List_of_Texian_survivors_of_the_Battle_of_the_Alamo

List of Texian survivors of the Battle of the Alamo

List of Texian survivors of the Battle of the Alamo

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When the Battle of the Alamo ended at approximately 6:30 a.m. on March 6, 1836, fewer than fifty of the almost 260 Texians who had occupied the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas, were alive.[1] The conflict, a part of the Texas Revolution, was the first step in Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna's attempt to retake the province of Texas after an insurgent army of Texian settlers, native "Tejanos", and adventurers from the United States had driven out all Mexican troops the previous year.[2]

Santa Anna led an army to San Antonio de Bexar, arriving on February 23, 1836, and immediately initiating a siege of the Alamo, which housed Texian Army troops.[3] As the Mexican Army had approached San Antonio, several of the Alamo defenders brought their families into the Alamo to keep them safe.[4][5] During the twelve days of the siege, Alamo co-commander William Barret Travis sent multiple couriers to the acting Texas government, the remaining Texas army under James Fannin, and various Texas communities, asking for reinforcements, provisions, and ammunition.[6]

The siege culminated in an early-morning assault by Mexican troops which left almost all of the defenders dead.[7][8] Some reports claimed that several Texians surrendered but were quickly executed on Santa Anna's orders.[8] Of the Texians who fought during the battle, only two survived: Travis's slave, Joe, was assumed by the Mexican soldiers to be a noncombatant,[9] and Brigido Guerrero, who had deserted from the Mexican Army several months before, convinced the Mexican soldiers that he had been taken prisoner by the Texians.[10] Alamo co-commander James Bowie's freedman, Sam, was also spared, although it is not known if he participated in the fighting.[9]

Susanna Dickinson

During the battle, most of the women and children had gathered in the sacristy of the church.[11] As Mexican soldiers entered the room, a boy, thought to be the son of defender Anthony Wolf, stood up to rearrange a blanket around his shoulders. Mistaking him for a Texian soldier, the Mexican soldiers bayoneted him.[12] In the confusion, at least one of the women was lightly wounded.[9] Bowie's family, including Gertrudis Navarro, Juana Navarro Alsbury and her son, were hiding in one of the rooms along the west wall. Navarro opened the door to their room to signal that they meant no harm.[13] A Mexican officer soon arrived and led the women to a spot along one of the walls where they would be relatively safe.[14] All of the women and children were eventually placed under the protection of an officer and escorted out of the Alamo and imprisoned in the home of the Musquiz family.[12]

On March 7, Santa Anna interviewed each of the survivors individually.[15][16] He was impressed with Susanna Dickinson, the young widow of Alamo artillery captain Almaron Dickinson, and offered to adopt her infant daughter Angelina Dickinson and have the child educated in Mexico City. Susanna Dickinson refused the offer, which was not extended to Juana Navarro Alsbury for her son who was of similar age.[15]

Santa Anna ordered that the Tejano civilian survivors be allowed to return to their homes in San Antonio. Dickinson and Joe were allowed to travel towards the Anglo settlements, escorted by Ben, a former slave from the United States who served as Mexican Colonel Juan Almonte's cook.[15] Each woman was given $2 and a blanket and was allowed to go free and spread the news of the destruction that awaited those who opposed the Mexican government. Before releasing Joe, Santa Anna ordered that the surviving members of the Mexican Army parade in a grand review,[17] in the hopes that Joe and Dickinson would deliver a warning to the remainder of the Texian forces that his army was unbeatable.[15]

When the small party of survivors arrived in Gonzales on March 13 they found Sam Houston, the commander of all Texian forces, waiting there with about 400 men.[18][19] After Dickinson and Joe related the details of the battle and the strength of Santa Anna's army, Houston advised all civilians to evacuate[18] and then ordered the army to retreat.[20] This was the beginning of the Runaway Scrape, in which much of the population of Texas, including the acting government, rushed to the East to escape the advancing Mexican Army.[21]

List of survivors

More information Name, Status in the Alamo ...

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Notes

  1. Some Tejanos were part of the Bexar military garrison, but others were part of Seguin's volunteer scout company and were in the Alamo on or before Feb 23. Enrique Esparza, who was inside the fortress as the son of defender Gregorio Esparza, later recalled that Santa Anna offered a three-day amnesty to all Tejano defenders. According to Esparza, Tejanos discussed the matter with Bowie who advised them to take the amnesty. It is believed most of the Tejanos left when Seguin did, either as couriers or because of the amnesty. Poyo (1996), p. 53, 58 Efficient in the Cause (Stephen L. Harden); Lindley (2003), pp. 94, 134

Footnotes

  1. Lord, A Time to Stand, p. 166.
  2. Todish et al., landing on the coast of the Republic or invading its territory by land, armed, and with the intent of attacking our country, will be deemed pirates" and subject to i
  3. Edmondson, The Alamo Story, p. 303.
  4. Lindley (2003), p. 94.
  5. Lord, A Time to Stand, p. 95.
  6. Edmondson, The Alamo Story, pp. 302, 312, 345.
  7. Scott, Robert (2000). After the Alamo. Plano: Republic of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-55622-691-5.
  8. Edmondson, The Alamo Story, p. 373.
  9. Nofi, The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence, p. 123.
  10. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, pp. 55–56.
  11. Edmondson, The Alamo Story, p. 371.
  12. Edmondson, The Alamo Story, p. 372.
  13. Todish et al., The Alamo Sourcebook, p. 54.
  14. Lord, A Time to Stand, p. 165.
  15. Todish et al., The Alamo Sourcebook, p. 55.
  16. Edmondson, The Alamo Story, p. 376.
  17. Edmondson The Alamo Story, p. 377.
  18. Todish et al., The Alamo Sourcebook, p. 67.
  19. Nofi, The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence, p. 139.
  20. Lord, The Alamo, p. 182.
  21. Todish et al., The Alamo Sourcebook, p. 68.
  22. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 1.
  23. Matovina (1995), pp. 45–48; Lindley (2003), p. 87.
  24. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, pp. 5–6.
  25. Hopewell, James Bowie: Texas Fighting Man, p. 119.
  26. Todish et al., The Alamo Sourcebook, p. 91.
  27. Kemp, L. W. (2010-06-12). "Jesse B. Badgett". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  28. Moore (2004), pp. 45–46, 451
  29. Lindley (2003), p. 131
  30. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 12.
  31. Todish et al., The Alamo Sourcebook, p. 88.
  32. Moore (2004), pp. 45–46, 163, 171
  33. Edmondson, The Alamo Story, p. 407.
  34. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, pp. 20–21.
  35. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 47.
  36. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p 29.
  37. Todish et al., The Alamo Sourcebook, p. 89.
  38. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 33.
  39. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 34.
  40. Nofi, The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence, p. 127.
  41. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, pp. 44–45.
  42. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 43.
  43. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 44.
  44. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 46.
  45. de la Teja (1991), pp. 18, 135, 182; Lindley (2003), pp. 94, 112; Moore (2004), p. 60
  46. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 54.
  47. Nofi, The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence, p. 126.
  48. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 60.
  49. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, pp. 64–65.
  50. Edmondson, The Alamo Story, p. 369.
  51. Lindley (2003), pp. 88, 109, 321; Lord (1961), p. 96.
  52. Groneman (1990), p. 67.
  53. Lindley (2003), p. 90.
  54. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, pp. 72–73.
  55. Marks, Paula Mitchell (2010-06-15). "Samuel Augustus Maverick". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  56. Chariton (1990), p. 180
  57. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 83.
  58. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 85.
  59. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 87.
  60. Entry no. 537. June 11, 1819. Baptized as Jose Sebastian de Jesus Pacheco, the son of Don Albino Pacheco and Doña Encarnacion Pulido. "The Baptismals of San Fernando church", by John Ogden Leal, beginning in 1731 and ending in 1855. Records of this parish church are among the Archives of the Archdiocese of San Antonio in the San Fernando Cathedral. Also, issued in 2 vols.
  61. Jose Sebastian was known as "Luciano" shortly after birth. aka.Luciano Granado, Residents of Texas, 1782-1836, vol. I. published by University of Texas Institute of Texan cultures 1984, pp. 158, 196, 276, the 1820, 1826 and 1830 census of Bexar ISBN 0-911317-33-3, 978-0911317336.
  62. Texas State Archives and Library Commission, Republic Claims, Reel #262, 165-178
  63. Texas State Archives and Library Commission, Republic Claims reel #262, 167-168
  64. The Records of Our Lady of Guadalupe church burial register, Graytown, Texas.
  65. Lindley (2003), p. 90
  66. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 89.
  67. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 90.
  68. Groneman, Bill (2010-06-09), Alamo Noncombatants, Handbook of Texas, retrieved June 19, 2015
  69. Historians are at odds if he was part of the Alamo Garrison. However he was a witness to relatives land claims of fallen Alamo defenders. See Walter Lord "A Time To Stand"
  70. Lord, A Time to Stand, p. 208.
  71. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 97.
  72. Nofi, The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence, pp. 85–86.
  73. Nofi, The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence, p. 78.
  74. Myers, The Alamo, p. 202.
  75. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, pp. 101–102.
  76. Todish et al., The Alamo Sourcebook, p. 90.
  77. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, pp. 104–105.
  78. Lindley (2003), p. 87.
  79. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 105.
  80. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, pp. 107–108.
  81. Groneman, Alamo Defenders, p. 119.

References

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