Gonzales Alamo Relief Force was the only organized force in Texas which effectively respond-ed without question to the appeals of Travis to aid their doomed col-leagues in the mission. Some were single men, but most were hus-bands and fathers of large fami-lies.

Concern for families short and long term safety, loyalty to the Constitution of 1824 as Mexican citizens, the hatred precipitated by their betrayal by the central-ista dictatorship of Santa Anna, the committment to Texas Inde-pendence and suspicion that the Alamo might be a lost cause in the larger war of independence caused great personal conflict in making the choice to join the Relief Force.

Fathers and sons, some in their teens, argued over who should go

and who should remain with fam-ily (see King and Kent). Patriotic mothers and impending widows, some pregnant (Kimble) and one blind mother of multiple small children (Millsap), agonized, but consented and encouraged hus-bands to go to the aid of their neighbors.

Of the members of the Gonzales Alamo Relief Force who can be clearly verified as DeWitt Colony residents, the oldest was Andrew Kent at age 44, 4 were over 40, 5 aged 31-40, 14 aged 21-30 and four (Fuqua, Gaston, Kellogg and King) were teenagers, the young-est of which was 16. San Antonio historian Charles Merritt Barnes related that

“....One, a lad of but sixteen, was the bravest of them all, for he fought after his weapo’s were use-less. He died throttling an antago-nist, not relaxing his grip on the latter’s throat even when death seized the boy. He and his foe died together ... they had to tear the boy’s hands from the throat of his assailant” when the bodies of the defenders and Mexican Army ca-sualties were being separated for disposal.

Records show at least 17 had been engaged in prior military en-gagements in service of Texas, pri-marily in the Battles of Gonzales, Concepcion and Bexar.

Several more were couriers not present in the final moments of battle. By any estimate, participa-tion of the DeWitt Colonists in the Battle of Gonzales and the Battles to remove the centralistas from San Antonio de Bexar, the ancient capital of Texas, culminating with the Battle of the Alamo was larger per resident than any other single municipality or district of Texas.

Members of families of the Mu-nicipality of Gonzales, who com-prised only about 4% of the total population of Texas, accounted for 20% of the casualties at the Alamo. Put another way, over 4% of the total population of the De-Witt Colony, among them some of their most productive landholders, ranchers and farmers as well as merchants and civic leaders, died in the Alamo.

The Cannon • Gonzales Immortals Salute Thursday, February 28, 2013Page D2

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Materials used in this special commemorative have been freely borrowed and adapted from several sources with the deepest appreciation, including the Sons of DeWitt Colony archive online at Texas A&M University; the Handbook of Texas online; the Daughters of the Republic of Texas; the Texas State Archives; and the Gonzales Memorial Museum. The Cannon thanks all these organizations for their cooperation and invaluable access.

Marker honoring the “Immortal 32” at the Gonzales Memorial Museum

They fought and died for our freedom.Let us never forget their sacrifice.

Texas NaTioNalisT MoveMeNT

of GoNzales CouNTy

The Cannon • Gonzales Immortals SaluteThursday, February 28, 2013 Page D3

The Gonzales Memorial marker at The Alamo

The following Gonzales men died defending the Alamo, were in the gar-rison when it became under siege, and died there with their colleagues from the Gonzales Alamo Relief Force which forced its way into the garrison through surrounding Mexican lines.

Daniel BourneDaniel Bourne, 26, born in 1810 in

England, a resident of Gonzales and Private artilleryman in Capt. Carey’s Company. Bourne and two brothers came to America from England and Daniel went on to the DeWitt Colony. He was in Capt. Parrott’s artillery com-pany and remained in Bexar in service of the company.

George BrownGeorge Brown, 35, born 1801 in Eng-

land, a resident of Gonzales and Pri-vate rifleman in the Alamo garrison. He came to TX from Yazoo, YazooCo, MS.

Jerry C. DayJerry C. Day, 20, born 1816 in Mis-

souri, was a Gonzales resident and Pri-vate rifleman in the Alamo garrison. He was the son of Jeremiah Day, a wag-oner for the Texas army between 1836-1838 who signed the Goliad Declara-tion of Independence 20 Dec 1835. Son Jerry C. Day is referred to as Jeremiah C. Day in some records. Day partici-pated in the Siege and Battle of Bexar in Dec 1835, was discharged from the service on 14 Jan 1836, but re-enlisted and joined the Alamo garrison. Service bounty of 320 acres was approved for his heirs 15 Oct 1845.

Almaron DickinsonAlmaron Dickinson (Dickerson)

came to Texas from Tennessee. His ex-act birthplace and date are uncertain, one source says Pennsylvania, another Tennessee. Some sources list him as 26 when he died in the Alamo, others as 28 and still others as 36. He is said by one source to have been 21 when he married in TN in 1829. He was likely born between 1800 and 1810. Dick-inson was a blacksmith, Mason and resident of Gonzales and artilleryman in the Alamo garrison. He and wife Susannah Wilkerson arrived in the DeWitt Colony in 1831 and received a league of land on the east bank of the San Marcos River below the Old Bexar Road in CaldwellCo on Callihan Creek, east of Plum Creek and current Lock-hart. The Dickinsons are thought to

have arrived with a party which were part of the Tennessee-Texas Land Com-pany contract which included many other prominent DeWitt Colonists, sev-eral of which received neighboring land grants. Dickinson also acquired prop-erty in inner Gonzales town in 1834 where he set up his blacksmith shop and went into partnership with George C. Kimble in a hat factory. Almeron Dickinson was among the 27 Gonzales men under Bart McClure who respond-ed to an attack by Indians on traders at the Castleman place 15 miles west of Gonzales. Dickerson was among the original 18 defenders of the Gonzales cannon and was in charge of the can-non during the confrontation.

Dickinson was an aide to General Edward Burleson during the Siege of Bexar in early Dec 1835. After the battle his family joined him in Bexar where they set up residence in the Mus-quiz house on the southwest corner of Portero Street and the Main Plaza.

When Mexican troops arrived in San Antonio on 23 Feb 1836, Dickin-son moved the family into the Alamo from the Musquiz house. According to his surviving widow Susannah Dickin-son who was present during the siege, near the end, Lt. Dickinson rushed into the chapel where she was hiding saying “Great God, Sue! The Mexicans are in-side our walls! All is lost! If they spare you, love our child,” he kissed Susan-nah and returned to the battle where he died and his body was burned with the rest of the defenders. Some reports suggest that he left his Masonic apron with Susannah and instructed her to display it appropriately if it would aid her survival.

Andrew DuvaultAndrew Duvalt/Duvault, 32, born

1804 in Ireland, was a resident of Gon-zales and Private rifleman in Capt. White’s infantry company. He came to TX from Missouri, joined the service on 28 Oct 1835, participated in the Siege of Bexar and became an infan-tryman in the Bexar Guards. He was in Gonzales after 2 Feb 1836 and en-rolled during the muster of the Gon-zales Rangers in Feb 1836. Whether he returned to the Alamo prior to entry of the Gonzales relief force or accompa-nied them to the Alamo is uncertain. Duvalt is not listed on the Gonzales memorial among the immortal 32, but as a Gonzales resident who died there. In 1854 his heirs received 320 acres bounty land for service.

John HarrisJohn Harris, 23, born 1813 in KY, a

resident of Gonzales and Private rifle-man in the Gonzales Rangers. John participated in the Siege of Bexar, received 640 acre bounty for the ser-vice and was a member of the Bexar Guards. He was at home in Gonzales when the Alamo was surrounded and was mustered into the Rangers on 23 Feb 1836. Similar to Duvalt, it is un-clear whether he entered the Alamo with the Gonzales relief force or re-turned to the Alamo separately. He is listed in Citizens of the Republic of Texas as born 1813 in TN and the son of Sidon J. Harris. In Alamo Legacy, author Ron Jackson relates a family legend from a descendant of Siden B. Harris that says that Sideon B. Harris was an uncle of Alamo Defender John Harris. In this account, Harris was a cousin of Davy Crockett who came to Texas with him as a member of the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers.

William J. LightfootWilliam J. Lightfoot, is most com-

monly listed in Alamo biographies as 25, born 1811 in VA, a resident of Gon-zales and 3rd Corporal in Capt. Carey’s artillery. He participated in the Siege of Bexar in the same unit. A Lightfoot was listed as 3rd Corporal on the ros-ter of the Alamo garrison under Lt. Col. James Clinton Neill before he left the Alamo command on 14 Feb 1836. Some sources erroneously suggest that Lightfoot was the son of Elijah and Re-becca Ligon Lightfoot. According to Joe Lee (HCR 62, Box 14, Evant, TX 76525), Elijah Lightfoot was born 28 Oct 1810, married Rebecca Ligon on 11 Oct 1831 and died in Pittsburg,Tex on 12 July 1891. Lightfoot researchers suspect that William J. Lightfoot and John William Lightfoot are the same person and a brother of brothers Wil-liam Webster, Wilson T. and Henry L. Lightfoot who served in the Texas Revolution including the Battle of San Jacinto. Wilson T. Lightfoot was the executor of Alamo Defender William Lightfoot’s estate. Brothers John Wil-liam and Wilson T. Lightfoot were in Austins second colony in current Bas-trop County in 1830 while their brother Elijah came to Texas much later. Ac-cording to descendant Cynthia Orth, family bible record indicates that John William Lightfoot was born 8 Sep 1805. His parents, father named Henry Tay-lor Lightfoot, were in Washington or MercerCo, KY at the time. Wilson T. Lightfoot married Sara Scott in Ft.

BendCo, TX in 1840. His widow mar-ried David Welch Brydson/Bryson 29 Jan 1852 and eventually moved to WashingtonCo. TX.

Marcus E. SewellMarcus E. Sewell, 31, born in Eng-

land in 1805, a shoemaker, resident of Gonzales and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. It is believed he entered the Alamo on 1 Mar 1836 as part of the relief force, although he may have been in the garrison before the be-ginning of the siege. Sewell is not listed among the original immortal 32 on the memorial to the Gonzales relief force, but is listed among Gonzales residents who died in the Alamo.

William D. SutherlandWilliam DePriest Sutherland, 17,

was born 10 Aug 1818. Some re-cords indicate he was born in Ala-bama where he is thought to have lived with his uncle in Tuscumbia after his parents left for Texas in 1830. However, according to re-searcher Don Ricketts of Danville, VA, he was born in AndersonCo, Tennessee (near Knoxville) where his grandfather John Sutherland op-erated a ferry over the Clinch Riv-er. This John was one of the first Trustees for the Town of Danville, Virginia. During the 1820’s some of the family moved to Alabama and then to Texas. William DePriest Sutherland was named for Mary De-Priest Sutherlin (frequently spelled this way in Virginia).

Sutherland was in Texas by 1835. He was a private in the Alamo gar-rison and died there. Although a resident of the Navidad River in current JacksonCo and not within the DeWitt Colony per se, because of proximity he and the Sutherland family interacted more with DeWitt Colonists and its main settlement Gonzales than the Austin Colony settlements at San Felipe and near the coast. William was the son of George and Frances Menefree Sutherland and nephew of John Sutherland, who was a courier and surgeon for the Alamo garrison. William Sutherland is thought to have joined his relatives in Texas after attending LaGrange College in Tuscumbia, AL where he remained after his parents left for Texas. He and his father attended the meet-ing at Millican’s Gin on 17 Jul 1835 which called for resistance to the dictatorship of Santa Anna.

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Gonzales Immortals: The Gonzales Rangers“At dawn on the first of March, 1836, Capt. Albert Martin, with 32 men (himself included) from Gonzales and DeWitt’s Colony, passed the lines of Santa Anna and entered the walls of the Alamo, never more to leave them. These men, chiefly husbands and fathers, owning their own homes, voluntarily organized and passed through the lines of an enemy four to six thousand strong, to join 150 of their countrymen and neighbors, in a fortress doomed to destruction. Does American history, or any history, ancient or modern, furnish a parallel to such heroism? ... They willingly entered the beleaguered walls of the Alamo, to swell the little band under Travis, resolved ‘never to surrender or retreat.’ In after many years it was my privilege to personally know and live near many of their widows and little ones and to see the latter grow into sterling manhood and pure womanhood. I never met or passed one without involuntarily asking upon him or her the blessings of that God who gave the final victory to Texas.”

—John Henry Brown in History of Texas

Isaac G. BakerIsaac G. Baker, 21, was born 15

Sep 1814, probably in Lawrence County, Alabama. He was a Private in the Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers. According to land records, he arrived single in the DeWitt Colony 13 Aug 1830 and received title to a quarter si-tio of land on the Guadalupe River in northwest Guadalupe County. He also owned 4 lots in the west outer town Gonzales between the Guadalupe and San Marcos Rivers in the outer Gonzales town tract near those owned by his father Mo-ses Baker and brother John Baker. On the Gonzales County Tax rolls of 1839, J.D. Clements (husband of Rachel Baker), brother-in-law and son-in-law, respectively, of Isaac Baker and Moses Baker is listed as administrator of their estates. Various historical entries vary in respect to the age of Isaac Baker. The entry in his brother John Bak-er’s journal giving Isaac Baker’s birthdate as 15 Sep 1814 notes that he fell in the Alamo fighting in the cause of Texas 6 Mar 1836 at “age 20 years, 6 months and sev-en days.” If the birthdate is cor-rect, the calculation should have been “21 years, 6 months, 22 days.” If birthdates and land records con-cerning Isaac Baker’s arrival are correct, he would have been under 16 years old at the time of his ar-rival prior to that of his parents. This date would place him at age 17 when he received title to his land grant in 1832. Heirs of Isaac Baker received bounty warrant 4038 for 1920 acres in DeWittCo for service 24 Feb to his death on 6 Mar 1836 and donation certificate 451 for 640 acres in GonzalesCo for having fallen in the Alamo.

John CainJohn Cain/Cane/Kane, 34, was

born in PA. He was a Private and artilleryman in Captain Carey’s Company. He also owned 2 or 3 lots in inner Gonzales town. He took part in the Battle of Bexar and received a land certificate for 640 acres. John Kane was a voter in Gonzales for delegates to the in-dependence consultation of 1835 in San Felipe. He was a part of the Alamo garrison, was at his home in Gonzales when the Alamo was surrounded and returned to his post with the Gonzales Rangers.

George W. CottleGeorge Washington Cottle, 25,

was born in 1811 (some records say 1798) in Hurricane Twp, Lin-colnCo, MO and a member of the Gonzales Rangers. He was grant-ed a league of land on Tejocotes Creek and the La Vaca River 28 miles from Gonzales in Fayette County near where current Gon-zales, Lavaca and Fayette County lines come together (near David Burket’s League). On his league are some of the headwaters of the Lavaca River. The Cottle family owned multiple properties in the inner and outer Gonzales town tract. They had a home at the

corner of St. Louis and St. John Streets. He came to the DeWitt Colony with parents Jonathan and Margaret Cottle from MO on 6 Jul 1829 together with sister and brother Louisa and Almond. His uncle Isaac Cottle (m. Mary Ann Williams) and family also emi-grated to the DeWitt Colony where they received a league of land east of Gonzales in Mary Ann Williams name just north of the land grant-ed to Mary Ann’s brother, Allam B. Williams. George Washington Cottle married their daughter, his cousin, Eliza, on 7 Nov 1830. They had a daughter Melzina and four months later the marriage was an-nulled by bond signed by George Washington, Eliza and Eliza’s next husband, James Gibson. George Washington married second Nancy Curtis Oliver on 21 Jun 1835 ac-cording to GonzalesCo marriage records. They had twin boys born after his death at the Alamo.

David P. CummingsDavid P. Cummings, 27, was a

surveyor by trade born in Lewis-ton, MifflinCo PA. Not a perma-nent resident of Gonzales, he came to TX by boat from New Orleans in Dec 1835 and went by foot to San Felipe where he sold a rifle for $30. He was the son of David and Elizabeth Cathers Cummings of Harrisburg, PA who claimed to be friends of Sam Houston. David Cummings, a Harrisburg canalman sent a case of rifles with his son to the TX cause. He traveled to Gonzales and then Bexar where he joined the Alamo garrison in Jan or Feb 1836. While surveying land on the Cibolo Creek, he was met by the Gonzales Ranger force and entered the Alamo with them. He was cousin to John Purdy Reyn-olds who died in the Alamo with him.

Squire DamonSquire Damon (Daymon), 28, was

from Tennessee and a Private ar-tilleryman in Captain Carey’s Com-pany. He took part in the Battle of Bexar and remained there under Carey. After 2 Feb 1836, he went to his home in Gonzales where he joined the relief force.

Jacob C. DarstJacob C. Darst, 42, was a farmer

born 22 Dec 1793 in WoodfordCo,

KY, a Private in the Gonzales Rangers and son of David and Ro-setta Holman Darst. David Darst was born in ShenandoahCo, VA 18 Dec 1757 and died in St. Charles Co, MO on 2 Dec 1826. Darst married Rosetta Holman, who was born in Maryland about 1763 on 4 Jan 1784. Rosetta Holman was the daughter of Henry Hol-man who was killed in Woodford-Co, KY by indians in 1789. They had 7 children, one of whom was Jacob Darst. Darst’s Bottom in St. CharlesCo, MO was named for the family. Jacob Darst left Mont-gomeryCo, MO with two of their nine children Jacob and Abraham in 1830 and according to land re-cords arrived in the DeWitt Colo-ny 10 Jan 1831. Jacob Darst first married Elizabeth Bryan (1796-1820) on 25 Mar 1813 in Charle-sCo, MO. Elizabeth Bryan’s father David Bryan (1757-1837) was a first cousin of Rebecca Bryan Boone (1739-1813), wife of Daniel Boone. Jacob and Elizabeth Bry-an Darst had a daughter Nancy Darst. Nancy married Cyrus Cros-by and they had a daughter Mary. Nancy and an infant child were captured by Comanches in their raid on the coast in 1840 and her baby’s brains dashed out because it refused to stop crying. Nancy Darst Crosby was later killed by her captors during their defeat at the Battle of Plum Creek.

John DavisJohn Davis was a Private and

rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. A John Davis who arrived in the DeWitt Colony in 1830 received ti-tle to one quarter sitio as a single men on the west bank of the Lava-ca River between subsequent towns of Hallettsville and Petersburg on 28 Oct 1831. Lack of clarity and controversy surrounds the identity of John Davis in DeWitt Colony records of which there were clearly more than one individual. A John Davis was described by author A.J. Sowell in Indian Fighters of Texas as an Indian fighter who left Kentucky and a twin brother as a teen. Alamo defender John Davis has been confused with Alamo de-fender, John Gaston, whose stepfa-ther was George Washington Davis of Cuero Creek and who may have used the surname Davis at some time. Most researchers believe that the John Davis who died in the Al-

amo is distinct. A John Davis was a voter in the election for delegates from Gonzales to the Texas Con-sultation of 1835 and also in Capt. Gibson Kuykendall’s Company in the rear guard of Houston’s Army camped at Harrisburg during the Battle of San Jacinto.

The heirs of the John Davis who was killed in the Alamo received tracts of 1920 and 640 acres in Er-ath County for his service.

William DearduffWilliam Dearduff, b. about 1811,

25 or older, arrived single from Tennessee 20 Mar 1830 and re-ceived title for one fourth sitio in the DeWitt Colony on 5 Nov 1831 with arrival date on 20 Mar 1830. His grant was on Sandies Creek north of current Cuero. He owned four lots, a block, in the northwest outer Gonzales tract near the San Marcos River. Dearduff was a private in Robert McAlpin Wil-liamson’s Rangers at one time and joined the Gonzales Rangers on 24 Feb 1836. He was the son of Hen-ry and Edna Thornhill Dearduff of GreeneCo, OH. Edna Thorn-hill was the daughter of William Thornhill, an officer in the Revo-lutionary War from Virginia. His sister Elizabeth Dearduff George Rowe petitioned the probate court of Gonzales on 25 Jun 1838 for ad-ministration of the estate of her late former husband James George and brother William Dearduff. She collected $12.50 backpay for ser-vice.

Charles DespallierCharles Despallier, 24, born 1812

in LA with residence in Rapides Parish, was a Private rifleman, raider and courier. Charles was the second son of Frenchman from Natchitoches, Bernardo Mar-tin Despallier and his wife Maria Candida Grande. His older brother, Blaz P. Despallier fought in the Siege of Bexar, was wounded and died of cholera shortly after. Ber-nardo Despallier received a mili-tary appointment from Louisiana Governor Carondelet in 1794 and moved from New Orleans to Na-cogdoches where he met and mar-ried wife Candida Grande. They were betrayed by representatives posing as deserters of Spanish Governer Salcedo on the road out-side San Antonio, captured and executed.

He was a companion of James Bowie mentioned in a letter to James B. Miller in Nacogdoches from Bowie on 22 Jun 1835 at La-baca Rutches Plantation,

In a letter from Sam Houston from Gonzales 13 Mar 1836 to H. Raguet in Nacogdoches reporting on the Alamo defeat, Houston men-tions the now controversial intelli-gence that “our friend Bowie, as is now understood, unable to get out of bed, shot himself as the soldiers approached it. Despalier, Parker, and others, when all hope was lost followed his example. Travis, ‘tis said, rather than fall into the hands of the enemy, stabbed himself.”

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William FishbaughWilliam Fishbaugh/Fitzbaugh/Fishbach/Fish-

baigh was a rifleman in the Gonzales Ranging Company listed from AL on the Alamo Memori-als. He was a member of Major Robert McAl-pin (“Three-legged Willie”) Williamson’s Rang-ing Company while stationed in Gonzales and volunteered to join Travis’ command on 24 Feb 1836. A William Fishbaugh was listed as a de-serter as of 23 Nov 1834 from Co B, 3rd US Army Infantry. He was a frequent customer of Joseph Martin’s store between 19 Mar and 1 Oct 1835. Items purchased on credit and for which his estate paid off with interest in 1841 from the ledgers of Joseph Martin give a glimpse into his lifestyle. In March for $11.75, he bought a pair of pantaloons, roundabout coat, shoes, shirt, hat, two handkerchiefs, suspenders and a pound of tobacco. Early April he bought shoes and a vest for $1.12 and early May another pound of tobacco, 2 pairs of shoes, socks, side combs and four scains of thread for $5.37. Fish-baugh was a voter for the representative from Gonzales to the Consultation of 1835.

John FlandersJohn Flanders/Flandres, 36, was born 1800

in NH (memorials say MA), arrived in Texas in 1832 and at one time a resident of the Austin Colony. He was a Private in the Gonzales Rang-ers. In 1839 his estate was certified to receive one third league in Harrisburg County on Car-penter’s Bayou, a branch of Buffalo Bayou as bounty for service by the Republic of Texas, the tract was bought for $120 by a W.D.C. Harris of Houston from administrator of the Flanders estate, Allen Vince. In 1851, Flanders heirs re-ceived an additional 1920 acres of land “for hav-ing fallen with Travis in the Alamo.”

Dolphin Ward FloydDolphin Ward Floyd, 32, born 6 Mar 1804

(some records say 1807) in NashCo NC, a farmer and resident of Gonzales, member of the Gonza-les Rangers who came to the DeWitt Colony in 1832 or 1833 from Alabama. Floyd purchased lots 3 and 4 in block 16 of inner Gonzales town on St. Michael St. and four lots south of East Avenue in outer town east of Water St. on 24 Dec 1833. He was the son of Thomas Penuel and Mary Sarah Beckwith Floyd. He had a sister Sarah and brothers John, Penuel and Thomas B. in AL who had lost contact until a letter from Thomas B. reached Dolphin Floyd’s remar-ried widow, Esther Berry House Floyd Clark in 1855. Floyd married widow Esther Berry House (1808-1870) in Gonzales on 26 Apr 1832. She was the daughter of one of the earliest residents of DeWitt Colony, Francis Berry (1760-1853) who came with a family of six from MO in 1825. They had children John W. Floyd and Elizabeth Whitfield Floyd (m. William Kilpatrick Hargis), the latter born on 16 Apr after Dolphin Floyd’s death while the family was fleeing east on the Runaway Scrape. Widow Esther Berry House Floyd later married Capt. John Clark of Ken-tucky in 1838 who was listed as agent for Dol-phin Floyd and Isaac House, both deceased hus-bands of his wife Esther on the Gonzales Tax Rolls of 1838. Floyd County, Texas was named in honor of Dolphin Floyd.

Floyd’s horse was commandeered to carry messages and requests for reinforcements from the Alamo on to San Felipe de Austin from Gonzales.

Galba FuquaGalba Fuqua, 16, was born in Alabama, a

Gonzales resident and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. The Fuqua family are said to have originated with French immigrant William Fuqua (Farqua) (married Jane) to the American colony of Virginia as early as 1685. According to descendant Gerald Duvall, William Farqua came to America fleeing Catholic persecution, had a son Ralph Fuqua who had a son Joseph, the father of Silas, Benjamin and Ephraim Fuqua. Both Ralph and Joseph served in the American Revolution against the British. Gal-ba Fuqua was the son of Silas and Sally Taney Fuqua. After wife Sally’s death between 1825 and 1828, Silas went to Texas with his children where he died in 1834.

John E. GarvinJohn E. Garvin, probably born sometime be-

tween 1794 and 1806 in Abbeville, AbbevilleCo, South Carolina or ElbertCo, Georgia. He was a Gonzales resident and Private artilleryman in Capt. Carey’s Company. He received one fourth sitio on the Guadalupe River southeast of Gon-zales as single settler in the DeWitt Colony ar-riving 20 Feb 1831. Dates on his land grant records including arrival in the colony coincide with those who arrived with the Tennessee-Texas Land Company which included colonists Mathew Caldwell, Silas and Spencer Morris, Mi-chael Gillen and Almeron and Susannah Dickin-son. Garvin enlisted in the artillery unit of Col. Neill in Bexar 14 Feb 1835. A series of promis-sory notes written while on duty in Bexar indi-cate that Gavin was conscientous about paying off obligations back home in Gonzales.

John E. GastonJohn E. Gaston, 17, born about 1819 in KY,

resident of Gonzales and Private in the Gonza-les Rangers. He was the son of Rebecca Warf-ield Gaston (1796 WashingtonCo, PA-1846) and

G.P.B. Gaston who were married in Lexing-ton, KY in 1814. John Gaston’s stepfather was George Washington Davis (1797-1853) who mar-ried widow Rebecca 8 Oct 1820 in Cincinatti, OH. John Gaston was said to have served as lookout on the Guadalupe River for movement of the Mexican force under Lt. Francisco Cas-teneda who demanded delivery of the Gonzales cannon from the settlers. The family moved to TX from JeffersonCo, KY in 1831 and received a league of land on the east bank of the Gua-dalupe River north of Cuero in the DeWitt Col-ony. John’s stepfather, G.W. Davis was one of the original 18 in the Gonzales cannon confronta-tion, a delegate to the TX Consultation of 1835 and holder of multiple public service positions in Gonzales.

James GeorgeJames George was a resident of Gonzales and

rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. According to Adina de Zavala in History & Legends of the Alamo & Other Missions in & Around San An-tonio, James George was Sargent under Lieu-tenant George Kimble of the Gonzales Rangers as they left Gonzales in relief of the Alamo. According to some records James George was born in 1802 in VA and was the son of Wil-liam and Elizabeth Bland George, descendants of Henry George, one of the founders of the Jamestown Colony of VA. The research of other descendants contend that James was not from the line of Henry George of Jamestown. It is thought that James George may have been born in Pennsylvania, but the exact site has not been located. James George’s father was Robert George, thought to be an Irish immigrant in the period 1794-1796 who was naturalized in 1805 and died in 1806. He was at one time a resident of CumberlandCo, PA. James George’s mother is thought to have been named Mary. He had an older sister named Jane, a younger one named Elizabeth and a younger brother named John.

Thomas J. JacksonThomas J. Jackson was born in Ireland, a resi-

dent of Gonzales and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. DeWitt Colony land grant records show he entered the colony 6 Jul 1829 with a family of four and received a sitio of land. His league was southeast of Gonzales next to his father-in-law Jonathan Cottle’s league on the west bank of the Guadalupe River. On 18 Sep 1830, he registered his mark and cattle brand in Gonzales witnessed by Gonzales District (San Felipe Ayuntamiento) Comisario James B. Patrick “....his ear mark a swallow fork in the right ear, and a half cross in the left ear and his brand the letter T and J united which he says is his true mark and brand and that he has no other.”

John B. Kellogg IIJohn Benjamin Kellogg II, 19, born 1817 in

KY and a resident of Gonzales. He was a Pri-vate rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. His father, John Benjamin Kellogg I (d. Oct 1836), received Lots 4 and 5, Block 10 in inner Gonza-les town on 25 Sep 1834. In 1835 John B. Kel-logg II married Sidney Gaston (1816-1836) in Gonzales, the former wife of Alamo defender Thomas R. Miller and sister of John E. Gaston

who also died in the Alamo. Sidney Gaston was the daughter of Rebecca Warfield Gaston Davis and stepdaughter of George Washington Davis of Gonzales. Pregnant Sidney Gaston Kellogg is thought to have left Gonzales in the Run Away Scrape with her in-laws, John B. Kellogg I and family. She lived with them in WashingtonCo, TX where she died six months later. Six days after John Kellogg II’s death in the Alamo, they had a son, John B. Kellogg III.

George C. KimbleGeorge C. Kimble (Kimbell, Kimball), 33, born

1803 (some records say abt 1810) in PA, a resi-dent of Gonzales and Lieutenant and a com-manding officer of the Gonzales Rangers. He came to the DeWitt Colony in 1825 from NY where as a single man he received one fourth sitio of land which was on the east bank of the San Marcos River in CaldwellCo. He owned a hat factory on Water Street south of the Fort in inner Gonzales town together with Almeron Dickerson. On 26 Jun 1832, he married widow Prudence Nash. They had a son Charles Chester (b. 1834) (photo below from Alamo Legacy by Ron Jackson, original from Linda Halliburton, Luling, TX, 4th greatgranddaughter of George C. Kimble) and twin girls Jane and Amanda born in June after the death of their father in the Alamo. Twice widowed, Prudence Nash Kimble also had three children from her first marriage. Family legend says that the Kimbles lived on property in Gonzales town owned by Prudence’s former husband Nash who had died from an accidental shooting in Gonzales. Ac-cording to family historians, pregnant Pru-dence was washing clothes in icy creek water with 2-year old Charles Chester nearby when husband George announced the plans of the Gonzales Rangers to answer Travis’ appeal for aid to the surrounded Alamo garrison in San Antonio. Among them were business partner Almeron Dickinson and his wife and child. His parting words indicated that he felt he probably would not return.

William P. KingWilliam Phillip King, 16, born 8 Oct 1819, a

resident of Gonzales and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. He was the son of John Gladden King (1790-1856) and Parmelia (Milly) Parchman who married abt 1818 in GilesCo, TN. John King received a league of land arriving on 15 May 1830 with a family of nine. His league was on the east bank of the Guadalupe River in GuadalupeCo northwest of Gonzales and south-east of Seguin. John G. King is also listed in the Gonzales relief force in older records. Son Wil-liam King is said to have joined the force so that his father could look after the family, some of which were ill, during the emergent crisis. Ac-cording to Lord’s A Time To Stand, young Wil-liam King approached the Gonzales relief force among which was his father John King as they passed by the King place north of Gonzales on the way to San Antonio. After some emotional discussion, father John agreed to allow son Wil-liam to take his place in the force to which Capt. Kimble agreed. Father John King remained with the family on the homeplace. William King was the youngest member of the Alamo defenders. King County on the lower plains of west TX was named in his honor.

The Cannon • Gonzales Immortals Salute Thursday, February 28, 2013Page D6

Gonzales Immortals: The Gonzales Rangers

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Jonathan L. LindleyJonathan L. Lindley, 22, born 12

Feb 1814 in SangamonCo, IL was a surveyor for early Texas colonists and resident of Gonzales. He was a Private artilleryman in Capt. Car-ey’s artillery company of the Ala-mo garrison. He was the third child and oldest son of Samuel Washing-ton Lindley (b. 1788 NC). Lindley is said to have come to the DeWitt Colony from IL in 1833. According to descendants, after the death of his first wife Mary (Polly) Elizabeth Hall abt 1809 shortly after the birth of first child Sarah, he married Eliz-abeth Whitley with whom he had his remaining children except Amanda. On 3 May 1835 single Jonathan was granted a quarter league of land in the William Pace survey in PolkCo, TX. He participated in the Battle of Bexar on 14 Dec 1835 after which he as many others returned home for Christmas hoping that the Revo-lution was over. Lindley joined Capt. Carey’s Company in the regular Tex-as Army in the fall of 1835. Lindley was at home in Gonzales when he joined the Gonzales Relief Force to return to his post at the Alamo. His heirs received 1280 acres bounty for service in PanolaCo, TX near Car-thage.

Albert MartinAlbert Martin, 28, born 6 Jan

1808 in Rhode Island, a resident of Gonzales and storeowner. He was the son of Joseph S. and Abbey B. Martin. He came to the DeWitt Col-ony in 1835 from Tennessee via New Orleans after his parents and older brothers, one of whom has been sug-gested to be Gonzales merchant and mill owner, Joseph M. Martin. He and his father are referred to in a letter of 18 Sep 1835 from Edward Gritten in San Antonio to political chief of the Brazos Wyley Martin concerning the “action between the Steamboat and the Mexican Schoo-ner here on the 16th.” Capt. Albert Martin was a leader in the confron-tation in Gonzales over the Gonzales cannon in Sep 1835 and participat-ed in the Battle of Bexar. Due to a minor injury, he was in Gonzales in

Dec 1835 and returned to the Ala-mo sometime after that. On 23 Feb 1836, he served as emissary from the Alamo to meet with Mexican Gen. Almonte who rejected the sugges-tion that he meet Col. Travis in the Alamo for negotiations. On 24 Feb 1836, Col. Martin was the courier who carried Travis’ appeal to Texans and the world for aid and delivered it to Launcelot Smither. He joined the Gonzales relief force to the Alamo.

Jesse McCoyJesse McCoy, 32, born 1804 in Gy-

rosburg, Tennessee, a resident of Gonzales and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. He was son of John and Martha Dunbar McCoy who were among the first settlers of the DeWitt Colony at Old Station on the Lavaca. Jesse McCoy arrived with his parents in the DeWitt Col-ony on 9 Mar 1827 from MO where he received one fourth league. His tract on which he paid his first in-stallment “At Gonzales, this 4th of July 1835, we having been appointed by the Ayto of Gonzales as Commis-sioners of the State for collecting the State dues for lands under the 25 art of the law of the 24th of March, 1825 certify that we have been paid the sum of three Dollars and ninety cents and 5/6 in full of first install-ments in Jesse McCoy’s Quarter of a league of land deeded to him by the Commissioner Jose Antonio Na-varro.”

Thomas R. MillerThomas R. Miller, 40, born in

Prince EdwardCo, VA (some records say TN) in 1796, a resident of Gonza-les where he was a merchant, farmer and town clerk (sindico procura-dor). He was a Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. He was old-est of seven children of Armistead and Susannah Redd Miller of Prince EdwardCo, VA. He sold his holdings in VA (some records suggest Tennes-see) and came to the DeWitt Colony as a single man in 1830 where he re-ceived one fourth league on the east bank of the Guadalupe in northern DeWittCo. He obtained additional properties in Gonzales town. His

store and home were on block 3, lot 3 in the inner town facing Water Street south of the Fort. He also owned a large piece of land on the San Mar-cos River in the west outer town. In 1834, Town Council meetings were held in Miller’s house in Gonzales and he was a road surveyor for the town. He was sindico procurador of the Gonzales Ayuntamiento of 1834. On 3 to 14 Nov 1835, he was a member of the Texas Consultation, a group of Texan delegates to decide on the course of action in response to the Santa Anna dictatorship in 1835. Miller was among the Old Original Eighteen defenders of the Gonzales cannon.

Isaac Millsaps Isaac Millsaps (also spelled Mil-

saps in some records), 41, was a resident of Gonzales and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. The record below from CockeCo, TN archives indicated that Isaac was a native of Tennessee and the son of Thomas and Bathsheba Millsaps. Isaac and wife Mary Blackburn Mill-saps arrived in Texas 10 Mar 1835. On 1 Feb 1836, he and fellow Alamo defender Andrew Kent were elec-tion judges for the “Precinct of Up-per Lavaca,” which was designated for the purpose of electing two del-egates to the Texas Independence Convention which convened on 1 Mar at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Alamo defender William E. Summers was also among the eight voters. An-drew Kent and Isaac Millsaps were neighbors in Lavaca County. Mary Millsaps was blind. In the confusion following the Alamo defeat, she and their seven small children were left on the homestead on the lower Lava-ca River as the area was evacuated and settlers took flight along with Houston’s army toward East Texas on the Runaway Scrape. David Boyd Kent from the neighboring Andrew Kent family noted their absence and informed General Houston who sent a squad of men which found blind Mrs. Millsaps and the children hid-ing in the brush near their home.

George NegganGeorge Neggan, 28, born 1808 in

SC, a resident of Gonzales and Pri-vate rifleman in the Gonzales Rang-ers.

From Bounty and Donation Land Grants of Texas 1835-1888, pg. 497: NEGGIN, GEORGE (HEIRS) Re-ceived Bty Wnt 790 for 1920 acres from AG on 25 Mar 1851 for “his having fallen at the Alamo.” 288 acres in Hopkins Cty were ptd to the heirs on 23 Mar 1875. Pat 99 Vol 15 Abst 715 GLO File Lamar Bty 133. Upon UB Wnt 29/390, two surveys, 149.6 acres and 151 acres in Hopkins Cty were ptd to the heirs on 25 Mar 1873. Pats 259-60 Vol 14 Absts 716-17 GLO File Nac Bty 653, and 121.16 acres in Hopkins Cty were ptd to them on 24 Sept 1889. Pat 466 Vol 16 Abst 1176 GLO File Lamar Bty 133, and 134.5 acres in Smith Cty were ptd to them on 25 June 1918. Pat 18 Vol 17 Abst 752 GLO File Nac Bty 653. Two surveys, 88 acres and 367

acres in Hopkins Cty were ptd to the heirs on 23 March 1875. Pats 100 and 101 Vol 15 GLO File Lamar Bty 133, but these Pats were canceled. Several other surveys on this wnt were made but not ptd. See GLO Files Nac Bty 427, 715, 717 and Rob Bty 1217.

William E. SummersWilliam E. (F.) Summers, 24, born

1812 in TN, a resident of current LavacaCo south of current Hal-lettsville and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. Land grant records indicate he received a labor of land on 1 May 1835 (vol. 67, pg. 512) just south of the Andrew Kent league on the Lavaca River. Henry C.G. Summers received the league of land next and south of William’s tract on the same date (vol. 67, pg. 600). On 26 Feb 1836, Summers and Isaac Millsaps, neighbors of An-drew Kent, came to the Kent home south of Hallettsville and the three departed for Gonzales. Summers, along with fellow Alamo defenders Kent and Millsaps, was among the eight voters in the “Precinct of Up-per Lavaca,” which was designated for the purpose of electing two del-egates to the Texas Independence Convention which convened on 1 Mar at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

George W. TumlinsonGeorge W. Tumlinson, 22, born

1814 in MO, a resident of Gonzales and Private artilleryman in Capt. Carey’s Company. He was the son of James and Elizabeth Tumlinson. He joined the Texas artillery under Capt. Almeron Dickinson on 20 Sep 1835. He was in the Siege of Bexar, dis-charged and re-enlisted on 14 Dec 1835 into Capt. Carey’s Company. Tumlinson was at home in Gonza-les when the Alamo was surrounded and joined the Gonzales relief force to return to his post.

Robert WhiteRobert White, 30, born 1806, was

considered a resident of Gonzales and was Captain of an infantry com-pany in the Bexar Guards. He along with Capt. Almeron Dickinson and other members of the Alamo gar-rison considered themselves suf-ficiently established as residents of San Antonio de Bexar to petition the provisional government of Texas to elect two delegates to the Conven-tion of 1 Mar 1836 in addition to the Bexar delegates Ruiz and Navarro. He was a Lieutenant in the Siege of Bexar and promoted to Captain 4 Feb 1836. It is unclear whether White was in the Alamo from the beginning of the siege or was at home in Gonzales and returned with the relief force.

Claiborne WrightClaiborne Wright, 26, born 1810 in

NC, a resident of Gonzales and Pri-vate in the Gonzales Rangers. He was the son of James and Patsy Sti-gall Wright. He enlisted in the Texas army 10 Nov 1835, was in the Siege of Bexar and discharged on 13 Dec 1835.

The Cannon • Gonzales Immortals SaluteThursday, February 28, 2013 Page D7

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Descendants of

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The Cannon • Gonzales Immortals Salute Thursday, February 28, 2013Page D8

We learn by the passengers of the schr. Cumanche eight days from Texas that the War has assumed a serious character—on the 25th Feb. the Texan Garrison in Bexar of 150 men, commanded by Lt. Col. B. Travis was attacked by the advance division of Gen. Santa Anna’s army consisting of 2000 men who were repulsed with the loss of many killed, (between 500 to 800 men,) without the loss of one man of the Texans—about the same time Col. Johnson with a party of 70 men while reconnoitering the

westward of San Patricio was surrounded in the night by a large body of Mexican Troops—in the morning the demand of a surrender was made by the Mexican Commander unconditionally, which was refused; but an offer of surrender was made as prisoners of war, which was acceded to by the Mexicans— But no sooner had the Texans marched out of their quarters and stacked their arms, that a general fire was opened upon them by the whole Mexican force—the Texans attempted to escape but only three of them succeeded; one of whom was Col. Johnson.

Between the 25th of February and 2d March the Mexicans were employed in forming entrenchments around the Alamo and bombarding the place; on the 2d March, Col. Travis wrote that 200 shells had been thrown into the Alamo without injuring a man - on the 1st March the Garrison of Alamo received a reinforcement of 32 Texans from Gonzales, having forced their way through the enemy’s lines, making the number in the Alamo consist of 182 men. On the 6th March about midnight the Alamo was assaulted by the whole force of the Mexican army commanded by Santa Anna in person, the battle was desperate

until day light when only 7 men belonging to the Texan Garrison were found alive who cried for quarters, but were told that there was no mercy for them—they then continued fighting until the whole were butchered. One woman, Mrs., Dickson, and a negro of Col. Travis were the only persons whose lives were spared. We regret to say that Col. David Crockett and companion, Mr.Berton and Col. Bonhan, of SC, were among the number slain— Gen. Bowie was murdered in his bed sick and helpless. Gen. Cos on entering the Fort ordered the servant of Col. Travis, to point out the body of his master; he did so, when Cos drew his sword and mangled the face and limbs with the malignant feeling of a Cumanche savage. The bodies of the slain were thrown into a mass in the centre of the Alamo and burned—the loss of the Mexicans in storming the place was not less than 1000 killed and mortally wounded, and as many wounded, making with their loss in the first assault between 2 and 3000 men.

The flag used by the Mexicans was a blood-red one, in place of the constitutional one. Immed-iately after the capture, Gen. Santa Anna sent Mrs. Dickson and the servant

to General Houston’s camp, accompanied by a Mexican with a flag, who was bearer of a note from St. Anna, offering the Texans peace and general amnesty, if they would lay down their arms and submit to his government. Gen. Houston’s reply was, ‘’true sir, you have succeeded in killing some of our brave men, but the Texans are not yet cornered.” The effect of the fall of Bexar throughout Texas was electrical. Every man who could use the rifle and was in a condition to lake field, marched forthwith to the seat of war. It is believed that not less than 4000 riflemen were on their

way to the army when the Cumanche sailed, determined to wreak their revenge on the Mexicans

Gen. Houston had burnt Gonzales, and fallen back on the Colorado with about 1000 men. Col. Fanning was in the Fort at Goliad, a very strong position, well supplied with ammunitions and provision, with 4 or 500 men.

The general deter-mination of the people of Texas is to abandon all their occupations and pursuits of peace, and continue in arms until every Mexican east of the Rio del Norte shall be exterminated.

From the New Orleans True American, March 29, 1836, Courtesy of Genealogy Trails:

HigHly important from texas!

Tragedy turns to Triumph at San JacintoThe fall of the Alamo precipi-

tated the Runaway Scrape, as the Texian colonists fled east-ward toward the Sabine River. Sam Houston and his rag-tag army used their knowledge of the terrain to successfully evade Santa Anna’s advancing columns before turning to fight April 21, 1836, on the banks of the San Jacinto River near what is now Deer Park. The results of that battle were reported in a letter written by Colonel Hock-ley of the Texas army, pub-lished by the National Banner and Nashville Whig (Nashville, Tennessee) on May 20, 1836:

Thursday Night, 10 O’clock

Important from TexasNew Orleans, May 9.

By the arrival of the steamer Swiss Boy, yes-terday, we received the annexed, for which we are indebted to the kind-ness of Capt. Walker, who came passenger by the above boat. It was written by Col. Hockley, of the Texian army, to a friend in Natchitoches—

Sir: I have but a mo-ment to give you an ac-count of our victory. Our spies having taken a courier and officer on the 19th, who informed us that Gen. Santa Anna and his army were across the San Jacinto,

at this point. We imme-diately took up our line of march, and reached that place on the morn-ing of the 20th; the day was passed in reconnoi-tering the enemy. Some few shots during the time having been exchanged between the artillery without much effect on either side—on the morn-ing of the 21st, the enemy commenced maneuver-ing, and we expected to be attacked in our camp, as they had received a re-inforcement of 500 men, which made them 1200

[i.e., 1,360] strong; but they settled down and continued throwing up a breastwork, that they commenced at the first news of our approach.

We commenced the at-tack upon them at half past 4 o’clock P.M. by a hot fire from our artil-lery, consisting of two ordinary 4 pounders. The enemy returned our fire with a long brass 9 pounder. Our first fire having carried away their powder box, caused their loud shouting to cease. We marched up within

175 yards, limbered our pieces and gave them the grape and canister, while our brave riflemen poured in their deadly fire. In fifteen minutes the enemy were flying in every direction, and hot-ly pursued by us. They left 500 [i.e., 700] of their slain behind them. Never was there a victory more complete. Gen. Cos was taken, and killed by a pistol ball from one of our men, who instantly recognized him.

Gen. Santa Anna was taken the next day about ten miles from the place of action, by some of our spies, who, on be-ing brought forward, immediately requested to see Gen. Houston. I happened to be passing at the time he was con-veyed to Gen. Houston, who was laying on his bed in his tent, having been wounded in the ac-tion, and heard them say “we surrender into your hands Gen. Santa Anna, Governor of the Repub-lic of Mexico.” He was then ordered to call in his aids, who were nearly all taken, amongst whom was Allmontie [i.e., Al-monte]. There was then propositions made, of which you will have the details by express.

Houston was wounded in the ankle by a musket ball in the early part of the engagement, but re-mained on his horse un-til it terminated. There is a list of the names of the Mexican prisoners, which shall be transmit-ted to you by express; they amount nearly to 600, among whom are six women.

—Advertiser

Col. A. Houston of the Texas army has arrived in the steamboat Cas-pian, and confirms the news of the glorious vic-tory of Gen. Houston…Gen. Santa Anna made the following proposition: that his army should lay down their arms, Texas independence acknowl-edged, the expense of the war to be paid by Mexico, Santa Anna to remain as a hostage. Gen. Houston had issued orders that a further advance of the Mexican army should be the signal for the slaugh-ter of Santa Anna, and all the prisoners. The reports of the terms of peace were not official but supported by a great number of letters from officers of the army.

—Bulletin

The most painful excitement was occasioned in this place on Wednesday by a rumor that the fort at St. Antonio, in possession of the Texans, had been stormed by the Mexican army and the garrison put to the sword. Yesterday the news, even in its most revolting features, was fully confirmed. They were all slaughtered!

Our late fellow-citizen, Col David Crockett, it will be seen, was among the slain. Subjoined are all the particulars that have come to hand of this melancholy affair.