Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers

by Brian Kilmeade

  Like Houston, Bowie, and Fannin, David Crockett came to Texas looking for a second chance. The former Congressman, known for his back-country character and for his tall tales, was among those killed at the Alamo.

  Despite Houston’s wishes, a small crew of Texians attempted to defend San Antonio from Santa Anna’s army of 3,500. The odds were against them, but they agreed to fight to the death—a fight that later would be memorialized by many artists.

  Perhaps the best of the Mexican generals—unlike Santa Anna and Cos, he lost none of his battles in Tejas—José de Urrea was the victor at the Battle of Coleto, the fight that led to the execution of the hundreds captured at Goliad.

  Even though they were far outnumbered by Santa Anna’s army, the Texians were not intimidated. When they saw the Mexicans approaching, they immediately fired their biggest cannon, an eighteen-pounder, with a great, resounding boom. This image of the fight at the Alamo suggests something of the furor of the battle.

  During the massacre, Santa Anna employed Napoleon’s tactics. While his army overwhelmed the Texians in manpower and artillery and surrounded the Alamo, Santa Anna remained an observer. Even with Colonel Travis dead and Bowie weak with disease trapped inside the mission, the Texians fought until the end. The mythologizing of the Alamo has resulted in many later images like this one, which pictures the Alamo in flames. The artist in this case took many liberties, among them a burning building that little resembles the Alamo as it looked in 1836.

  Susanna, the young wife—and widow—of Almeron Dickinson was among the few Texian survivors of the Alamo Massacre. Wounded during the battle, she refused Santa Anna’s offer to take her and her daughter back to Mexico and instead was tasked with carrying a message from Santa Anna to the Texians. Here, she’s pictured late in life.

  Not long after the massacre at the Alamo, General Urrea’s army perpetrated another massacre of Texians at Goliad. After promising their safety, Urrea’s men marched the unsuspecting Texian prisoners from Goliad to their execution.

  Not long after the slaughter of his men, Goliad commander James Fannin faced a Mexican firing squad.

  In the weeks leading up to the final battle of America’s fight for Texas, Houston employed a strategy of retreat—nearly losing the trust of his army. The strategy kept the Texian army safe until they attacked Santa Anna’s army in the Battle of San Jacinto.

  Houston delivered the most rousing speech of his lifetime before the Battle of San Jacinto, declaring: “We will meet the enemy. Some of us may be killed and must be killed; but soldiers, remember the Alamo, the Alamo, the Alamo!”

  During the battle, Houston twice had his horse shot out from under him, as depicted in this detail from McArdle’s Battle of San Jacinto. The second time, Houston himself was also shot, taking a musket ball to his ankle.

  After the defeat of the Mexicans in just eighteen minutes and their subsequent capture, Houston, shown here nursing his wounded leg, negotiated terms of surrender in the shade of a tree hung with Spanish moss.

  A late-in-life photograph of Santa Anna, who survived his defeat at San Jacinto to take power again (and again) in Mexican politics. He lived to age eighty.

  A Mathew Brady photograph of the sixty-eight-year-old Houston. By 1861, he had once again become a national figure, having served in the U.S. Senate after his short-lived nation became the state of Texas. A city had been named for him, too. He died in Huntsville, Texas, in 1863.

  Few men remained in the ranks of the Old Texian Veterans when, in 1906, they gathered at Goliad to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the battle. Just six survivors attended what would be the last reunion.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This book would not have been possible without John Finley, who oversaw the launch of Fox Nation in 2018 and allowed me to host a series called “What Made America Great.” Finley’s passion and knowledge of history rivals anyone I have met, and his faith in me to pull off this series was truly gratifying. After American viewers received our first topic, the Alamo, enthusiastically, I knew it had to be the subject of my next book.

  After I had decided to write about the Alamo, legendary documentarian Ken Burns prompted me to expand the story of the Alamo into a book about American victory, ending with the Battle of San Jacinto. I’m grateful to him for his guidance and inspiration.

  Thanks for getting the book made goes to the team at Sentinel, led by its president and publisher, Adrian Zackheim. He once again spearheaded a tight-knit, visionary group, including first and foremost my editor, Bria Sandford, who guided me through the writing of this book fearlessly; her talent, intelligence, and expertise is indispensable on every project. Sentinel’s publicity team, led by Tara Gilbride, is the best in the business, and publicist Marisol Salaman never leaves the smallest detail unaddressed. Thank you also to Madeline Montgomery and Helen Healey, who were crucial to the marketing and editorial efforts. Special thanks to Bob Barnett for making this relationship possible.

  My producer, Alyson Mansfield, is the glue who brings all of these books and book tours together, along with lining up radio and TV; her leadership is formidable. Thank you to Brian Kilmeade Radio Show superstars Pete Catrina and Eric Albein, who offer each book tremendous support on our airwaves—from coming up with creative ways to spread the word to bringing on special guests to discuss the book. The special and on-air support would not be possible without the backing of John Sylvester and Doug Murphy.

  The special media promotion was pioneered and produced by the husband-and-wife team of Paul and Amanda Guest, who might just be the best in the business.

  Lauren Petterson, Gavin Hadden, and the entire Fox and Friends staff are without a doubt the engine behind this book. They make every book launch feel like a holiday, getting our audience excited about another great slice of American history is coming their way. Special thanks to anchors Ainsley Earhardt and Steve Doocy for their patriotism and support, along with weather machine Janis Dean and news anchor Jillian Mele.

  I’d also like to thank UTA super-agents Adam Leibner, Jerry Silbowitz, Byrd Leavell, and powerhouse president Jay Sures for their vision and loyalty.

  Extraordinary thanks goes to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, Suzanne Scott, and Jay Wallace. Through the turmoil of last few years, they have offered me tremendous support, while allowing me to grow the history side of my career. I know full well without Fox viewers and listeners I would not have my passionate, dedicated, patriotic readers.

  Thank you to Bruce Winders, curator of the Alamo museum, for his impeccable research efforts. He was invaluable to us, as were Lisa Struthers of San Jacinto Library and Museum, historian Douglas Brinkley, and Scott McMahon, who helped bring the Battle of Goliad to life in my mind.

  FOR FURTHER READING

  Reconstructing history is always a difficult business. In the case of the Texas Revolution—and, in particular, the Battle of the Alamo—the uncertainties, paradoxes, and even outright contradictions are many among the primary sources.

  Writing history is about judgments. Whose word do you take? We have testimony from Texians and Mexicans and, when their versions coincide, recounting the story is not difficult. But Santa Anna’s version, for example, is self-serving and political and often at odds with not only Texian takes but even the recollections of his own officers. Historians largely discount some versions—Félix Nuñez’s version of the fall of the Alamo, for example—but largely trust others, such as José Enrique de la Peña’s. In truth, each version has its own imperfections; thus, my approach has been to examine all of them, to compare and contrast, and then make my best judgment as to what most likely happened.

  This book could not exist were it not for many earlier students of this war who assembled the secondary sources I’ve also consulted. The literature of Texas independence is vast: The Alamo alone has been the
subject of more than a hundred books; dozens more have examined the battles at San Jacinto and Goliad. Sam Houston himself has engaged many biographers.

  All of which leads me to a few words of appreciation: One of the joys of writing a book like this is the opportunity to make the acquaintance of the many books and articles by authors living and dead who’ve tread this territory before. Again, though, there is the challenge of figuring out whose version is the closest to the truth—and, yes, as you would expect, the disagreements among the storytellers are many, ranging from trivial to huge. Troop estimates always seem to vary; often dates and times do, too, along with the spelling of names (of people and places) and many other “facts.” Some writers seem somehow to know what seems unknowable, which can make it difficult to distinguish between fresh but reasonable assumptions and out-there guesswork. One triangulates, makes considered judgments, consults experts where possible, and, in the end, as with any book that looks with care at the historic past, then refers back to the original documents.

  Of those there are many. The papers of Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Andrew Jackson have been essential sources, along with the compendious Papers of the Texas Revolution (10 vols., 1973) and Official Correspondence of the Texan Revolution (2 vols., 1936).

  In these pages you’ll also find the words of many minor figures. Largely forgotten fighters like Noah Smithwick, W. C. Swearingen, Herman Ehrenberg, Abel Morgan, Pedro Delgado, Jack Shackelford, John Sowers Brooks, José Enrique de la Peña, Dr. John Sutherland, Charles Mason, Sergeant Francisco Becerra, David Macomb—and dozens of others—left us reports, letters, and memoirs. Not a few of those are found at the valuable online resource sonsofdewittcolony.org. Some of the recollections are more reliable than others, upon occasion contradicting one another and even taking sides to praise or to damn such commanders as James Fannin, William Travis, and, in particular, Sam Houston.

  My thanks, then, to the writers, living and dead, and their books, listed below, for providing the facts and circumstances that enabled me to tell this tale.

  Austin, Stephen F. The Austin Papers: October 1834–January 1837. Vol. 3. Eugene C. Barker, ed. Austin: University of Texas, 1924.

  _______. “General Austin’s Order Book for the Campaign of 1835.” Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. Vol. 11, no. 1 (July 1907), pp. 1–55.

  Austin, William T. “Siege and Battle of Bexar,” 1844. https://sonsofdewittcolony.org.

  Barker, Eugene Campbell. “The San Jacinto Campaign.” Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. Vol. 4 (April 1901), pp. 237–345.

  _______. “Stephen F. Austin and the Independence of Texas.” Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. Vol. 1, no. 4 (April 1910), pp. 257–84.

  Barnard, Joseph Henry. “Dr. J. H. Barnard’s Journal.” The Goliad Advance. June 1912.

  Barr, Alwyn. Texans in Revolt: The Battle for San Antonio, 1835. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1990.

  Becerra, Francisco. A Mexican Sergeant’s Recollections of the Alamo and San Jacinto. Austin, TX: Jenkins, 1980.

  Belohlavek, John M. Let the Eagle Soar! Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1985.

  Bennet, Miles A. “The Battle of Gonzales, the ‘Lexington’ of the Texas Revolution.” Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. Vol. 2, no. 4 (April 1899), pp. 313–16.

  Binkley, William C., ed. Official Correspondence of the Texan Revolution, 1835–1836. 2 vols. New York: D. Appleton-Century, 1936.

  Bowie, John. “Early Life in the Southwest—The Bowies.” De Bow’s Southern and Western Review, October 1852, pp. 378–83.

  Brack, Gene M. Mexico Views Manifest Destiny. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1975.

  Brands, H. W. Lone Star Nation. New York: Doubleday, 2004.

  Brogan, Evelyn. “James Bowie,” A Hero of the Alamo. San Antonio: T. Kunzman, 1922.

  Brown, Gary. Hesitant Martyr in the Texas Revolution: James Walker Fannin. Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press, 2000.

  Brown, John Henry. History of Texas, 1685 to 1892. St. Louis: L. E. Daniell, 1892.

  Bruce, Henry. Life of General Houston, 1793–1863. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1891.

  Bryan, Moses Austin. “Reminiscences of M. A. Bryan.” Typescript, Moses Austin Bryan Papers. Albert and Ethel Herzstein Library, San Jacinto Museum of History, n.d.

  Buell, Augustus C. History of Andrew Jackson: Pioneer, Patriot, Soldier, Politician, President. 2 vols. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1904.

  Burleson, Rufus C. The Life and Writings of Rufus C. Burleson. [Waco, TX], 1901.

  Calder, R. J. “Recollections of the Campaign of 1836.” The Texas Almanac, 1857–1873. Waco, TX: Texian Press, 1967, pp. 444–56.

  Callcott, Wilfrid Hardy. Santa Anna. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1936.

  Cantrell, Gregg. Stephen F. Austin, Empresario of Texas. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1999.

  Castañeda, Carlos, et al. Mexican Side of the Texan Revolution, by the Mexican Participants. Dallas: P. L. Turner, 1928.

  Chariton, Wallace O. 100 Days in Texas: The Alamo Letters. Plano, TX: Wordware, 1990.

  Clarke, Mary Whatley. Thomas J. Rusk: Soldier, Statesman, Jurist. Austin: Jenkins, 1971.

  Cole, Donald B. The Presidency of Andrew Jackson. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1993.

  Coleman, Robert Morris. Houston Displayed, or Who Won the Battle of San Jacinto? By a Farmer in the Army. Austin: Brick Row Book Shop, 1964.

  Crimmins, M. L. “American Powder’s Part in Winning Texas Independence.” Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Vol. 52, no. 1 (July 1948), pp. 109–11.

  Crisp, James E. Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett’s Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

  Crisp, James E., and Dan Kilgore. How Did Davy Die? And Why Do We Care So Much? College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2010.

  Crockett, Davy. The Autobiography of David Crockett. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1923. (Note: This volume contains several Crockett works, including A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, of the State of Tennessee, Written by Himself, 1834.)

  _______. A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett by Himself. Lincoln, NE: Bison, 1987.

  Cummins, Light Townsend, and Mary L. Scheer. Texan Identities: Moving beyond Myth, Memory, and Fallacy in Texas History. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 2016.

  Davenport, Harbert. “The Men of Goliad: Dedicatory Address and the Unveiling of the Monument Erected by the Texas Centennial Commission at the Grave of Fannin’s Men.” Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Vol. 43, no. 1 (July 1939), pp. 1–41.

  Davis, William C. Lone Star Rising: The Revolutionary Birth of the Texas Republic. New York: Free Press, 2004.

  _______. Three Roads to the Alamo: The Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barret Travis. New York: HarperCollins, 1998.

  Day, James M. The Texas Almanac, 1857–1873. Waco, TX: Texian Press, 1967.

  De Bruhl, Marshall. Sword of San Jacinto: A Life of Sam Houston. New York: Random House, 1993.

  Delgado, Pedro. “Delgado’s Account of the Battle.” Reprinted in Barker, “The San Jacinto Campaign.” Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. Vol. 4 (April 1901), pp. 287–91.

  Dixon, Sam Houston, and Louis Wiltz Kemp. Heroes of San Jacinto. Houston: Anson Jones Press, 1932.

  Dobie, J. Frank. “James Bowie, Big Dealer.” Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Vol. 60, no. 1 (January 1957), pp. 337–57.

  Ehrenberg, Herman. “A Campaign in Texas.” Blackwood’s Magazine. Vol. 59, no. 363 (January 1846), pp. 37–53.

  _______. With Milam and Fannin: Adventures of a German Boy in Texas’ Revolution. Translated by Charlotte Churchill. Dallas: Tardy, 1935.

  Featherstonehaugh, George William. Excursion Through the Sla
ve States, from Washington on the Potomac to the Frontier of Mexico; with Sketches of Popular Manners and Geological Notices. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1844.

  Field, Joseph E. Three Years in Texas. Greenfield, MA: Justin Jones, 1836.

  Filisola, Vicente. Memoirs for the History of the War in Texas. Translated by Wallace Woolsey. 2 vols. Austin: Eakin Press, 1985. Originally published in 1848.

  Flores, Richard R. Remembering the Alamo: Memory, Modernity, and the Master Symbol. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002.

  Folsom, Bradley. Arrendondo: Last Spanish Ruler of Texas and Northeastern New Spain. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.

  Foote, Henry Stuart. Texas and the Texians. Vol. 2. Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwait, 1841.

  Forbes, John. “Memorandum for Col. E. Yoakum,” December 25, 1858. Personal Papers of Sam Houston, box 29, folder 36. Albert and Ethel Herzstein Library, San Jacinto Museum of History.

  Fowler, Will. Santa Anna of Mexico. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2007.

  Friend, Llerena. Sam Houston: The Great Designer. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1954.

  Garrison, George Pierce, ed. Diplomatic Correspondence of the Republic of Texas. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1908.