Many know Col. Travis' February 24th letter from the Alamo, asking for reinforcements. It is stirring.

He wrote this letter, on this day in 1836. Travis knew he would get no further reinforcements, but did not know that Texas had declared its independence on March 1 at Washington on the Brazos. It is the last communication from the Texans at the Alamo.

To Jesse Grimes
March 3, 1836

Do me the favor to send the enclosed to its proper destination instantly. I am still here, in fine spirits and well to do, with 145 men. I have held this place for ten days against a force variously estimated from 1,500 to 6,000, and shall continue to hold it till I get relief from my country or I will perish in its defense. We have had a shower of bombs and cannon balls continually falling among us the whole time, yet none of us has fallen. We have been miraculously preserved. You have no doubt seen my official report of the action of the 24th ult. in which we repulsed the enemy with considerable loss; on the night of the 25th they made another attempt to charge us in the rear of the fort, but we received them gallantly by a discharge of grape shot and musquertry, and they took to their scrapers immediately. They are now encamped in entrenchments on all sides of us.
All our couriers have gotten out without being caught and a company of 32 men from Gonzales got in two nights ago, and Colonel Bonham got in today by coming between the powder house and the enemy's upper encampment....Let the convention go on and make a declaration of independence, and we will then understand, and the world will understand, what we are fighting for. If independence is not declared, I shall lay down my arms, and so will the men under my command. But under the flag of independence, we are ready to peril our lives a hundred times a day, and to drive away the monster who is fighting us under a blood-red flag, threatening to murder all prisoners and make Texas a waste desert. I shall have to fight the enemy on his own terms, yet I am ready to do it, and if my countrymen do not rally to my relief, I am determined to perish in the defense of this place, and my bones shall reproach my country for her neglect. With 500 men more, I will drive Sesma beyond the Rio Grande, and I will visit vengeance on the enemy fighting against us. Let the government declare them public enemies, otherwise she is acting a suicidal part. I shall treat them as such, unless I have superior orders to the contrary.

My respects to all friends, confusion to all enemies. God Bless you.

Take care of my little boy. If the country should be saved, I may make for him a splendid fortune; but if the country 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.



Remember the Alamo!

Remember Goliad!

Courage incarnate. Oh that we would have his resolve to stand for what is right in our lifetime!!

This is the kind of lesson kids should have been learning for a long time rather than character studies of lesser man like BHO, Karl Marx, and the pillars of Islam.

Wow, that last paragraph.

An unimaginable courage, pride and determination. The hardships they endured for the call of Liberty and Freedom. As a nation we've become pathetic and unworthy of their sacrifices.

Very very few are made like that these days. MOH winners among them.

I miss "this" country.

I miss "this" resolve.

I miss such courage and sacrifice in the name of Country.

May I live with that honor.

It is odd that the modern television drama Yellowstone, would have a poignant Alamo-related line, delivered by one of the series most interesting characters Beth Dutton.

It was this simple statement:

"When standing on the walls of the Alamo the outcome has already been decided. All that's left is to kill as many as you can."

Thus, through time, do we hear the voices of those stout hearted men speak again.

I hope that if ever I'm in circumstances like their position, I too face death with such stoicism.

Brave men and women all. They traded their lives to throw off the yoke of tyranny.

What an eloquently written letter filed with courage and determination.

OP, thank you for posting this.

jhe,

Thank you for posting, it is a stirring letter.

Most people do not know he was only 26 years old when he wrote the letter............

quote:

Originally posted by heathtx:
jhe,

Thank you for posting, it is a stirring letter.

Most people do not know he was only 26 years old when he wrote the letter............

Wow.

quote:

I shall have to fight the enemy on his own terms, yet I am ready to do it, and if my countrymen do not rally to my relief, I am determined to perish in the defense of this place, and my bones shall reproach my country for her neglect.

This is the most powerful sentence to me.

He says about the enemy: "...and they took to their scrapers immediately" Know what this means?

This country is filled by men with this resolve,

This message has been edited. Last edited by: pbslinger,

I did a bit of internet digging, but didn't find a definition.

History has recorded that swords were heavily used in this battle so one would guess that is what "scrapers" are.

quote:

we received them gallantly by a discharge of grape shot and musquertry, and they took to their scrapers immediately.

If scrapers means swords, I suppose he is telling that they don't have much firepower of small arms if they quickly go to using swords. Or he is emphasizing that resupply of powder and shot can be effective against a larger force since the enemy aren't reliant on attacking with firearms.