A Grown Man Recalls a Childhood Incident in the Texas Revolution

Refuge

As we continue to remember the history of Texas as she was about to become an independent nation, I found a letter from a man, Henry B. Andrews, who, as a child was a witness to what was going on in Texas after the fall of the Alamo. Word spread quickly across Texas that General Santa Anna was moving eastward toward the populated areas of Texas. The people of Texas were in a state of panic at the mere thought that the powerful Mexican Army would soon be their town. They quickly picked up all they could carry with them and left the rest of their belongings behind and fled their homes seeking safety elsewhere.

Henry B. Andrews was a small boy at that time all this was going on. Over forty years later, he wrote this letter to woman whose father was killed in service to the cause of freedom for Texas and its people. The letter:
Miss. Maggie Falvel ζ
     Galveston ζ
In answer to your letter
of the 25. Last.  I can cheerfully testify
to the fact that your father Capt. Luke
Falvel was in the service of the Republic
of Texas.  I remember distinctly when
President David G. Burnet ordered your father
who was in command of the Schr. Flash
to remove all the women and children from
New Washington to Galveston which he did.
I was but a boy at the time and was
on the vessel myself, with President Burnet
and others. -  I think there should
be no doubt about your mother obtaining
the Land, and I shall be glad to be
of any service in my power to aid her
in doing so.
Respectfully,
H. B. Andrews

It never ceases to amaze me what the people of that time in Texas History would do in order to help others who had family members who gave their lives so that Texas could be free. They were, without question, forged of a hotter fire.

Texas Tidbits: Words of Texas Hero in 1836

D.P. Cummings

I have become enthralled by the letters from eyewitnesses to the events of the Texas Revolution. Their historical significance can not be underestimated. The letter you are about to read comes to us from the General Land Office of all places. The contnent of the letter is absolutely incredible. see for yourself.

The letter comes from David P.Cummings and is dated February 14, 1838.


  San Antonio de Bexar
                                        February 14th 1835      (1835 is a transcription error)

Dear Father,
                I wrote you from Gonzales and soon after
left there for this place yet under different views from
what I stated in as a sudden attack was expected on
our Garrison here and we were called on for assistance
It is however fully ascertained that we have nothing
of the kind to apprehend before a month or six weeks as
the Enemy have not yet crossed the Rio Grande 180 mi
distant from this place nor are they expected to make
any movement this way until the weather becomes warm
or until the grass is sufficiently up to support their horses
we concive it however, important to be prepared as a
heavy attack is expected from Sant Anna himself
in the Spring as no doubt the despot will use every possible
means and strain every nerve to conquer and exterminate
us from the land – in this we have no fear and are confident
that Texas cannot only sustain what she now holds
but take Mexico itself did she think on conquest.
The northern Indians have joined to our assistance and
the volunteers from the United States are every day flocking
to our ranks which from the liberal promises of the Government
and desireable resources of the Country seem determined
to sustain themselves or sink in the attempt.  Many it is true
have left the Country and returned home to their friends
and pleasures but of such Texas has no use for and
her agents in the U States should be careful whom they
send us for assistance we want men of determined
spirits , that can undergo hardships and deprivation
otherwise they are only a pest and expense to their
fellow soldiers – to the first class (tho I would be the
last to advise in any case) I say come on, there is
a fine field open to you all no matter how you are situated
or what may be your circumstances, at least come and
see the Country, as a farmer, mechanic or a soldier
you will do well – I believe no Country offers such
strong inducements to Emmigration, affording all the
convieniences of life that man can desire – what I write
is from my own observation and from what I hear
from those who have resided for years in the Country
I am to leave this to return to the Cibilo Creek in company
with 10 others to take up our lands we get as citizens which is more than 1100 acres for single men, man of
family 4428 acres our volunteer pay is 20$ per month
& 640 acres at close of the war.
         Any communication to San Felipe de Austin
you may make with postage paid to the Boundary line I will
get or send to Stiles Duncan Natchitoches, he could
mail it to San Felipe as I would be very glad to hear from you all
         It might be that I might be of some benefit
to you here provided any of  you could have a mind to come
out and indeed to speak sincearly this would be the
Country for us all, nothing could induce me from
my determination of settling here, tho my disposition may
not be like most others.  I should like you could once
see it – a visit by Jonathon would improve his health
I have been very healthy since I have been here and am
improving
                                    Yours affectionately
                                       D P Cummings

PS
         There is one thing might be proper for me to add
Members have been elected to a Convention of all Texas
               st
It meet on 1   March, which will make an immediate
declaration of independence – upon the faith of this
event great speculation is going on in lands, tho the office
for disposal of the public lands is not yet opened but
is expectid will be in a short time.  The price of land
has risen greatly since the commencement of the war and
a declaration of Independence will bring them to vie with
those of the U States tho they can be purchased from 50 cts
to 5$ per acre by the League depending on their improvements
or convinience to settlements – No country is now settling faster
-    as I will most probably be engaged in Surveying of public
lands I might be of Service to some of our friends in
procuring desireable or choice locations.
                                      D P Cummings


Two passages of this letter stood out to me. The first, "in this we have no fear and are confident that Texas cannot only sustain what she now holds but take Mexico itself did she think on conquest." Mr. Cummings and his fellow Freedom Fighters were willing to die for the libertion of Texas from that despot, Santa Anna, knowing that their fellow Texans were equally ready to sacrifice everything they owned in order to live life as a free people.

The second part of the letter that caught my eye was this one: "the volunteers from the United States are every day flocking to our ranks which from the liberal promises of the Government and desireable resources of the Country seem determined to sustain themselves or sink in the attempt." Many people in the United States, themselves not far removed from their own War for Independence, were willing to pack up and head to Texas, a foreign country at that time, to make for themselves a life that would be one of prosperity and promise in the Country of Texas.

Both of these excerpts from Mr. Cummings' letter show that men yearn for freedom and liberty as much as they crave food and water. This is an instinct that is instilled in the soul of every human being by the Merciful Almighty God Himself. With unbreakable resolve and a Spirit in need of Freedom in each man that fought for Texas Independence, Santa Anna was doomed from the beginning of his military campaign. His fatal mistake was that he overlloked the fact that Texans are men and women are a people forged of a hotter fire.. God bless these men and women. And may God continue to bless Texas.

A Quick Valentine's Note

I have a Dr's appointment this morning, so I wanted to tell you a couple of things before I leave the house. First things first. Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a sweetie that jut melts your butter and that you get to do something special today with him or her. I am lucky enough to have three sweetie pies in my house, Heather, Isabella and Bailey. i am three times lucky! Wednesday is Heather's and my 3rd Wedding Anniversary, so she and I will do something together then. However, today, after school, we'll do something with Issy and Bailey so their Valentine's Day will be special. Maybe the girls and I can make blueberry muffins later. :)

I'll  post some more stuff on Texas History as soon as I can after I get back from the Dr's office and run a couple of errands. Until then, feel free to browse the site archives for something cool to read. There's plenty of good stuff there for everybody to find something they like.

I'll see y'all later today! have a great start to nthe work week and Happy Valentine's Day!

Adios,
Toby

Best Of Texas Tidbits: The Father of Texas

This story was originally posted on November 4, 2010. I thought this would be a good time to rerun this post on Stephen F. Austin since we have been studying the History of Texas leading up to the Texas Revolution.  If you've already read it, it might be worth a re-read to freshen up your memory and make a connection between the man Sam Houston himself called "The Father of Texas", and his role in the Texas Revolution.

 Four and a half months ago when I first started this blog, I wrote a Plus One post about Virginia. I saluted Virginia for some of the great Americans that were born there who went on to do great things for our country. On that day, I left out a man who was a native son of Virginia, and today I could slap a knot on my own head so tall I'd have to tiptoe to scratch it. The man's name? Stephen Fuller Austin. The Father of Texas. I am a dumbass.

I was going to post this yesterday because it was the anniversary of SFA's birth. But the Republican Tsunami was a pretty big deal so I wrote about that instead.

Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia on November 3, 1793. By age twenty one, Austin was a lawyer and a member of the First Circuit Court. During this time, Austin's father, Moses, received an empresarial grant that allowed him to take 300 Americans into Texas. Moses then was traveling back to Missouri when he was attacked and soon contracted pneumonia and died in June, 1821. Upon his death, Moses Austin left his empresarial grant to Stephen. I was a bit surprised to learn that Stephen was, at first, reluctant to carry out his father's dream of colonizing Texas. However, a letter from Ma Austin changed Stephen's mind about it. And thus began the journey of the man who would be the Father of Texas.

The Father of Texas

During his attempt to bring Americans to Texas, Austin wore a path out to Mexico while dealing with the new Mexican government (Mexico had just won its independence from Spain). The rules regarding his land grant seemed to change by the minute. Undeterred, Austin finally got that mess settled and in late 1825, he brought  300 Americans to Texas. This was the first step in Stephen F. Austin being recognized as The Father of Texas. There's some detailed information on the trials and tribulations Austin had to overcome to colonize Texas with American settlers here.

In 1836, when Texas had won its independence from Mexico, Austin threw his name into the hat to be a candidate for the Presidency of the new Republic of Texas. He was the odds on favorite to win the election, but someone else had eyes on that prize. His name was Sam Houston. After his victory at San Jacinto establishing Texas' new status as a sovereign country, Houston won the election in a landslide. Upon taking on his role as President of Texas, Houston named Austin as his Secretary of State, a post he held for only two months. Stephen F. Austin contracted what he thought was a bad cold, but it was actually pneumonia. He died on December 27, 1836. Austin's last words were, "The Independence of Texas is recognized! Don't you see it in the papers!". After learning of Austin's death, President Sam Houston issued this statement, "The Father of Texas is no more. The first pioneer of the wilderness has departed." Austin is gone, Mr. President, but he will for eternity be known as The Father of Texas and his name will be revered by Texans forevermore.

**Image from sonofthesouth.net

Abraham Lincoln - A Man for the Ages

The 16th President of the United States

I couldn't let today pass by without mentioning one of the greatest Americans to ever live. He was born on this date in 1809. This boy would grow up to be the 16th President of the United States. He would also be known for a speech which to this very day is one of the greatest in the history of not only America, but the entire world. In just over two minutes time, this President rallied a broken nation to the cause of victory in the deadliest war in US history. The man? Abraham Lincoln. The speech? The Gettyburg Address. The words "Four score and seven years ago..." will live in the hearts of all men who yearn for one of the most basic human instincts - to be free to live his life as he chooses in accordance with the laws of a civilized nation.

There's not much, if anything, that I could add to Abe Lincoln's life story, so I'll leave that to people way more qualified than I am. What I do about this man is that he was the right man for the times when he became President of the United States. It was Divine Providence that he lead the country through the most perilous years of its young existence. Honest Abe stood by the principles of the Founding Fathers when they wrote that, 'All men are created equal...". Lincoln issued an Executive Order freeing all slaves in the United States under the war powers granted him. It became known as The Emancipation Proclomation, a landmark document for all citizens of the United States. That's about all I wanted to say about ole Abe, but you can click on the links above if you'd like to delve a little deeper into the facts about him.

I remember as a young child in school that we used to celebrate Lincoln's Birthday every year. But, for whatever reason, it and George Washington's Birthday were consolidated into a day honoring all Presidents of the USA. i think that's a stupid idea, but that's a story for another day. Many of us know that today is the day Abe Lincoln was born. and for now, that's all that matters.

God bless Abraham Lincoln and may God continue to bless this great country of ours.

Texas Tidbits: The Texas Revolution - The Week in Review

A Challenge to a Tyrant

Over the last week we have learned more about Texas History than at any time in our lives since 7th Grade Texas History class (God bless Maedell Kenas). Well, we've at least had our memories jogged concerning the events in Texas from October, 1835, the "Come and Take It" Battle of Gonzales to, at this point, March, 1836, when Texas has officially declared her Independence and the fall of the Alamo have taken place. Today I want to link again to the posts from earlier in the week, so maybe you can actually sit down and read them without the constraints of time. For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to read these posts, there is some outstanding information in them, including some eyewitness accounts of what was happening at the time Texas was desperately seeking its Independence from Mexico.

                  Texas History, October, 1835 to March,1836 

• The First Shot of the Texas Revolution - The citizens of Gonzales had a big cannon. The Mexican Army wanted it. The people of Gonzales made a flag with a very clear message - "Come and Take It." The Mexicans did not get the cannon.
• Closing in on Independence - This post covers February, 1836. The siege of the Alamo was underway and Texans were bracing for a full blown revolution.
• The Texas Revolution, March, 1836 - Texans declare their Independence from Mexico, the Alamo falls yet the people of Texas are mere weeks away from Freedom and Liberty.

• A Letter of Defiance and Anger - Benjamin Briggs Goodrich wrote a letter to his family in Tennessee to report the death of his brother at the Alamo. He also updates them on the ever-changing events of the Texas Revolution. It's amazing to read it just like you reading your morning newspaper.

Reading the posts and clicking on the links in each one could take a little while, so you might want to plan to look them when you have some time to do so. I really do highly recommend that you do exactly that. There is some fascinating history in there and it's just a couple of clicks away. I hope you enjoy it!

God bless you and may God continue to bless that Beautiful Lady we call Texas,

Texas Tidbits: A Letter of Defiance and Anger

Monument to Liberty

You'll recall that yesterday we looked at a time line for the Texas Revolution for the month of March, 1836. During the first week of the month, the Alamo had fallen and Texas had declared its Independence from Mexico. News of both these events were spreading like wildfire through Texas and the United States. Many Americans were getting the news of these events by way of letters from family members in Texas. I found one such letter that is both sad in its announcement that the writer's brother had died at the Alamo and defiant in the fact that the Texas Army would avenge the deaths of of its fellow Texans at the hands of that tyrant General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana.

I am going to reprint the letter in its entirety. It comes to us from thealamo.org.

Benjamin Briggs Goodrich

Little attention has been given to how the news of the Alamo's fall was spread from Texas to the United States. The close family ties and community relationships bound the Texans to their former homes. In this letter, Benjamin Briggs Goodrich, who was a member of the Convention meeting as Washinting-on-the-Brazo, informed his family of death of John C. Goodrich--his brother--on March 6, 1836.¹
                                                    Washington Texas, 15^th March, 1836
Dear Edmund,
    Texas is in mourning, and it becomes my painful duty to inform my relations in Tennessee of the massacre of my poor brother John. He was murdered in the Texas fortress of San Antonio de Bexar (known as the Alamo) on the night of the 6^th of this month, together with one hundred and eighty of our brave countrymen, gallantly defending that place against an invading army of Mexicans, eight thousand strong; not one escaped to tell the dreadful tale. The Alamo had been surrounded for many days by a besieging army of the Mexicans, variously estimated at from 3 to 8 thousand men,² commanded by Genl. Lopez de Santa Anna in person; the fortress, as before stated, was besieged, and it fell and every man was put to the sword. They effected their purpose by a general charge aided by scaling ladders. Upwards of five hundred of the enemy were killed, and as many more mortally or dangerously wounded. Col. Travis, the commander of the fortress, sooner than fall into the hands of the enemy, stabbed himself to the heart and instantly died.
    Seven of our brave men, being all that were left alive, called for quarter and to see Santa Anna, but were instantly shot by the order of that fiendish tyrant. Col. Bowie was murdered, sick in bed.³ Amoung the number of your acquaintances, murdered in the Alamo, were Col. David Crockett, Micajah Autry, formerly of Haysborough, John Hays, son of Andrew Hays of Nashville, and my unfortunate brother, John C. Goodrich: but they died like men, and posterity will do them justice. Santa Anna is now in Texas with an invading army of eight or ten thousand men strong--determined to carry on a war of extermination. We will meet him and teach the unprincipled scoundrel that freemen can never be conquered by the hirling soldierly of a military despot.⁴
   The struggle is great and our difficulties many--but the army of the patriot is doubly served, when his fireside and his liberties are invaded-- We rush to the combat, and our motto is Revenge, Liberty or Death. Approach poor old mother cautiously with this awful news, for I fear her much worn out constitution will not survive the shock. -Publish this information if you think proper--We ask for help and in the name of everything that is sacred to Liberty and Independence.
    So soon as the Convention (of which I am a member) adjourns, I shall proceed forthwith to the army.-- The blood of a Goodrich has already crimsoned the soil of Texas and another victim shall be added to the list or I see Texas free and Independent.-- Give my love to my dear mother, sisters and brothers, and friends generally--
                                                                Benj. Briggs Goodrich
P.S. News has just reached that the enemy are on the march to this place and we know not at what moment we shall be compelled to move our women and children beyond their reach. Their mode of warfare is strictly savage; they fight under a Red Banner,⁵ and we ask nor expect no quarter in the future,--I will advise you from time to time (if alive) and would highly appreciate hearing from you.-- Direct your letters to Cantonment Jessup, pay postage and I will be sure to get them.
                                                        Sincerely your brother
                                                                    & relative
                                                                    Goodrich
[Addressed:]
Free to the U. States, 1836
B. B. Goodrich
Memb. Convention
Mr. Edmund Goodrich
Nashville
Tennessee

The anger and defiance in this letter are palpable. The eloquence visible and the determination of the people of Texas unmistakable. The defiance, determination and anger of the citizens of Texas would be well served in a few short weeks after the time this letter was written by Mr. Goodrich, with a swift and decisive Victory at San Jacinto. It was men like those who perished at the Alamo and the men who took up their cause at San Jacinto that are proof that Texans are indeed forged of a hotter fire.