William Barrett Travis

1809 - 1836  (26 years)

• Name	William Barrett Travis  [1]
  Birth	1 Aug 1809	Edgefield District, South Carolina   [2]
  Gender	Male
  Death	6 Mar 1836	The Alamo, San Fernando de B?xar, Coahuila And Texas, United Mexican States   [2]
  Notes	The following biographical sketch on William is from the book: SONS OF THE SOUTH written by Clayton Rand, and published by Holt, Reinhart, and Winston in 1961. The author elected one hundred outstanding men of the South and gave facts on each. William Barrett Travis was the grandson of Elizabeth DeLoach(e) Travis. "WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS was only twenty seven when he died in the Alamo on March 6, 1836, leading 188 fellow compatriots in the chase of Team independence and into the pages of inaperishable history. Except for this one herculean feat there was nothing extrodinary in the brief career of this courageous young man. He was born hear Red Banks, Edgefield County, South Carolina, on August 9, 1809, the oldest of the ten children of Mark Travis and Jemima (Stallworth) Travis. In 1818 the Travis family moved to Alabama and settled in Conecuh County where William had such schooling as the limited means of his father and the frontier afforded. He studied law in the office of Judge James Dellet at Claiborne and before his twentieth birthday was admitted to the bar. While reading law and awaiting clients he earned his living teaching school. At nineteen, he married Rosanna Cato, one of his own pupils, and to them were born two children. The marriage was an unhappy one, for being financially embarrassed, Travis abandoned his family and went to Texas in 1831. A reconciliation was never effected, and they were divorced four years later. Travis settled in Anahuac, the legal port of Galveston Bay and the headquarters of a military garrison commanded by Colonel Bradburn, a Kentuckian in the Mexican service who was having trouble with the Americans. These were unsettled times in Texas. Mexico had gained her freedom from Spain in 1821 to become an independent state. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, American settlers invaded Texas, many under the impression that it really belonged to the United States or would one day. The issue was settled by the Treaty of 1819 with Spain, but the Americans continued to come in increasing numbers, even after a Mexican decree was passed in 1830 checking further immigtration. At the time Travis arrived the estimated population of Texas was twenty thousand, most of whom were from the United States. In 1832, Travis moved to San Felipe, where he set up a law office, was appointed secretary of the ayuntamiento, and became an ardent leader in local politics and of the "war party". The Americans were agitating for Texas independence from Mexico when Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, seized power in Mexico and became a political and military dictator under the title of "El Preidente". In 1835 Santa Anna decided to drive the Americans out of Texas and colonize the country with Mexicans. When Santa Anna sent troops to regarrison the fort at Anahuac, abandoned since 1832, Travis raised a company of volunteers and captured and disarmed the Mexican soldiers. Though this action was repudiated by many of the Americans seeking to avoid trouble with Mexico, public opinion soon crystalized in favor of Travis' action, and the Texas revolution began. American settlers won the Battle of Gonzales, Texans captured Goliad, they won the Battle of Conaepcion, San Antonio was captured, and the Mexican general Cos surrendered. Free of Mexicans, the Texas Declaration of Independence was issued at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and Texans with the exception of Sam Houston and a few others believed the war was over. Sam Houston thought Santa Anna would send reinforcements. Travis having performed valuable service in commanding a scouting company during the seige of San Antonio was appointed major of artillery, and shortly afterward was transferred to the cavalry with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was ordered to occupy and reinforce the Alamo, which the Texans had taken in December, 1835, in joint command with Colonel James Bowie. When Santa Anna appeared with as many as six thousand troops, Travis answered a demand for surrender with cannon shot. Bowie was stricken with typhoid-pneumonia during the seige in which all of the 188 men under the command of Travis were killed. They fought bravely, asking no quarter in a desperate struggle, hand to hand, muzzle to muzzle, musket and rifle, bayonet and bowie knife. The "galant Travis" died beside his gun. Near his side fell James Butler Bonham, another of the ragged little garrison, a lifelong friend of Travis, who had borrowed the money to come to Texas that he might fight for its freedom. Between six and eight hundred Mexicans died in this fierce encounter that lasted an hout and a half. Travis was six feet tall, weighed about 175 pounds, and from all reports was as charming and congenial as he was courageous. At the early age of twenty-seven, he had scaled that loftiest of peaks where the famed reside, to take his enviable place among that exclusive company of patriots willing to die that others might live. No male defender survived. Santa Anna ordered the bodies burned. The fifteen or more who were spared were women, children, slaves, and servants. Under the cenotaph erected at Austin in memory of the defenders of the Alamo is inscribed this worthy tribute: "Thermopyhe had its messenger of defeat, but the Alamo had none." Letter to a Nation On February 24, 1836, the day after the Mexican Army arrived at San Antonio, William B. Travis wrote a letter asking for help and reinforcements. He had written other requests for aid, but this was different since the enemy had arrived and it was important for reinforcements to come quickly. This letter is one of the great pieces of both Texas and American history and speaks in immortal words of American courage. This letter made its way to newspapers all across America, and the inspiring appeal helped to rally the support of the American people around the Texas cause. With this letter, WBT became a hero, and with his gallant stand to the death less than two weeks later, his heroism was given permanence. In this text of the letter, the punctuation and words are as Travis wrote. Commandancy of 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. Letter to a Son The last letter Travis wrote to the world outside the Alamo was a letter to his son. This boy had recently arrived in Texas from Alabama and was staying with friends. It was written to David Ayers on a scrap of paper, and is one of the famous messages from the Alamo. Here is the text of the letter. "Take care of my little boy. If the country should be saved, I may make him a splendid fortune; but if the country should be lost, and I should perish, he will have nothing but the proud recollection that he is the son of a man who died for his country." (Above courtesy of Nanci Presley-Holley)
  Person ID	I15384	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	19 Sep 2014

  
  

  Father	Mark Butler Travis,   b. 2 Feb 1783, Edgefield District, South Carolina d. 4 Sep 1836, Conecuh County, Alabama (Age 53 years)
  Mother	Jemima Stallworth,   b. 6 Sep 1783, Edgefield District, South Carolina d. Abt 1855, Conecuh County, Alabama (Age 71 years)
  Marriage	1 Jan 1808
  Family ID	F5955	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Roseanna E. Catto,   b. 3 May 1812, Cleburne County, Alabama d. Abt 1848, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana (Age 35 years)
  Marriage	28 Oct 1828
  Children	1. Charles Edward Travis,   b. 8 Aug 1829, Alabama d. Abt 1860, Washington County, Texas (Age 30 years)   2. Susan Isabella Travis,   b. 4 Aug 1831, Alabama d. 1 Sep 1870, Texas (Age 39 years)
  Family ID	F5956	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	9 Dec 2006

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1 Aug 1809 - Edgefield District, South Carolina Death - 6 Mar 1836 - The Alamo, San Fernando de B?xar, Coahuila and Texas, United Mexican States  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S444] Courtesy of Bettye Bragg Wagstaff of Sabine County Genealogical Society, Unknown Compiler "Davidson, Richard and White, Ruth Benina Descendancy Chart" 61 pages, handwritten by one of their children. [S322] Pressley-Holley, Nanci "Pressley-Price Family Tree" (formerly posted at RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project, no longer available).