Road to Texas Independence-Victory or Death Letter from the Alamo
- By echeese
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 12 Replies
Road to Texas Independence
Travis’ Letter from the Alamo
Travis’ Letter from the Alamo
When we last found our Texican and Tejano freedom fighters, they had seized the Alamo and force the surrender of General Cos and his garrison in San Antonio.
Quick recap of the timeline:
1824, after booting the Spaniards out of their country, the Mexican government establishes the Constitution of 1824, outlining the rights of all Mexican citizens.
1834 Santa Anna comes to power and rescinds the Constitution. Civil war breaks out in parts of Mexico, seems the Texicans weren't the only ones upset about losing their rights. Oddly that doesn't get mentioned much in some circles.
2 Oct 1835-Come and Take it, the Battle of Gonzales as 100 of the Mexican Army attempts to take back 2 cannons given to the citizens for defense from Comanches. Mexicans withdraw with a bloody nose. The Lexington of the Texas Revolution
3 Oct Santa Anna abolishes all Mexican state governments.
27 Oct Battle of Concepcion- Stephen F Austin sends James Bowie, James Fannin and Juan Sequin with 90 men of the Texas Militia (the volunteers) to scout a position to bring the Alamo (were Gen Cos sets up his troops) under siege. The Texican approached from the south near Mission Concepción which is about 2 miles south of what is now downtown San Antonio. Gen Cos, learning the Texicans were nearby sent 275 soldiers to attack them leading to the Battle of Concepción, the 1st major engagement in the war for Texas Independence. Also the opening salvos of the Texicans taking the Alamo.
Early Nov The Consultation-Texican leaders gather at San Felipie de Austin (near Sealy on the Brazos) to determine next steps. The key demand, restoration of the Constitution of 1824 and that Texas be set up as a separate Mexican state.
5 Dec Under Ben Milam and Frank Johnson, the assault on General Cos’ garrison at the Alamo and in San Antonio begins. The urban combat was brutal and something neither side was trained to fight.
11 Dec The battle going poorly, General Cos surrenders. The Texicans parole Gen Cos and his 1000 troops with the promise they will not return to fight the Texicans. They will regret this decision as Gen Cos joins with Santa Anna’s army, breaking his “oath” and return to fight against Texas.
19 Jan Having left to join the Matamoras Expedition, James Bowie returns to the Alamo with 30 men.
3 Feb William Barrett Travis arrives at the Alamo with 30 men of the Texas Army. So now you have members of the official Texas Army and those following the Texas Militia, the volunteers. It would become a leadership challenge with Travis in command of the Texas Army at the Alamo and Jim Bowie in command of the Volunteers.
8 Feb Davy Crockett arrives at the Alamo with about a dozen fellow Tennesseans. While tactically a small number, his arrival is a major public relations event and sparks interest across the US.
16 Feb Santa Anna crosses the Rio Grande
Which brings us to today, 188 years ago and Travis’ letter from the Alamo
This powerful prose from Travis resonated throughout America and the world. Below listen to the letter read by another Texas legend, Willie Nelson. Victory or Death
You can see the letter today on display at Alamo Exhibit through 24 March, on loan for the Texas Historical Commission.
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 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.
Travis
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.
Travis
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The Texas Card House War Room: Early impressions of the freshmen; recruiting overload
- By Suchomel
- Inside the War Room
- 114 Replies
(From Anwar)
--- Last week, I was told Texas freshman offensive lineman Brandon Baker caught the attention of the Longhorn staff. I was not given any individual standouts this week. However, one person told me, “This freshman class is extremely talented, driven, and focused. Very impressive as a group.”
We will learn more about this group with spring practice begins in March.
--- Once again, the emphasis behind the scenes is developing leaders. There are players leading position workouts before conditioning sessions. The staff is actively waiting for players to take the leadership reigns of Jordan Whittington, Jaylan Ford, Byron Murphy II, T’Vondre Sweat, and Christian Jones.
--- Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is viewed as a leader of this season. One person told me the staff wants Ewers to become more vocal. I was told Ewers is doing everything the staff desires – showing up on time and working hard. Ewers already leads by example. Nevertheless, they want him to emerge as a vocal leader during the offseason.
--- I was told the lack of leaders in this year’s locker room has made it challenging for players who arrived through the transfer portal to have a smooth transition. The staff is spending this spring making sure the culture that was built over three seasons remains intact.
--- Overall, nobody is freaking out in February. Everyone believes this is a new team that will learn how to work together and have success this season. Instead, everyone behind-the-scenes is focused on laying the foundation for the upcoming season during winter conditioning.
(Suchomel)
With the first installment of the 2025 Recruiting Board hitting OB earlier today, I thought I’d go through each position with a quick synopsis of where things stand. Let’s dive in.
Quarterback
Needs – 1
Commitments – 1
KJ Lacey – Saraland – Texas commitment – You all know the score here. Lacey has been committed for a long while but other schools are still in hot pursuit. Alabama and Auburn are the two biggest threats and I expect Lacey to continue to visit those campuses and possibly others. I also expect him to be back in Austin at least once this spring and as things stand right now, I favor the Longhorns’ chances of holding onto the elite passer.
Running back
Needs – 1 or 2
Commitments – 0
Jordon Davison - Mater Dei – 60% - I’m sticking to my guns here and saying this one comes down to either Texas or Ohio State. As of today, I slightly favor the Longhorns, as I have for a while.
James Simon - Shreveport Calvary Baptist – 20% - Gonna be tough to pull him away from LSU if the Tigers push.
Rickey Stewart Jr – Tyler Chapel Hill – 50% - He was committed to SMU, but visited Texas in January and picked up a UT offer. About a week later, he decommitted from SMU. That can’t be a bad sign for the Longhorns.
Riley Wormley - Southlake Carroll – 25% - He’s visited Texas a handful of times but it feels like several things would need to fall into place for this one to happen.
Wide receiver
Needs – 3 or 4
Commitments – 0
Marcus Harris - Mater Dei – 45% - A couple of months ago I would have had Texas over 50% but visits to other campuses have clouded this one a bit. This percentage likely goes up over 50% once he gets back to Austin.
Tanook Hines – Dekaney – 45% - He told OB recently he’s considering about 10 schools but he hasn’t visited many places, yet has been to Austin multiple times.
Kelshaun Johnson – Hitchcock – 50% - Texas likes him quite a bit, telling him he compares to Xavier Worthy. Johnson has been to UT a couple of times. A&M is in play here but the Longhorns are in a very solid spot.
Andrew Marsh - Katy Jordan – 45% - He’s visited Texas a ton but he’s also visited other places quite a bit. Really likes Texas but schools like A&M and others will also be a factor.
Carterrious Brown - Arlington Seguin – 40% - If Texas pushes here and brings him in for an official visit, this one shoots up well above 50%.
Emmanuel Choice – Lancaster – 35% - Tough one to read right now because there are so many other high-profile targets. He did visit Texas for junior day in January so the Longhorns are clearly in the mix.
Kaliq Lockett – Sachse – 35% - He’s visited Texas several times but it’s been a while. Lockett has some spring visits on the docket but nothing scheduled for Texas, so it’s hard to go above 35% right now.
Daylan McCutcheon - Lucas Lovejoy – 30% - Texas is in the mix and he’s visited a couple of times, but it’s a deep receiver pool so we’ll have to see how aggressive Texas is in this one.
Michael Terry - San Antonio Alamo Heights – 45% - He’s a new offer, but that one really caught his attention. He’d like to stay close to home. It feels like Texas could really surge here in the spring and summer.
Jacorey Watson - Pearland Shadow Creek – 50% - I’ve felt for a long while this one would come down to Texas or LSU and my stance hasn’t changed.
Taz Williams Jr. - Red Oak – 45% - He’s looking to set up a UT official visit for June. He’s still pretty open but the Longhorns are very strong contenders.
Tight end
Needs – 2
Commitments – 1
Emaree Winston - Calhoun (GA) – Texas commitment – He chose the Longhorns early and seems very content with his decision.
Kiotti Armstrong – Jasper – 45% - A couple of months ago I would have had this one much lower but UT signing his former teammate Tyanthony Smith and a junior day visit to Austin has Texas surging. Long way to go in this one though.
Keiundre Johnson – Terrell – 35% - His junior day visit plans fell through due to a car issue but he likes Texas quite a bit. Lots of upside here.
Bear Tenney - Lehi (UT) – 25% - This one feels like a longshot as things stand right now.
Nick Townsend – Dekaney – 40% - Texas is in the mix but there’s work to do here. If the Longhorns could get him and teammate Tanook Hines in Austin together, that might help.
Offensive line
Needs – 4 or 5
Commitments – 0
Michael Fasusi – Lewisville – 45% - Going back nearly 12 months, I’ve thought this one would come down to Oklahoma or Texas. Other schools are involved, but I still think it’ll be a Red River battle.
Lamont Rogers - Mesquite Horn – 40% - He’s a tough one to read but he did visit UT in January. LSU, A&M and Oklahoma are also heavily involved.
Ty Haywood - Denton Ryan – 40% - I might be a bit generous here since he hasn’t visited Texas yet, but when I talked to Haywood recently he was really high on the Longhorns.
Jordan Coleman and Devin Coleman - Cedar Hill – 35% - Texas just offered Devin this week and while I haven’t talked to the twins, I’m going to assume they’re a package deal. Both visited for UT’s junior day in January. If Texas really pushes for both, you have to think the Longhorns will have a great shot.
John Mills - San Francisco St. Ignatius – 45% - A bit of a guess here but in messaging with him, I get the sense that Texas is a strong player. Visited UT for junior day. Michigan is also in play but the coaching shake-up there could impact things.
Jonte Newman – Bridgeland – 40% - Texas was his “dream school” growing up but Oklahoma is a major factor here.
Tyler Thomas – Dickinson – 45% - He’s pretty open with a top 8 that does include Texas. A decision among one of the closer schools seems likely.
Byron Washington – DeSoto – 55% - He told OB he wants to take some visits but there’s not a school that’s in a better position than Texas.
Jackson Christian - Port Neches-Groves – 60% - In talking to him after the UT junior day, it’s clear the Longhorns are in a very strong position here.
Connor Carty – Prosper – 35% - Recent UT offer that could see his odds shoot up if he comes in for an official visit.
Defensive ends
Needs – 3 or 4
Commitments – 1
Lance Jackson - Texarkana Pleasant Grove – Texas commitment – Committed at UT’s junior day and seems locked in.
Michael Riles - Port Arthur Memorial – 60% - He doesn’t take many visits but has been to Texas. Was supposed to come to UT’s junior day in January but I believe those plans fell through.
Ethan Utley - Nashville Ensworth – 40% - He’s visited UT twice and is a big fan of the program. Tennessee probably holds the edge right now.
Kamauryn Morgan - South Oak Cliff – 60% - He’s visited UT a few times, including for junior day, and always has good things to say about the Longhorns.
Chad Woodfork - Summer Creek – 40% - Tough one to read. He’s visited Texas a bunch. Woodfork has a top 9 and wants to make a summer decision. Texas Tech is actually a strong player here and USC could be a factor.
Max Granville - Fort Bend Christian – 30% - Oklahoma looks to have the inside track here.
Carmello Brooks - Katy Paetow – 40% - If Texas pushes here, I think this one gets done.
Defensive tackles
Needs – 3 or 4
Commitments – 1
Brandon Brown - Palm Bay Eau Gallie – Texas commitment – He’s a very soft commitment, but is still technically committed.
D.J. Sanders – Bellville – 35% - Tough one to read because he doesn’t say much, but A&M might be tough to beat. Texas needs to get him on campus soon.
Floyd Guidry – Spring – 60% - If Kenny Baker pushes for this one, it should get done, possibly pretty soon.
Landon Rink - Cy-Fair – 55% - Some people have incorrectly assumed he’ll be a Longhorn because he’s a UT legacy, but that’s not a lock at all. A&M and Oklahoma are factors here but I lean towards the common sense of him eventually picking Texas.
Dilan Battle - Mansfield Timberview – 35% - He seems pretty open at this point … tough one to pin down right now.
Xavier Ukponu - Denton Guyer – 50% - Ukponu is pretty open, but he’s been a regular visitor to the 40 Acres and the Longhorns may be the team to beat.
Zion Williams – Lufkin – 45% - He likes Texas quite a bit and has visited multiple times, but it’s been a while. An official visit could really move the needle with this one.
Linebacker
Needs – 3 or 4
Commitments – 1
Anthony Williams - Pearland Shadow Creek – Texas commitment – He committed to Texas when UT didn’t even have a LB coach, so that tells you how much he likes the program.
Riley Pettijohn – McKinney – 60% - This will be a national recruitment but Texas is in a good spot after a junior day visit. Having former teammate Xavier Filsaime in Austin can only help.
Bo Barnes - Dallas Skyline – 60% - Texas was a late offer in this one compared to most schools but the Longhorns have moved up quickly. He attended UT’s junior day last month and Texas leads over others, including OU.
Javar Thomas – Nimitz – 30% - I need to touch base for an update but it’s been a while since he visited Texas.
Nasir Wyatt - Mater Dei – 25% - Of the Mater Dei guys, he may be a bit of a longshot.
Noah Mikhail - La Verne (CA) Bonita – 30% - He’s visited UT and really liked it, but this one might be a longshot unless Johnny Nansen can work some magic.
Gavin Nix - IMG Academy – 35% - His UT junior day visit made a big impression. Let’s see if he returns for an official visit.
Jayden Shelton - South Oak Cliff – 30% - There hasn’t been much UT buzz in this one just yet.
Defensive back
Needs – 4 or 5
Commitments – 0
Cobey Sellers - Shadow Creek – 45% - He really likes Texas, but Oklahoma may have a slight edge.
Dorian Brew – Conroe – 40% - Texas is in the mix but I still think his Ohio State ties will be tough to overcome.
Caleb Chester - Fort Bend Marshall – 50% - His offer list has really blown up of late. Texas is on solid ground, but A&M will also be a factor. LSU too.
Faheem Delane - Olney (MD) Good Counsel – 35% - He’s intrigued by the recent Texas offer and will visit in April, but the Longhorns are a bit behind right now.
Kade Phillips - Fort Bend Hightower – 40% - Recent Texas offer, which made an impression but A&M is a strong player in this one.
Sael Reyes – DeSoto – 30% - He has an interest in Texas but his ties to A&M may be tough to overcome.
Jonah Williams - Galveston Ball – 40% - He likes Texas more than most realize, but Oklahoma and A&M will provide tough competition. Texas needs to get him on campus soon or this percentage will take a significant dip.
Courtland Guillory - Klein Oak – 40% - This is one I don’t have a great read on at this point. I’ll work on getting an update soon.
Life comes at you fast...
- By LonghornGary
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 9 Replies
The basketball program went from an excitement level of a 10 heading into last season to about a 3 right now.
