Alamo Traces (22 page)

This Gonzales ranger company should not be confused with the twenty-member ranger unit G. W. Davis was authorized to organize at Gonzales in November 1835. Davis's company was to operate from “the big spring, on the head of St. Marks [San Marcos] river.” This investigator has not been able to find any evidence that verifies Davis actually organized the company. As the siege of Bexar was taking place at that time there would have been few men available for a ranger company in Gonzales.

44
William Barret Travis to the People of Texas & all Americans in the World, February 24, 1836, Alamo, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 423. Travis's battle cry, “Victory or Death,” had been the watchword for General George Washington's assault on the British garrison at Trenton, New Jersey, in the American Revolution. Also, this is the only Travis missive from the Alamo that he signed with his full name. The other letters are signed W. Barret Travis.

45
Long,
Duel
, 190.

46
Gray,
From Virginia
, 120.

47
Ibid.

48
“A list of the Gonzales Ranging Company,” February 23, 1836; George C. Kimbell pay certificate, November 29, 1839, AMC-TSL; Thomas Jackson pay certificate, March 4, 1840, AMC-TSL; “Muster Roll of the Gonzales Volunteer Militia Company,” [October or November 1835], Austin Papers, CAH. Albert Martin was the commanding officer of the volunteer militia unit. Jackson should not be confused with Thomas R. Jackson, the quartermaster officer for Travis's Legion of Cavalry.

49
“A list of the Gonzales Ranging Company,” February 23, 1836; Matthew Caldwell to Joseph Kent for military supplies and services, February 8, 1836, number 387, Audited Military Claims ledger, 304-2511, TSL; Matthew Caldwell to G. W. Cottle for military supplies and services, February 9, 1836, number 302, AMC-ledger; Matthew Caldwell to John Davis for military services, February 12, 1836, number 378, AMC-ledger; John Fisher to Sarah DeWitt for military supplies, February 21, 1836, number 107, AMC-ledger; Matthew Caldwell to Dolphin Floyd for military supplies, February 24, 1836, number 368, AMC-ledger. The actual Kent, Cottle, Davis, DeWitt, and Floyd claims have been lost or destroyed. The ledger, however, has entries that show, except for the DeWitt claim, the claims were authorized by Matthew Caldwell, one of the officials who organized the Gonzales ranger companies.

50
“A list of the Gonzales Ranging Company,” February 23, 1836; Thomas B. Zumwalt affidavit, July 24, 1880, Kerr County and David B. Kent affidavit, July 22, 1880, Kerr County, RV 1419, GLO. David Kent did not make the ride to San Antonio with the Gonzales rangers. Instead, on or about March 1, 1836, he carried an express from Gonzales to Texanna near the coast on the Lavaca River and returned with Captain George Sutherland's company. At the time Kent was eighteen years old.

51
Caldwell to Kent, February 8, 1836; Matthew Caldwell to James Gibson for military services and supplies, February 23, 1836, number 371, AMC-ledger; Nathaniel Addson file, RV 683, GLO. Bevil's Settlement came to be named Jasper after the revolution.

52
[Marcus Sewell] Entry 579, “Proceedings of the Land Commissioners,” RHRD Number 114, Nacogdoches County Records, East Texas Research Center, Stephen F. Austin University, Nacogdoches, Texas; Certificate 650, “Heirs of John Harris,” in Carolyn Reeves Ericson,
Nacogdoches Headrights
(New Orleans: Polyanthos, 1977), 20; “List of votes taken at the Precinct of Upper La Vaca for the purpose of electing two Delegates to the Convention to convene 1st March at the town of Washington,” February 1, 1836, Upper Lavaca River, Election Returns, TSL; “Roll of Brazos Guards,” November 21, 1835, Bexar, Austin Papers, CAH; J. C. Neill to Robert While, February 14, 1836, Bexar, Robert White file, AMC-TSL; J. C. Neill to John T. Ballard, February 14, 1836, Bexar, John T. Ballard file, AMC-TSL; J. C. Neill to
William A. Irwin, February 14, 1836, Bexar, William A. Irwin file, AMC-TSL; “List of men who have this day volunteered to remain before Bexar,” November 24, 1835, Austin Papers, CAH; George English entry in Tyler, Barnett, Barkley, Anderson, Odintz, eds.
The New Handbook of Texas
, II: 870.

53
“L. Smither to All the Inhabitants in Texas,” February 24, 1836; Townsend to Adriance, February 26, 1836.

54
Albert Martin to the People of Texas and all Americans [February 25, 1836, Gonzales], Green, “To the People of Texas & All Americans,” 493; Almonte, “Private Journal,” 17-18.

It is speculation on this investigator's part that Smith departed the Alamo on the night of February 24, rather than on the afternoon of February 23. First, the available evidence indicates that John Sutherland's report that Smith and he had departed the Alamo on the twenty-third is fiction. Second, Seguin said only Smith was sent out to scout the Leon Creek road on the afternoon of February 23 and that Smith returned to the fortress about five o'clock. Third, given that Launcelot Smither, Travis's rider to Gonzales, left at 4:00 p.m., there would have been no reason for Travis to have also sent Smith to Gonzales that day. Fourth, since Smith returned to the Alamo with Albert Martin, it makes sense that he probably left the Alamo with Martin.

55
R. M. Williamson to Governor and Council, February 25, 1836, Mina, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 434-435.

56
John S. Brooks to A. H. Brooks, February 25, 1836, Goliad, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 426.

57
James W. Fannin Jr. to Acting Governor James W. Robinson, February 25, 1836, Goliad, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 429-230.

58
Townsend to Adriance, February 26, 1836.

59
“Martin to the People of Texas and all Americans” [February 25, 1836].

60
Dimmitt to Kerr, February 28, 1836. Just what route Dimmitt and Noble took to return to their home is unknown. Because they are not mentioned in any of Goliad documents from that time frame, they most likely went by way of Gonzales.

61
Travis to Houston, February 25, 1836; Almonte, “Private Journal,” 17-18.

62
Ibid.; Jesus F. de la Teja,
A Revolution Remembered: The Memoirs and Selected Correspondence of Juan N. Seguin
(Austin: State House Press, 1991), 79. Seguin claimed the date as February 28, but that appears to have been a mistake on his part.

63
Travis to Houston, February 25, 1836.

64
De la Teja,
A Revolution Remembered
, 79; Seguin to Fontaine, June 7, 1890; Almonte, “Private Journal,” 18; Matias Curvier file, PC-TSL; Antonio Cruz Arrocha account, Box SM-2, Gentilz Collection, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, Alamo, San Antonio, Texas.

Curvier stated that he left the Alamo with a letter from Travis to Houston.

Seguin, in his memoirs, claimed he had been sent to Fannin at Goliad, instead of Houston at Gonzales. At that time, the brief biography was written for political reasons, to defend past Seguin actions. Also at that time, Houston was being attacked by old veterans for his lack of leadership during the revolution. Seguin and Houston were old friends and political allies in the new Democratic party. Seguin may have claimed that Travis sent him to Fannin, instead of Gonzales, in order to protect Houston's reputation. Also, for Seguin, there was no need of claiming he had attempted to reinforce the Alamo and had failed. Most likely, his enemies would have claimed it was another example of his flawed character.

65
Almonte, “Private Journal,” 18.

66
Ibid.

67
Edward Burleson affidavit [February 29, 1836], Thomas G. McGehee file, AMC-TSL. Burleson stated that the provisional government had ordered him to organize the militia and raise volunteers for the draft. This investigator's belief that Williamson left Bastrop that morning is speculation based on the fact that Williamson had learned of the Alamo situation the day before and would have hurried to Gonzales once Burleson had been notified of the events.

68
James W. Robinson to Sam Houston, February 26, 1836, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 445; W. B. Travis to Andrew Ponton, February 23, 1836, Bexar, Acting Governor James W. Robinson copy, February 26, 1836, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Don Carlos Barrett Papers, CAH. Robinson copied Travis's short note to Ponton and added two notes to the bottom of the copy, which was sent to D. C. Barrett. It reads:

69
Alexander Thomson and G. A. Pattillo to James W. Robinson [February 26, 1836], Washington-on-the-Brazos, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 472. Jenkins missed it, but the original document is dated February 26.

70
James W. Fannin Jr. to James W. Robinson, February 27, 1836, Goliad, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 455-456; Fannin to Francis to De Sauque and John Chenoweth, March 1, 1836, Goliad, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 477-478; John S. Brooks to Mother, March 2, 1836, Goliad, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 485-488; De la Teja,
A Revolution Remembered
, 79-80; “Muster Roll Capt. Chenoweth's Co., Mustered into service February, 1836,” Muster Roll book, 68; “John Smith petition for a first class headright land grant,” n.d., M&P-TSL.

71
“Muster Roll Capt. Chenoweth's Co.,” February 1836.

72
“John Smith petition,” n.d.; J. W. Peacock affidavit, January 27, 1836, Bexar, J. W. Peacock file, AMC-TSL; J. C. Neill affidavit, February 3, 1836, Peacock file.

73
“Muster Roll Capt. Chenoweth's Co.,” February 1836; Houston to Smith, January 17, 1836; Neill et al. to Convention, February 5, 1836, Bexar, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 263-265; Houston affidavit, February 9, 1837. G. J. Thayer, H. O. Marshall, and W. G. Frazier died with Fannin at Goliad according to land grant records.

74
James W. Fannin Jr. to “troops at Gonzales,” February 25, 1836, Goliad, in Foote,
Texas and The Texians
, II: 224-225; “Ben Highsmith account,” Sowell,
Early Settlers
, 9-10; Fannin to De Sauque and Chenoweth, March 1, 1836, Jenkins, ed.,
Papers
, IV: 477-478; Juan N. Seguin,
Personal Memoirs of John N. Seguin, From The Year 1834 to the Retreat of General Woll From the City of San Antonio, 1842
(San Antonio: Ledger Book and Job Office, 1858), 9; Alamo voting list, February 1, 1836; “Information Derived From J. W. Andrews,”
Lamar Papers
, IV, Part II: 237.

Highsmith claimed that Tom Mitchell entered the Alamo with David Crockett and a number of men from Gonzales. Tom Mitchell appears to have been Edwin T. Mitchell. Mitchell's brother Doctor Warren J. Mitchell was the commanding officer of the Georgia Battalion with Fannin at Goliad. Edwin T. Mitchell's name does not appear on the February 1, 1836, Alamo voting list. Thus, given that Mitchell was most likely a member of the Georgia Battalion at Goliad, it seems the only way he could have joined the Gonzales force is that he was sent to Gonzales as a courier. Warren J. Mitchell died at Goliad. J. W. Andrews listed a third brother, Goodwin Mitchell, as dying with Fannin. Currently, Goodwin Mitchell is not included on the Goliad list of victims.

75
Brooks to Mother, March 2, 1836.

76
R. M. Williamson to William B. Travis, March 1, 1836, Gonzales, found in Spanish translation in
El Nacional
(Mexico City),
Suplemento al Numero
79, March 21, 1836, see Thomas W. Streeter,
A Bibliography of Texas
, number 1647. In this missive Williamson stated that the last courier from the Alamo had arrived at Gonzales four days earlier, which would have been February 26.

77
Houston et al. Treaty, February 23, 1836; Gray,
From Virginia
, 121.

78
Barrett, Clements, Thomson, and Pattillo to Robinson, January 31, 1836. The military committee of the Texian government had ordered: “. . . that the Commandant [of Bexar, J. C. Neill] be required to put the place [Alamo] in the best possible state for defense, with assurances that every possible effort is making to strengthen, supply and provision the Garrison, and in no case to abandon or surrender the place unless in the last extremity.”

Getting sufficient armed men to San Antonio to prevent the destruction of Travis and his men would not be an easy task for their like-minded countrymen. After the start of the Texian insurrection in October 1835, the advance on Bexar by General Stephen F. Austin's volunteer army from Gonzales took eleven days. The gathering of men, arms, equipment, animals, and provisions was not done with ease or speed. Also, given human nature, the organization of companies and the election of officers was not done quickly or without friction.

The move to San Antonio would have taken longer, except for several factors. Austin, expecting armed conflict, had issued a declaration of war on September 18. Thus militia companies and volunteer units were already organizing when a detachment of centralist soldiers rode into Gonzales and demanded the return of a bronze cannon (a six-pounder) that the Green De Witt colonists had been loaned for protection against Indian attack. That attempt at “gun control” kicked off the hostilities on October 2, 1835. When Austin arrived at Gonzales on October 10 to take command, many of the militia companies and volunteer units were already on site or on the road to that settlement. More importantly, the colonists were unified behind a single general, Austin; a single political purpose, support of the federal constitution of 1824; and a single military mission, expulsion of the centralist Mexican army from Texas.
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