From the Texas State Historical Association:

March 06, 1836

On Sunday, my husband and I traveled to San Antonio to attend a reception and private screening of the Travis Letter, hosted by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and Descendants of Austin’s Old Three Hundred, at the Alamo.

The William B. Travis Letter

On February 24, 1836, Col. William Barret Travis wrote the now infamous plea for help, his “Victory or Death” letter.  At the Alamo mission in San Antonio, Texas, the Texian rebel forces now under the 26-year-old’s command were surrounded by Santa Anna’s Mexican forces.

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 receiving 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 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

Thirty-two men arrived from Gonzales, Texas, on March 1, in response to Travis’ letter.  His powerful words spread quickly to the U.S. but the Alamo fell Mar. 6 before most volunteers could arrive.  On April 21, volunteers motivated by Travis’ letter helped Gen. Sam Houston defeat Santa Anna at San Jacinto, and the new Republic of Texas was born.

This hallowed document, which is normally locked away in the state archives, will be returning to the Alamo, for the first time since it was written, during the 177th anniversary of the Alamo siege, Feb. 23 to March 7.

My Ancestors and William B. Travis

About a year ago, I stumbled upon a newspaper article in my mom’s genealogy binders documenting a connection between William B. Travis and my Allen ancestors.  My maternal grandfather traces his lineage back to Miles Allen (1805-1834), and his father, Martin Allen (1780-1837), a member of Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three Hundred Colony, who settled on the Colorado River among hostile Native American tribes in 1821.  Martin’s father, Benjamin Allen (1747-1813), brother and nephew were killed in the Battle of Medina, 18 miles west of San Antonio, while Martin was in Louisiana on a recruiting mission.

Martin and his sons, Miles and James “Bud” Allen (1811-1852), began operating a public house, or inn, on Allen’s Creek at Eight Mile Point in 1833.  Eight Mile Point is near present-day Wallis, in Austin County, Texas, but was originally named for its location eight miles from San Felipe, the headquarters of Austin’s colony.  The ranch my grandfather grew up on and still owns is part of the original Allen tract at Eight Mile Point. A lawyer, Travis handled the Allen family’s legal affairs and lived briefly in San Felipe.  He frequently stayed at their public house and made note of this in his diary:

1833: Oct 8 : Martin Allen petitions court for security discharge. Oct 19: Wrote deed from Patrick Reels to Martin Allen for 2 labors of land. Rec’s Allen $5. Oct 24: Left San Felipe and staid at Martin Allen’s all night. Oct 25: Paid Allen $1.00. Dec 24: Wrote to Martin Allen. 1834: Jan 24: Left San Felipe and staid all night at Allen’s. Jan 25: Paid Mrs Allen $1.25 18 3/4 due. Feb 5 : Dined at Allen’s – paid 62 1/2 cts. Retained by Miles Allen (For legal work). Feb 15: To bring suit vs Martin Allen and S C Harrison. Feb 21: Left San Felipe 11 O’Clock on mule. Dined at Allen’s. Mar 5 : Staid all night at Allen’s. Mar 6 : Paid Allen $1 owe 25 cts. Mar 29: Dined at Allen’s paid 18 3/4 cts. May 22: Staid all night at Allen’s. May 23: Paid 50 cts- to Mrs Allen. DIARY OF WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS Edited by Robert E. Davis, published by Texian Press, 1966.

Bud named two of his sons after his friend, W.B. Travis.  The public house was destroyed in a fire in 1917.  Martin Allen mentions his lawyer Travis in a November 23, 1836, petition to the first Congress of the Republic of Texas:

… Myself & two sons, the only Help your petitioner Had to seport a Large family and often furnished Horses Guns Ammunition & provisions to Young Men who ware not in a situation to furnish themselves. Your petitioner Wishes to Lay before Your Honerable boddy, in his own Language many other just & strong Claims which your petitioner have long sought an oppertunity to make known to a free & Republickan people. … Your petitioner was a vollenteer Soldier in the republickan Army of Texas Under Jenal Bernarda Gutaras Commander in Chief of the Army in the Province of Texas, in the year of 1812. Your petitioner was promised One League Square of Land in any unapropeated Lands in the province of Texas, this was the terms of our inlistment, my farther brother & nephew All Had Drawn there certificates, but ware all lost on the Day of the Defeete. Your Petitioners farther Left A Widow in Much Distress poore and not Able to seporte her Self by her labour which was the only means She had for seporte, until your petitioner provided for her seport for which She gave Your petitioner A Legal Transfer to All her Husbands interest in the province of Texas, this Sarah Allen was the wife of Benj. Allen Stepmother to your petitioner Which tranfer Your petitioner Still holds in his possession, Your petitioner produced All those well athenticated Dockaments togather with Letters of recommendation Cirtifyed by the Spanish Consul Directed to the Governor of the Province of Texas. Your petitioner makes this brief Statement of Facts in order to Show to Your Honerable boddy that your petitioner have not received the favours, that would have been granted him by the Mexican government Could Your petitioner have aproched the government personally or in his own Language. It is painfull for me to say that I have not been treated with Equal Justice with the first Settlers of the Country. Your petitioner knowing the regulations of the Land Law seeks the Earlies oppertunity to petition the government for an ogmentation of one League Which was granted to All who Did petiton, in this I was presecuted by these who had the intire Controle of All Land matters in this Coloney at that time, there was but one translater in the Coloney, and he refused to write my petition for what reason God only knws. Your petitioner made frequent Applications to the Empersario & for Land for his two Sons Miles Allen and James Allen both of whom had been in the Service of there Country from its Earliest Settlement. Neither of them ware granted a foot of land for many years after we settled the Coloney. When your petitioner’s Eldest son Drew one fourth League, While many other young men that came to the Country long after they Did, and never have lifted Armes in Defence of the Country had Drawn Some half Leagues some whole Leagues & while your petitioners Second son James Allen have not Drawn Any Land in the Country and has been in the Country for fifteen years, and was in the Service of his Country on the Day of the battle of Sanjacinto. Your Petitioner lays these facts before your Honerable boddy in full hopes & Confidence that he may have Justice done him hereafter. Your petitioner laid all those facts before the Ayuenmentor of the Municipality of Austin in a petition to them to recommend to the Legislator of the State to grant to your petitioner One League of Land as a Compensation for his Services in Texas. this petition was strongly recommended by that boddy togather with the recommendation of His Excelency Henry Smith then Political Chief of this Department. Those Lengthey Dockaments ware all translated into Spanish by the Brave W. B. Travis, Esq. and sent on to Montclova byt the hand of the Brave Benjamin Milam Esqr to lay before the State Legislater, Which grant would have been made to your petitioner, had not that boddy been Dissolved by the tirant Santeanna, who soon after invaded out soil. Your petitioner have laid before your Honerable boddy a breef Sketch of those facts that in justice to My Self & my family, I could not have neglected. Your petitioner wishes to inform your Honerable boddy, that he was one of the First volunteers in the expidition agains Sanantonia, and remained in the service until prevented by the loss of health, your petitioner considers himself a Cityzen Vollunter During the War. The services rendered by your petitioner at Sanantonia I appeal to C A Somerville and others that fought with me. Your petitioner considers himself in his Countries Service Since the first day of October 1835 directly or in Directly. Your petitioners health forbids his actual Service in Camp, but your petitioner lives on the publickest road in the Country and has been furnishing All the Soldiers going to and from tha Army at his own Expence, this fact is known to Several of the menbers of your Honerable boddy, particularly Col. A. Somerville & Capt. M. Baker Esq. Your petitioner have suffered greate loss by the war, in stock of All kinds Horses Cattle Hoggs & Household furniture kitchen furniture farming utinsials blackSmiths & Carpenters tools etc. and many other things too tedious to mention. Your petitioner having now made asbreaf a statemennt as the nature of his case would permit in justice to himSelf – Now Submits his Case to the Consideration of your Honerable Boddy for your just and wise Consideration. Your Humble petitioner Solissets your Honerable Boddy to Grant to him One League of Land on a footing with other military Claims for services renderd to the government if in the Wisdom of your Honerable Boddy you think your petitioner worthy of such favours, taking in consideration all his former claimes looses in the War Services rendred to the republick. Such a grant would be the highest boon that could be bestowed on your humble petitioner, or such portion as in your wisdom may think proper to Grant will be thankfully Recd by your Humble petitioner. And your petitioner as in Duty bound will Ever pray (God)

8 miles point

Novm. 23 1836

Martin Allen

Martin Allen descendants

At the reception in Alamo Hall, a former fire station on the Alamo grounds, I met several  fellow descendants of Old Three Hundred member Martin Allen.  Two of these not-so-distant relatives told me stories about working cattle with my maternal grandfather in the 1950’s.  One of their wives dresses up like my great-great-great-grandmother, Penelope Johnston Allen (1829-1909), when she talks to elementary school students about the Old Three Hundred.  (Penelope Johnston married Martin Allen’s grandson, James W. Allen.)

Victory or Death

Although reinforcements arrived too late to save the Alamo from defeat, his “Victory or Death” letter is credited with rallying support behind the Texian army for their final victory at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.

From the Texas State Historical Association:

Travis directed the preparation of San Antonio de Valero Mission, known as the Alamo, for the anticipated arrival of Santa Anna and the main command of the Mexican army. With engineer Green B. Jameson he strengthened the walls, constructed palisades to fill gaps, mounted cannons, and stored provisions inside the fortress. He also wrote letters to officials requesting reinforcements, but only the thirty-five men came from Gonzales to his relief, thus raising the number of the Alamo’s defenders to approximately 183. Travis’s letter addressed “To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World,” written on February 24, two days after Santa Anna’s advance arrived in San Antonio, brought more than enough help to Texas from the United States, but it did not arrive in time. When Santa Anna had his forces ready, he ordered an assault on the Alamo. This occurred just before dawn on March 6, 1836. The Mexicans overpowered the Texans within a few hours. Travis died early in the battle from a single bullet in the head. His body and those of the other defenders were burned. The nature of Travis’s death elevated him from a mere commander of an obscure garrison to a genuine hero of Texas and American history.

Seeing the Alamo at night is quite an experience.  We walked through the Alamo chapel-turned-fort, looking at various Travis artifacts, most notably the cat’s eye ring Travis tied around infant Angelina Dickinson’s neck so that her mother, Susanna Dickinson, could deliver it to his son Charles.

And finally, we came to the infamous letter.  Standing in the Alamo Shrine, reading Travis’ original, handwritten letter, his desperate but courageous plea for help, was so moving.  We will always remember the sacrifice he and the other Alamo defenders made for the people of Texas.

My husband’s Texas story

When we returned home, my husband, curious about his connections to Texas history, discovered that his dad’s ancestor, John Wesley Scallorn, fought at the Battle of San Jacinto and died in the “Dawson Massacre” at the Battle of Salado Creek.

We are quite proud that Baby Girl has such a rich Texan heritage on both sides of her family.