Birdwatcher
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2003
- Messages
- 643
- Reaction score
- 7
Don't recall standing on line for anything that long, and this was late in the afternon on Sunday after the crowds had died down, it was four to five hours earlier in the day.
Here's an image of the letter, amazing it survived at all, let alone in such good shape. It was run out at night 70 miles by a courier, then 90 miles the next day by another. Returned to the Travis family, in their possession for two gnerations, then sold to the state for a relative pittance.
...and as displayed the Alamo...
Here's the text....
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 Barrett 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
The letter was amazing enough, what was equally impressive to me was Travis' signet ring, hung by him around the neck of Susannah Dickinson's infant daughter Emily before the battle....
All well and good, but to be the truly impressive thing, the crowds waiting to get in. Here's apic from the local rag...
Frankly, I would have expected a bunch of old guys like me, mostly White; the History Channel type. I was blown away; White, Black folks, Hispanics, peope of all ages, lots of little kids brung along too. Tatooed folks, gangster-looking folks (and hey, I live and teach in the inner city, I know whereof I speak). I was standing with a Spanish speaking Tex-Mexican family from a small town in South Texas, three generations, up to see the letter before it goes back to state archives in Austin this Thursday. All these people patiently standing for hours, I've never seen anything like it, not for a historic artifact.
I had no idea this letter resonated that far, in fact I still ain't convinced, but I don't know how else to explain the crowds.
Birdwatcher
Here's an image of the letter, amazing it survived at all, let alone in such good shape. It was run out at night 70 miles by a courier, then 90 miles the next day by another. Returned to the Travis family, in their possession for two gnerations, then sold to the state for a relative pittance.
...and as displayed the Alamo...
Here's the text....
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 Barrett 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
The letter was amazing enough, what was equally impressive to me was Travis' signet ring, hung by him around the neck of Susannah Dickinson's infant daughter Emily before the battle....
All well and good, but to be the truly impressive thing, the crowds waiting to get in. Here's apic from the local rag...
Frankly, I would have expected a bunch of old guys like me, mostly White; the History Channel type. I was blown away; White, Black folks, Hispanics, peope of all ages, lots of little kids brung along too. Tatooed folks, gangster-looking folks (and hey, I live and teach in the inner city, I know whereof I speak). I was standing with a Spanish speaking Tex-Mexican family from a small town in South Texas, three generations, up to see the letter before it goes back to state archives in Austin this Thursday. All these people patiently standing for hours, I've never seen anything like it, not for a historic artifact.
I had no idea this letter resonated that far, in fact I still ain't convinced, but I don't know how else to explain the crowds.
Birdwatcher
