"My Tribute" Lest We Forget Courage The night roared into early morn, and history had become fully born, cannons shouted in the powdered black air, as one-hundred-eighty-sex men held their glare; refusing to move in the face of death’s end, they returned the fire in honor of freedom. Santa Anna sat upon his white steed, with a smug grin curled under moustache, knowing the battle cost him dearly indeed. Bowie, Crockett, and Travis knew the final outcome, along with the rest, they knew final moments would be their last. Those others who fought, once were farmers, who bought with their life, this piece of land called the Alamo; for Texas and history to show, that freedom is a dear price to pay, and no man backed down, to the final day. Cries of pain and death could be heard and on both sides and some thought it absurd, that peace can only be bought one way; to gain advantage over all that day, was to ravage by sheer destruction; didn’t Santa Anna know you cannot kill freedom? When the smoke had cleared and all was still, Santa Anna came gloating at will. He searched and found a few that lived, sent them away with a message to give, so others who dared stand in his way, “The Alamo has fallen, today is my day.” Santa Anna had his day but that was all, because of one-hundred-eighty-six brave men, they became his downfall. History remembers the Alamo and them; brave and true they were, One-hundred-eighty-six of the best fighting men. From Within A Soul @ 2006 _________________________ On this date 172 years ago, March 6, 1836, marks the final day of the siege of the Alamo. It also marked the beginning of the end of Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón, known in history as General Santa Anna, (February 21, 1794 – June 21, 1876). He was later captured by Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto, prosecuted and served time, later released, returned to Mexico, but his greed eventually created another outbreak of hostility, but this time within his own country where he was removed and taken to Cuba for exile. Many years later, because of an amnesty granted him, he returned to Mexico and died a poor man and unheralded by his country. But, did you know, because of him, chewing gum was founded? Yes, it’s true. He is credited as bringing the first shipments of chicle, the base of chewing gum, to the United States, but he failed to profit from this, since his plan was to use the chicle to replace rubber in carriage tires, which was tried without success. The American assigned to aid Santa Anna while he was in the United States, Thomas Adams, conducted experiments with the chicle and called it "Chiclets," which helped found the chewing gum industry. March 6th became the new cry throughout Texas as well as the rest of the country, “Remember The Alamo!” Herein now are the list of names of those men who fell that day to insure freedom’s beginnings in Texas. Perhaps a name here may ring a bell for you as perhaps a relative. As you look on the names, you will find that 27 men were from countries outside the United States. Below are 186 men who were born in twenty different States and seven different countries, who collectively fought at the cradle of Texas liberty, withheld troops numbering 5,000 to 6,000 for 13 days, and perished at the siege of Alamo.
They are listed alphabetically by last name and following is their place of birth: Abamillo, Juan...San Antonio, Texas, USA
Allen, R. ...Unknown
Andross, Miles DeForest...unknown
Autry, Micajah...North Carolina, USA, known descendent, Sara Greer
Badillo, Juan A....San Antonio, Texas, USA
Bailey, Peter James...Kentucky, USA
Baker, Isaac G....Arkansas, USA
Baker, William Charles M....Kentucky, USA
Ballentine, John J....unknown
Ballentine, Robert W....Scotland
Baugh, John J....Virginia, USA
Bayliss, Joseph...Tennessee, USA
Blair, John ...Tennessee, USA
Blair, Samuel B....Tennessee, USA
Blazeby, William...England
Bonham, James Butler...South Carolina, USA
Bourne, Daniel...England
Bowie, James...Tennessee, USA
Bowman, Jesse B....unknown
Brown, George...England
Brown, James...Pennsylvania, USA
Brown, Robert...unknown
Buchanan, James...Alabama, USA
Burns, Samuel E....Ireland
Butler, George D....Missouri, USA
Campbell, Robert ...Tennessee, USA
Cane, John...Pennsylvania, USA
Carey, William R....Maryland, USA
Clark, Charles Henry...Missouri, USA
Clark, M.B....unknown
Cloud, Daniel William...Kentucky, USA
Cochran, Robert E....New Jersey, USA
Cottle, George Washington...Tennessee, USA
Courtman, Henry ...Germany
Crawford, Lemuel...South Carolina, USA
Crockett, David...Tennessee, USA
Crossman , Robert...Massachusetts, USA
Cummings, David P....Pennsylvania, USA
Cunningham, Robert...New York, USA
Darst, Jacob C....Kentucky, USA
Davis, John...Kentucky, USA
Day, Freeman H.K....unknown
Day, Jerry C....Missouri, USA
Daymon, Squire...Tennessee, USA
Dearduff, William...Tennessee, USA
Dennison, Stephen...England
Despallier, Charles...Louisiana, USA
Dickinson, Almaron...Tennessee, USA
Dillard, John H....Tennessee, USA
Dimpkins, James R....Tennessee, USA
Duel, Lewis...New York, USA
Duvalt, Andrew ...Ireland
Espalier, Carlos...San Antonio, Texas, USA
Esparza, Gregorio...San Antonio, Texas, USA
Evans, Robert...Ireland
Evans, Samuel B....Kentucky, USA
Ewing, James I....Tennessee, USA
Fishbaugh, William...Alabama, USA
Flanders, John ...Massachusetts, USA
Floyd, Dolphin Ward...North Carolina, USA
Forsyth, John Hubbard...New York, USA
Fuentes, Antonio...San Antonio, Texas, USA
Fuqua, Galva ...Gonzales, Texas, USA
Furtleroy, William H....Kentucky, USA
Garnett, William...Tennessee, USA
Garrand, James W....Louisiana, USA
Garrett, James Girard...Tennessee, USA
Garvin, John E....unknown
Gaston, John E....Kentucky, USA
George, James ...unknown
Goodrich, John Calvin...Tennessee, USA
Grimes, Albert Calvin...Georgia, USA
Guerrero, Jose Maria...Laredo, Texas, USA
Gwynne, James C....England
Hannum, James...unknown
Harris, John...Kentucky, USA
Harrison, Andrew Jackson...unknown
Harrison, William B....Ohio, USA
Haskell, Charles M....Tennessee, USA
Hawkins, Joseph B....Ireland
Hays, John M....Tennessee, USA
Herndon, Patrick Henry...Virginia, USA
Hersee, William D....New York, USA
Holland, Tapley...unknown
Holloway, Samuel...Pennsylvania, USA
Howell, William D....Massachusetts, USA
Jackson, William Daniel...Ireland
Jackson, Thomas...Kentucky, USA
Jameson, Green B....Kentucky, USA
Jennings, Gordon C....Connecticut, USA
Johnson, Lewis...Wales
Johnson, William...Pennsylvania, USA
Jones, John...New York, USA
Kellog, Johnnie...unknown
Kenney, James...Virginia, USA
Kent, Andrew...Kentucky, USA
Kerr, Joseph...Louisiana, USA
Kimbell, George C....New York, USA
King, William P....unknown
Lewis, William Irvine...Virginia, USA
Lightfoot, William J....Virginia, USA
Lindley, Jonathan L. ...Illinois, USA
Linn, William...Massachusetts, USA
Losoya, Toribio D....San Antonio, Texas, USA
Main, George Washington...Virginia, USA
Malone, William T....Georgia, USA
Marshall, William T....Tennessee, USA
Martin, Albert...Tennessee, USA
McCafferty, Edward...unknown
McCoy, Jesse...unknown
McDowell, William...Pennsylvania, USA
McGee, James...Ireland
McGregor, John...Scotland
McKinney, Robert...Ireland
Melton, Eliel...Georgia, USA
Miller, Thomas R....Virginia, USA
Mills, William...Tennessee, USA
Millsaps, Isaac...Mississippi, USA
Mitchusson, Edward F....Virginia, USA
Mitchell, Edwin T....Georgia, USA
Mitchell, Napoleon B....unknown
Moore, Robert B....Virginia, USA
Moore, Willis...Mississippi, USA
Musselman, Robert...Ohio, USA
Nava, Andres...San Antonio, Texas, USA
Neggan, George...South Carolina, USA
Nelson, Andrew M....Tennessee, USA
Nelson, Edward...South Carolina, USA
Nelson, George...South Carolina, USA
Northcross, James...Virginia, USA
Nowlan, James...Ireland
Pagan, George...Mississippi, USA
Parker, Christopher...Mississippi, USA
Parks, William...unknown
Perry, Richardson...Texas, USA
Pollard, Amos...Massachusetts, USA
Reynolds, John Purdy...Pennsylvania, USA
Roberts, Thomas H....unknown
Robinson, Isaac...Scotland
Robertson, James...Tennessee, USA
Rose, James M....Virginia, USA
Rusk, Jackson J....Ireland
Rutherford, Joseph...Kentucky, USA
Ryan, Isaac...Louisiana, USA
Scurlock, Mial...North Carolina, USA
Sewell, Marcus L....England
Shield, Manson...Georgia, USA
Simmons, Cleveland Kinlock...South Carolina, USA
Smith, Andrew H....Tennessee, USA
Smith, Charles S....Maryland, USA
Smith, Joshua G....North Carolina, USA
Smith, William H....unknown
Starr, Richard...England
Stewart, James E....England
Stockton, Richard L....Virginia, USA
Summerlin, A. Spain...Tennessee, USA
Summers, William E....Tennessee, USA
Sutherland, William D. ...Alabama, USA
Taylor, Edward...unknown
Taylor, George...unknown
Taylor, James...unknown
Taylor, William...Tennessee, USA
Thomas, B. Archer M....Kentucky, USA
Thomas, Henry ...Germany
Thompson, Jesse G....Arkansas, USA
Thompson, John W....North Carolina, USA
Thruston, John M....Pennsylvania, USA
Trammel, Burke...Ireland
Travis, William Barret...South Carolina, USA
Tumlinson, George W. ...Missouri, USA
Tylee, James...New York, USA
Unknown, John (Negro)...unknown
Walker, Asa...unknown
Walker, Jacob...unknown
Ward, William B....Ireland
Warnell, Henry...Arkansas, USA
Washington, Joseph G....Tennessee, USA
Waters, Thomas...England
Wells, William...Georgia, USA
White, Isaac...Kentucky, USA
White, Robert...unknown
Williamson, Hiram J....Pennsylvania, USA
Wills, William...unknown
Wilson, David L....Scotland
Wilson, John ...Pennsylvania, USA
Wolfe, Anthony...England
Wright, Claiborne...North Carolina, USA
Zanco, Charles...Denmark ______________________________ In doing this, there is another part of history rarely brought into play because of the Alamo, and that is Goliad. As Santa Anna was heading toward Houston, where he would eventually meet with capture, Mexican General, Jose Urrea with some 900 troops, left Matamoros and followed a coastal route into Texas. The first town approached by Urrea was San Patricio, where on February 27 he encountered Frank Johnson and about 50 Texans. Johnson and four of his men escaped, but the rest were either killed or captured. A few days later, the Mexicans also fell upon James Grant and another 50 men, and all but one of the Texans were killed. Citizens of Refugio, the next town in Urrea's path, were slow to evacuate. To provide assistance, James W. Fannin, commander of forces at Goliad, sent two relief forces. The first of these groups numbered about 30 men under Aaron King, followed by a larger group of some 150 men under William Ward. Like Johnson's force, both of these groups were eventually killed or captured by the Mexicans. Meanwhile back in Goliad, Fannin and his remaining force of about 350 were called on to aid William Barrett Travis and the Alamo defenders. Afterwards, he was also ordered by Sam Houston to retreat back to Victoria. Due to indecision and carelessness by Fannin, however, he failed to accomplish either of these missions. After a delay of about five days following Houston's order, Fannin finally began his retreat. It was not long, however, before the Texans found themselves surrounded on open prairie. Several attacks by Urrea resulted each time in the Mexicans being repulsed by the deadly fire of the Texans. By dusk, the Texans had lost about sixty men killed or wounded against some 200 of the Mexicans. Still heavily outnumbered and with no water and few supplies, the Texans waved the white flag of truce the following morning. Believing that they would be taken captive and eventually returned to their homes, the Texans surrendered the morning of March 20. The were escorted back to Goliad as prisoners. When news of their capture reached Santa Anna, however, he was furious that the Texans had not been executed on the spot. Citing a recently passed law that all foreigners taken under arms would be treated as pirates and executed, Santa Anna sent orders to execute the Goliad prisoners. Santa Anna's orders were followed. On Palm Sunday, the 27th of March, the prisoners were divided into three groups, marched onto open prairie, and shot. Thus, all of Fannin's command except a few that managed to escape and several physicians and others deemed useful by the Mexicans, were massacred, collected into piles, and burned. Like the defenders at the Battle of the Alamo who died only three weeks earlier, the men of Goliad served as martyrs for the remaining forces in Houston's army. Three weeks later, the Texans sought their revenge. Inspired by cries of "Remember Goliad" and "Remember the Alamo," the outnumbered Texans won one of history's most decisive victories at the Battle of San Jacinto. So I say to all of you now, remember The Alamo and the men who died for freedom and independence; so should we remember all men who have died since for the same reasons.
 | Thank you for the history lesson. I always like to learn about history. And your poem pays them tribute with your beautiful way with words. |
 | It is good to remember all who have fought for freedom in this great land because of it we can say an do what lots only think of can not speak of let alone do . Thanks good post. |
 | Born and raised in Massachusetts I have to say it is a small world that finds me now a resident of Texas just north of the Mexico border.
Flanders, John ...Massachusetts, USA a very distant relative. |
 | Great post Bill, I am winning my Alamo. |
 | Very good post my friend! |
Comment deleted at the request of the author.
 | God Bless Texas.. it was a personal thrill for me to hug the only survivor of the battle.. through that gnarly tree I felt the lifeblood and courage of those brave men who held on with their dying breath..for one brief moment in time I was connected to that which was... almost like the same feeling I get when I walk the hallowed battlegrounds of Gettysburg..awesome tribute to an awesome ideal... |
| and also.. did you know that Santa Anna was afraid of water??? a little trivia.. |
 | Wow, I had no idea all the extra stuff you posted. To be honest, I didnt know much about the Alamo besides the alot of men died fighting. You wrote a wonderful poem in respect to those who died that day. I didnt even know it was the anniversary. Thank you so much for posting this my dear friend. I always love to learn! |
 | Ok. I won't burst your bubble on this one. We can discuss it privately.
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 | hmmm.....Interesting. I saw that in my mail an knew for some reason you would post on it ..LOL
Still catching up on sleep The 9 hours in 3 days and all the stress kinda zapped me. |
 | I had relatives that fought against Santa Anna during the Mexican war. Good piece. Great poem. |
| Nita, your relative in Texas told me that since you married into a Tennessee family, ya'll have relatives everywhere... hahahhha.. loveya girl! |
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