Travis's Last Messenger

On Saturday evening March 5, 1836, James L. Allen volunteered to deliver Col. William B. Travis's final plea for relief to Col. James Fannin at Goliad. The twenty-one year-old courier arrived in Goliad on March 8, but was unable to obtain any assistance from Fannin. Allen then rode to Gonzales where on March 11, he learned that the Bexar garrison had fallen. Image - Messenger James Butler Bonham Arrives Back at the Alamo on March 3.

Alamo Legacy, author, Ron Jackson tells in his book of an interview with F.C. Proctor who claimed to have heard Allen's own account as a young boy. Proctor's account was later verified by Allen's daughter, Mary L. Cunningham.

" . . . Travis told Allen he would be the one to make the attempt to carry the message to Fannin because he had the fleetest mare. Shortly after nightfall, Allen grabbed the reins on the bridle of his horse and mounted bareback. A gate was opened and off he rode. Allen bent low and hugged the horse's neck, providing a lesser target as he dashed through the Mexican lines . . . "

After learning of the Alamo's fall, Allen realized he owed his life to his horse.

A month later, Allen served as a scout with Deaf Smith and helped burn bridges around San Jacinto dooming any thoughts of retreat by the Mexican army.

After San Jacinto, Allen rode with the Texas Rangers under Captains Ward and Bell.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Allen worked as a tax-assessor-collector for Calhoun County. Refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the Union, Allen was arrested and detained on Saluria Island where he escaped and fled to Port Lavaca . . . but that . . . well that's a whole nuther story.

Read more about James L Allen at the handbook of Texas online:

www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/AA/fal20.html

Mike Kearby's Texas Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Dilue Rose Harris

In 1900, the recollections of Dilue Rose Harris were published in the Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. (Vol. IV, Southwestern Historical Quarterly) Dilue's reminiscences were combined with journal accounts kept by her father, Dr. Pleasant W. Rose. The journal dates, 1833 – 1837, offer readers an intense, vivid pictorial of the "Runaway Scrape," the scramble by Texas colonists to the Louisiana border and protection in the United States. Photo of the Runaway Scrape Oak, where Sam Houston camped during the first night of the Texian retreat from Gonzales.

The Rose family farm was located on the east bank of the Brazos River, (Fort Bend County), west of present day Houston. The Roses' were friends of Colonel William B. Travis and after hearing of the deaths of he and his men at the Alamo began making plans to flee Santa Anna's approaching Santanistas. Mrs. Rose's brother, James Wells, made preparation to join Houston's army and Dilue recounts how her mother sewed James two striped hickory shirts, while she (Dilue) melted lead in a pot to be used in the molding of bullets for her uncle. In Mid- March, the Rose family left home hauling their possessions on a sled pulled by a yoke of oxen. Upon reaching the San Jacinto River crossing, they became part of an exodus of five-thousand people. The ferry crossing took three days.

Dilue recalled how her mother reminded the children that a hundred-mile walk with thousands of people was not frightening compared to the family's other travails in Texas, shipwrecked on the coast, attacked by wolves, and a most unsettling visit to their farm by an escaped slave, known locally as The Wild Man of the Navidad. Dilue's account of the Trinity River crossing provides a powerful chronicle of the hardships placed on the fleeing farmers. A rising Trinity ran over its banks stranding the family for several hours. During their crossing, one of Dilue's young sisters, sick when their journey began, went into to convulsions and died later. The Roses' buried the child in Liberty, Texas.

On April 22, while proceeding to the Sabine, a courier named McDermot, arrived with a dispatch from Gen. Houston telling the colonists that Santa Anna's army had been defeated at San Jacinto and it was safe to return to their homes. McDermot, an actor, stayed in the Rose family camp that night relating the Battle of San Jacinto in great theatrical fashion . . . but that . . . well that's a whole 'nuther story . . .

Read more about Dilue Rose online:

www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/HH/fha.89.html

www.archive.org/stream/southwesternhist04texauoft/southwesternhist04texauoft_djvu.txt

Copyright 2009 Mike Kearby

The Hypocrisy of Culture

Twelve thousand years ago, small patriarchal bands of East Asians began an arduous trek across the Bering Strait and into the Americas. Over thousands of years, as these hunter and gatherers began to disperse throughout the Americas; new patterns of band behavior began to emerge. These patterns coalesced into what we now refer to as "culture." Although this East Asian migration was comprised of one people (most likely with one linguistic stock and belief system), after thousands of years in the new world, these bands were no longer able to communicate with one another. Both their language and culture splintered. Their adapted behavior patterns were simply societal imperatives that served to assure band survival.

(Photo - Courtesy of The Library of Congress)

The singular most devastating threat to these primitive bands was the death of a warrior, because a warrior's death meant less protection and less protein for the band. Therefore, the foremost band dictate for its warriors was – "Stay alive."

Each band's cultural identity formed independently; each borne of rules and beliefs that were intrinsically necessary for band preservation. Each band member's self-concept was deeply rooted in the learned behavior patterns or culture. Thus, for some North American bands, monogamy became the cultural dictate while in South American others embraced polygamy. A band that accepted polygamy might do so in order to remove unattached females from society as unattached females in estrus ultimately led to competition between males, which ultimately led to conflict between males.

In North America, for example, once bands such as the Comanche became "horsed", ¹ the cultural dictate – "Stay alive" placed no stigma on running from a fight. This cultural imperative was contradictory to Indo-European warrior society, which dictated that a soldier who fled the battlefield without a retreat order was a coward. Indo-European society dealt harshly with such cowards. The cultural dictate – "Stay alive" also meant that band members must not kill one another. While borne out of the prime dictate for all species – survive and reproduce, the fact that bands like the Comanche did not kill one another actually makes them quite civilized by world standards. There is great irony in the fact that Indo-Europeans during the time, who considered themselves thoroughly civilized, killed one another with little regard for human life.

Band members' unfaltering belief in their cultural dictates was accomplished by cultural indoctrination, beginning as early as age three in plains Indians. Each warrior was fully entrenched with the cultural imperative – "Stay alive." This was to provide protection and protein for the band. The "Stay alive" imperative also presented a cultural dichotomy to young warriors, as engaging and killing traditional enemies, often at great risk, were the only means of achieving status within the band. Cultural indoctrination instilled the deep belief that a warrior who could not provide protection and protein was not much of a warrior and thus not much of a man. Only after the Comanche and other Southern Plains Indians became imprisoned in the reservation system did the devastating effects of this indoctrination reveal themselves through depression, alcoholism, and suicide. Because warriors bound to the reservation could no longer provide protection or protein to the band, thus abandoning their cultural dictate, reservation males were no longer warriors or men.

While cultural beliefs varied from band-to-band, tribe-to-tribe, and country-to-country – one cultural component existed (and still exists) in all societies: "We are right and they are wrong." The "We are right and they are wrong" indoctrination was necessary to keep band members from abandoning cultural values when interacting with outside cultures. Examples of the "We are right and they are wrong" illustrates how early cultures referred to themselves. Many names translated to "people," "the people," or "human beings."²

The "We are right and they are wrong" indoctrination instructed all band members that the way we are organized is right, and what we believe in is right; thus all of our actions are always inherently right. This resulted in total inflexibility toward other cultures, which gave rise to cultural hypocrisy.

Representative of this cultural hypocrisy was the killing of women and children and non-combatants in Plains Indians and U.S. military conflicts. Each side engaged in the practice based on cultural beliefs and each side denounced the other's actions. However, neither side ever admitted they were wrong for committing the very atrocities that they condemned.

Just as the declaration that slaves were only two thirds human and thus not really men, kept the Founding Father's directive that "all men are created equal" culturally intact, the Anglos used this similar cultural justification to proclaim "Native People" as ignorant savages. After many broken treaties and promises by the United States, the Anglo culture was deemed "right" and the Native People were declared wards of the government. The only way for Native People and Anglos to "get along" (co-exist) was for Native People to assimilate Anglo culture. The cultural dictate by the United States was expressed succinctly to the reservation inhabitants - we want you to dress like us, speak like us, and believe the things we believe – in short, we want to strip you of your culture and your identity and thus your self-concept. The Library of Congress photograph above speaks volumes to this hypocrisy.

In 2008, cultural hypocrisy continues unabated. A recent example is the response by the U.S. State Department concerning Russia's occupation of Georgia's capital. Secretary Condoleezza Rice stated that Russia by "invading smaller neighbors, bombing civilian infrastructure, going into villages and wreaking havoc and wanton destruction of this infrastructure," is isolating itself from the "community of nations." Her assertion totally disregarded the assertions by many in the Middle East and West that the United States occupation of Iraq in 2003 was "invading a smaller country, bombing civilian infrastructure, going into villages and wreaking havoc and wanton destruction of the infrastructure," as isolating the U.S. from the "community of nations."

These opposing views on twenty-first century conflicts are direct descendents of the "We are right and they are wrong" indoctrination. The United States maintains its culture is right and Russia is wrong; therefore, the U.S. form of government is right and Russia's is wrong. Because the U.S. is right - all of its actions are inherently right. Conversely, Russia is wrong and all of its actions are inherently wrong.

History does repeat itself. The reasons why Comanche and Anglos did not get along in the nineteenth century are the very same reasons that Israelis and Palestinians do not get along today: culture and identity. In order to break free of the cultural cycle of hypocrisy twenty-first century peoples must begin a new indoctrination of future generations; one that allows for understanding lessons from the past and developing an understanding for other cultures. We do not have to believe what they believe, but we should educate ourselves as to why they believe what they believe. Then, and only then, we may come to understand other cultures and their actions. Failure to develop a level of understanding will result in us once again trying to impose our own cultural beliefs on another culture, and as history has shown, the consequences are dangerous. We are doomed to repeat history's lessons as long as "different" carries the labels of ignorant, savage, or less than human and require assimilation into the "right" culture.

Our very survival as a species may rest in the idea that in order for cultures to "get along" we do not all need to be the same.


_______________________________
¹The introduction of the horse to North America had a profound impact on the Comanche. Comanche are believed to be the first native people on the plains to use the horse for hunting and war.
² The Israelites called themselves "the chosen people".

Copyright 2009 Mike Kearby All Rights Reserved

The Angel of Goliad

On Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, fifteen year old, Benjamin Franklin Hughes was pulled from a group of Texas prisoners by an officer of the Mexican army. The prisoners, from James Walker Fannin's command at The Battle of Coleto, were unknowingly marching toward their executions. Hughes recalled years later that a young woman, Madame Captain Alavez (Francisca Panchita Alavez) spoke with General Urrea's wife moments before he was taken from the ranks.

(Photo -Bronze statue of The Angel of Goliad - Francisca Panchita Alavez in Goliad, Texas. Sculpture by Che Rickman)

Hughes was not the first Texan whose life was spared by Francisca's heroic actions. First hand narratives reveal she was responsible for saving Dr. Joseph H. Barnard and Dr. Jack Shackelford at La Bahia and Rueben R. Brown at San Patricio. Dr. Barnard later wrote, "During the time of the massacre (La Bahia) she stood in the street, her hair floating, speaking wildly, and abusing the Mexican officers, especially José Nicolás de la Portilla She appeared almost frantic." Alavez is also credited with nursing wounded Texans at Copano, Goliad, and Matamoras.

Famed Spanish author, Elena Zamora O'Shea, a King Ranch schoolteacher (1902-1903) wrote of Francisca in her memoirs, "-she died on the King Ranch and is buried there in an unmarked grave . . ." One of the ranch workers, (Los Kineños) Matias Alvarez related to O'Shea that his father was Telesforo Alavez, whose sweetheart, Francisca followed him throughout his military assignments on the northern frontier. After his father's death, Matias worked on several jobs north of the Rio Grande finally setting at the King Ranch where he was accompanied by his mother, Francisca.

A descendent of The Angel of Goliad, Dr. Lauro Cavazos, was the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Cabinet as Secretary of Education . . . but that . . . well that's a whole 'nuther story . . .

Read more about Francisca Panchita Alavez on-line at:

http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/goliadangel.htm

http://www.angelofgoliadhp.com/about_francisca_alvarez.htm

Copyright 2009 Mike Kearby

George Campbell Childress

In December 1835, the Texas provisional government (The General Council) called for the Independence convention to meet at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Sixty-two delegates were elected from twenty-five Texas municipalities on February 1, 1836.

The convention was called to order on March 1, 1836 by George Childress. Forty-four delegates presented credentials the first day. Fifty-nine delegates ultimately attended the convention. Three delegates, James Kerr (Jackson), John Linn (Victoria), and Juan Antonio Padilla (Goliad) were unable to attend. (Photo - Statue of George Childress at Washington-on-the-Brazos)

Richard Ellis (Red River) was elected convention president. Ellis then appointed a Declaration of Independence committee. The committee consisted of five members - James Gaines (Sabine), Edward Conrad (Refugio), Collin McKinney (Red River), Bailey Hardeman (Matagorda), and was chaired by George Childress (Milam).

The Texas Declaration of Independence was written in one day. Most historians believe Childress arrived at the convention with an almost completed draft of the document. Childress is widely accepted as the author of the six page declaration.

The document was approved without debate. Delegates began signing the document on March 3, 1836, officially establishing the Republic of Texas.

Before the convention adjourned on March 17, 1836, due to the advancing Mexican Army, Childress also made motions for the prevention of slave trading in the Republic and that the state emblem be "a single star of five points . . . "

George Childress was one of only two delegates who did not arrive in Texas until 1836. The other was Sam P. Carson (Red River) . . . but that . . . well that's a whole 'nuther story . . .

Read more about George Campbell Childress at the Handbook of Texas Online

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/CC/fch28.html

And at:

http://robertson-ancestry.com/122413-01.htm

Copyright 2009 Mike Kearby

The Youngest Alamo Defender

William Philip King –
Oct. 8, 1820 – March 6, 1836

On February 27, 1836, fourteen men, known as the Gonzales Mounted Rangers, under the command of Lieutenant George C. Kimble rode for San Antonio with a relief force of eleven other Gonzales men under the command of Captain Albert Martin. Included in the mounted ranger corps were a trio of youthful defenders, Privates, John Gaston, 17, Galba Fugua, 16, and William Philip King, 15. King is regarded by most historians as the youngest of the Alamo defenders. William had pleaded with his father, John Gladden King, the original Kimble enlistee, to allow him to take his place in the relief column. John King reluctantly agreed, as illness required he remain in Gonzales with his family. (Alamo Battle Painting - Texas State Library & Archives.)

Between Gonzales and San Antonio, the Gonzales relief force added seven more volunteers to their ranks, and on the morning of March 1, 1836 at 3:00 a.m., the group worked their way past Santa Anna's troops and entered the Alamo. The thirty-two men of the Gonzales relief force are thought to have been the last full company to reinforce Lieutenant Colonel William Barrett Travis. All thirty-two men perished with the other Alamo defenders.

Susanna Dickinson recalled that one of the last defenders in the chapel was a man called "Wolff." Mrs. Dickinson recalled "Wolff" asking the Mexicans for clemency, but being killed along with his two sons.

There was an Alamo defender by the name of Anthony Wolf . Wolf was attached to William R. Carey's artillery company. Wolf's sons were listed as being, 11 and 12, which would make them the youngest members of the Alamo garrison to die that day . . . but that . . . well that's a whole 'nuther story . . . .

Read more about William Philip King at the Handbook of Texas Online

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/KK/fki24.html

Read more about Anthony Wolf at the Handbook of Texas Online

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/WW/fwo44.html

Read more about the Gonzales Mounted Rangers at Texas Ranger Dispatch Magazine

http://www.texasranger.org/dispatch/13/pages/Alamo_Rangers.htm

Copyright 2008 Mike Kearby

"Remember the Alamo!"

Who was the first to cry - "Remember the Alamo! Remember la Bahia!" - on the San Jacinto battlefield?

Mirabeau Lamar credited Colonel Sidney Jefferson Sherman. Sherman commanded the left wing of the Texan army that April afternoon and is said to have opened the attack on the Mexicans with, "Remember the Alamo!"

Frank X. Tolbert, in his book, The Day of San Jacinto, wrote that Houston, in his own official report, also credited Sherman as being the first to shout the battlefield war cry.

J. Frank Dobie, in his book, Coronado's Children, attributed the battle cry to Captain Jesse W. Billingsley, concuring with Harry Alexander Davis, who wrote, The Billingsley family in America.

But one thing is certain about the origin of the battle cry - Recollections and Memoirs written by veterans of the San Jacinto battlefield all agree that General Sam Houston was the first to remind his troops to, "Remember the Alamo."

"He said [Houston] when you engage the enemy, let your battle cry be - Remember the Alamo! Colonel Rusk followed with a short but stirring speech - he said let your battle cry be - The Alamo and La Bahia!" Issac Lafayette Hill. Recollections published in the Texas State Historical Association Quarterly, vol. 7.

"The Genl. [Houston] formed us in solid colm [sic] - rode into our midst, and delivered to us one of the best speeches - told us that when we got into battle to make the Mexicans remember the Alamo - Genl. Rusk followed him, telling us to also make the Mexicans remember the massacre of Fannins men." John Harvey. Memoirs in the veterans papers in the University of Texas Archives, about 1874.

" - he [Houston] closed his address by saying let your war cry be "Remember the Alamo!" Memoirs of Major George Bernard Erath by Lucy Erath.

"He [Houston] told them that the battle cry should be "Remember the Alamo. General Rusk followed Houston eloquently, urging them to let the battle cry be "Remember the Alamo," "Remember Labadie." [sic] San Jacinto Veteran James Monroe Hill 1894.

So while we might never really know who was the first to shout the war cry on the field of battle, - we can be absolutely sure of two things: (1) that General Houston and General Rusk were the first to promote the use of the battle cry, and (2) that the Santanista's pleadings of, "Me no Alamo! Me no la Bahia!" show the terrifying effect the battle cry had on the retreating - fleeing - Mexican army.

And - while not generally known - there was yet another battle cry shouted that April afternoon - "Remember Wash Cottle!" Pvt. James Curtis, 64 and the oldest combantant at San Jacinto, had lost his son-in-law, Wash Cottle in the Alamo and was detertmined to make the Mexicans pay for his loss . . . but that . . . well that's a whole 'nuther story.

Veteran Quotes from Sons of DeWitt Colony archives.
http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/archives.htm

Read about the Battle of San Jacinto at the Handbook of Texas On-Line.
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/qes4.html

Copyright Mike Kearby 2008