William Travis

William Barret Travis, (b. 9 August 1809 CE, Saluda County, South Carolina- d. 6 March 1836 CE San Antonio, Texas); 19th century lawyer, teacher and Alamo commander.

Birth

The exact date of Travis’ birth has been an on going debate amongst scholars. There are two dates given for his birth; 9 August and 1 August 1809 CE. But the date of 9 August is generally accepted and used most often. Travis was the son of Mark Travis Sr. and Jemima Stallworth and was the first of nine or ten other children. Exact family records are incomplete.

Early Years

Travis’ family moved from South Carolina to Conecuh County, Alabama in 1818 and settled on a farm just outside of Evergreen. While there Travis briefly attended Evergreen Academy. Travis moved on from this school and preceded his tenure as a teacher in both Monroeville and Claiborne, Alabama. He also dallied in law and passed the bar exam in 1829 and obtained the favor of Judge James Dellett and was allowed to apprentice under his guidance. By 1830 Travis would eventually join the Twenty-sixth Regiment, Eighth Brigade, Fourth Division, of the Alabama Militia as an adjutant.

Marriage

While still teaching, Travis became attracted to one of his students, sixteen year old Rosanna Cato (1812-1848 CE). The union was given the blessing of her family and the two were married on 26 October 1828 CE. Travis decided to stop teaching and concentrate more on his career as a lawyer. A son, Charles Edward, was born ten months later on 8 August 1829. Later the couple would add daughter Susan Isabelle to the family. The marriage would end on 9 January 1836 CE with Act No. 115 of the Marion County records, Judge Dellett acted as Rosanna’s lawyer. Their son Charles was appointed to the custody of Travis and their daughter, Susan Isabella, would go with Rosanna. Rosanna would later remarry, Travis would not. Not to be burdened with a young son on the frontier, young Charles was placed in the care of David Ayres, a personal friend of Travis’. Before he leaves Alabama, Travis becomes a member of the Masons, Alabama Lodge Number Three.

Career

For reasons never made clearly, Travis leaves Alabama and travels to Texas by way of New Orleans and Nacogdoches in 1831. He is accompanied by his slave, Ben. Upon arriving in Texas on 21 May, Travis took out head-rights to land, Number 578, from Stephen F. Austin declaring himself single in one deed, but widower in another. Eventually Travis and his friend Patrick C. Jack settle at the town of Anahuac. The town offered the best career move for their law practices.

First Trouble

By January 1832 Travis was settled and practicing law with Jack in Anahuac. This seaside port was located on the northeastern corner of Galveston Bay. The town was a hotbed of internal politics between the newly arriving American settlers and the Mexican authorities. Local Custom Duties collector John D. Bradburn was not a well liked nor respected government official. He flagrantly abused his power by commandeering local slaves, without pay to their owners, to perform labor for the Mexican Army. Local settler William M. Logan had three slaves claimed by Bradburn who refused to return them to Logan despite Logan following Bradburn’s demands. Logan hired Travis as his attorney. A rumor quickly spread that one hundred armed men were headed to Anahuac to force Bradburn to release the property of Logan. Bradburn sent out patrols looking for the advancing party but found none. He immediately suspected Travis as the culprit of spreading the false rumor and making him look badly to his superiors. Bradburn ordered Travis and Jack to be arrested. On 18 July 1832 CE, settlers grew angry at Bradburn’s actions and drafted the Turtle Bayou Resolutions which stated their grievances against Bradburn and Mexican president Anastasio Bustamante. The arrival of Jose de las Piedras defused the situation and Travis and Jack were released and relieved Bradburn of command. The conflict at Anahuac precipitated the coming Texas Rebellion.

In 1832 Travis moved to the political center of Anglo-Texas; San Felipe. The well developed town was the headquarters of Austin’s colony. Travis moved into the hotel fun by Jonathan C. Peyton and briefly partnered with Thomas W. Nibbs and Franklin J. Starr. By October of 1832 Travis joined a committee whose goal was separate statehood for Texas from Coahuila In 1833 Travis purchase a quarter league of land and later purchased one hundred acres from James Stuart. Late in December, Travis met the sister of John Cummings, Rebecca. The two began dating and made plans to wed as soon as his divorce from Rosanna was final. By April of 1835 he applied for his headright as a colonist and selected land in the Benjamin Milam grant north of San Antonio. He listed himself as a widower. By March of 1835 a huge rift had grown between the “Peace Party” and the “War Hawks” Texans as what course of action to take regarding centralism and states’ rights. Travis wrote, “Public opinion runs so high against any change that I doubt whether anything can be done towards an organization of Texas at this time”.

Texas Revolution

The Texas Revolution began in October 1835 with the Battle of Gonzales. Travis gave up a seat on the Consultation called for on 15 October to join the Texan Army. Stephen Austin authorized Travis to raise a command of fifty to eighty volunteer cavalry but by early November, Travis sent Austin his resignation as captain but remained as a private in the cavalry. By December Travis joined the Texans in the all-volunteer forces that laid siege to San Antonio. He played a small role there by joining James Fannin’s Brazos Guards. There is no clear record just how he was employed during this time, but most probably it was as a scout. Travis would leave San Antonio due to the lack of discipline and inactivity. He wrote to acting governor Henry Smith in January 1836 “ …I hope your Excellency will take my situation into consideration, and relieve me from the orders which I have heretofore received, so far as they compel me to command in person the men who are now on their way to Bexar. Otherwise I shall feel it due to myself to resign my commission…”

He would travel back to San Felipe. But his real service to Texas came when he was appointed as a lieutenant colonel of the Legion of Cavalry on 24 December and chief recruiting officer for the fledgling Texan army.

Despite his rank and newfound standing, Travis had great difficulty finding new colonist to recruit, “ Volunteers can no longer be had or relied upon…” he wrote to governor Smith.

Alamo

On 21 January 1836 CE, Travis was given orders by Governor Smith to travel to San Antonio, with all the volunteers he could muster, and reinforce the 120-130 man garrison already there. Despite his protestations of his orders, Travis fulfilled his duty by arriving on 3 February with eighteen men as reinforcements. Travis wrote to Smith, “I have done everything in my power to get ready to march to the relief of Bexar…I shall however, go on & do my duty, if I am sacrificed…Our affairs are gloomy indeed. The people are cold & indifferent. They are worn down & exhausted with the war”. The arrival on 7 February of David Crockett raised spirits inside the Alamo and in San Antonio. The sudden absence of the Alamo’s commander, James C. Neill on 12 February, who took leave to tend to his ill family, thrust Travis in total command of all the regular Texas army soldiers. James Bowie would co-command as leader of the volunteers inside the Alamo. Travis’ appointment was meant to be temporary as Neill pledge to return in twenty days.

Reports began coming in the Texans of the approaching Mexican Army. General Santa Anna personally was leading over two thousand troops from Saltillo and General Joaquin y Sesma was at the head of two thousand more. Travis began sending out patrols headed by Captain Juan Sequin to watch the roads leading to the Rio Grande. On 20 February Sequin’s scouts reported that Sesma’s forces had crossed and were on their way. After weeks of conflicting reports, some of the Alamo’s officers refused to believe the reports.

From his headquarters located on Plaza de Las Yslas on Potrero Street, Travis issued the order to place a look out in the belfry of the San Fernado church to scan the southwestern horizon. After what Travis perceived to be a false alarm, he sent out Dr. John Sutherland and John “El Colorado” Smith. The two men rode about a mile and a half when they suddenly turned their horses about and scurried back to San Antonio. They had spotted the advanced party of Mexican cavalry. Men began to scatter about the town grabbing provisions. The fifty to sixty wounded Mexican soldiers from the Siege of San Antonio would be left in the city. Nearly forty tejano citizens also sought refuge inside the Alamo walls.

Siege Begins

Travis immediately raised a flag for the Mexican Army to see. As to exactly what flag was used is not decidedly known, but the Mexicans responded in kind by raising a solid red flag from the San Fernando belfry…A blood red banner floats from the church of Bexar, and in the camp above us, in token that the war is one of vengeance against rebels..” Travis ordered the firing of the Alamo’s largest caliber cannon; the eighteen pounder in response. Bowie sends out Green B. Jameson to parley and get a feel for their intentions. Jose Batres and Juan Almonte met Jameson and stated their terms of “..with rebellious foreigners to whom there is no other recourse left, if they wish to save their lives, than to place themselves immediately at the disposal of the Supreme Government”. Travis gave them their answer with a cannon blast, the Mexican army using their howitzers, responded with a barrage themselves. On 23 February 1836 CE, the siege had begun.

In a brief letter to the mayor of Gonzales, Andrew Ponton, Travis wrote:

"The enemy in large force is in sight... We want men and provisions ... Send them to us. We have 150 men & are determined to defend the Alamo to the last."

On 24 February, Travis wrote his now famous “To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World" letter: Fellow citizens and compatriots; I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual Bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and 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, and 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 receiving reinforcements daily and 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 and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country. Victory or Death. William Barret 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

He gave this letter to courier Albert Martin to deliver to Gonzales. In one of the last letters Travis sent out, he wrote to the Texas Convention on 3 March: "...yet I am determined to perish in the defence of this place, and my bones shall reproach my country for her neglect."''

In his last letter sent out on 3 March, written to David Ayres, he wrote:

"Take care of my little boy. If the country should be saved, I may make him a splendid fortune; but if the country should be lost, and I should perish, he will have nothing but the proud recollection that he is the son of a man who died for his country."

On 6 March 1836 CE, following a thirteen-day siege by the Mexican army, Travis, along with Bowie, Crockett, Bonham and the rest of the 188-250 man garrison were killed in a final predawn attack . The Mexicans surrounded the fort and used ladders to climb over the eight to ten foot walls. The final assault lasted little more than thirty minutes. According to Travis’ slave Joe; he was killed with a single gunshot wound from a brown Bess .075 caliber musket ball to the forehead while defending the north wall. According to the diary kept by Jose Enrique De la Pena, “..Travis was seen to hesitate, but not about the death he would choose. He would take a few steps and stop, turning his proud face toward us to discharge his shots; he fought like a true soldier. Finally he died, but he died after having traded his life very dearly.”

Santa Anna and his staff entered the Alamo compound wanting to address his assembled men for their brave heroics. He also wanted to see the bodies of the rebel leaders. He summoned the town alcade, or mayor, Francisco A. Ruiz to point out to him their bodies to him. Joe also confirmed the dead bodies for Santa Anna. Finished with his speech and observations, Santa Anna ordered Ruiz to bury the bodies of the Mexican officers in the town cemetery and burn the bodies of the Texan rebels.

Santa Anna wrote a quick missive back to Mexico City stating: “The picture the battle presented was extraordinary. Among the bodies were found the first and second chiefs of the enemy-Bowie and Travis-colonels as they called themselves-Crockett of the same title and other chiefs.”

Within a few hours after the final battle, a company of Mexican dragoons gathered enough wood and brush to build the funeral pyre. By five o’clock PM that evening, three separate fires consumed the bodies and filled the air with a horrible stench.

On 25 February 1837, former Alamo courier and Texas scout Juan Seguin, returned to San Antonio and placed the ashes in a coffin. He and Thomas Western both gave eulogies to the fallen men of the Alamo. Troopers fired three volleys and buried the coffin at the site of the fires. Sadly within a few years, the exact site of the burial was forgotten.

Alamo Legends

There is a standing legend of Travis gathering the men of the Alamo and giving a speech about leaving or staying. He then pulled his sword from its scabbard and drew a line in the sand asking who would stay and die with him. All the men stepped forward except one, Louis or Moses Rose. Travis wished him luck and Rose slipped over the wall at night making his way to the Texas colonies. Bowie, as ill as he was, and confined to his sick bed, asked to have his cot carried from his room to be with the men who were staying. A major flaw in this heroic legend is the story didn’t surface till approximately forty years after the event, and was based on third hand knowledge.

Bibliography

• Rendezvous at the Alamo; Baugh, Virgil, E.; University of Nebraska Press, ISBN: 0-8032-1190-2
• With Santa Anna in Texas-A Personal Narrative of the Revolution; De la Pena, Jose; Texas A & M Press; ISBN: 0-89096-527-7
• William Barret Travis; A Biography, McDonald, Archie, P., Eakin Press; ISBN: 0-89015-656-5
• Three Roads to the Alamo; Davis, William C.; Harper Collins Press; ISBN: 0-06-017334-3