Texas Tidbits: A Texas Hero from Germany

The Texas Revolution drew men from all over the United States in support of the Texians and their fight for freedom. Some of these men were recent immigrants from locations all over the world. One such man was Dr. Gustavus Bunsen of Frankfurt, Germany. Gustavus came from a well to do, educated family and he was no stranger to war. He had participated in wars in Poland and Germany before coming to the United States, so the Texas Revolution seemed like a natural fit to him.

Gustavus settled for a short time in Cincinnati where he joined the Louisville Volunteers in October, 1835 then he was bound for Texas where he was soon to die at the hands of Mexican Troops.An unpleasant task resulted in someone having to tell the soldier's family of his death and then settling the soldier's estate. In the case of Dr. Bunsen, this duty fell to William Longerheim. Below is a copied and pasted PDF describing the battle in which Dr. Bunsen died, the circumstances of his death and more. It's a bit of a read, but it's well worth your time to "be there" on that day in 1836.

Affidavit of William Longenheim concerning the death

Of Dr Gustavus Bunsen

William Longenheim being duly sworn stateth as follows:

I am a native of Germany, citizen of the Republic of Texas

And reside at this city at present.  In the year 1836 while I

was serving as orderly Sergeant in Capt. P. Thomas Pear-

         st
-sons 1   Artillery Company of the Texian Volunteer-

Army, Gustavus Bunsen M.D. a native of the Free City of

Frankfurt o/m in Germany joined the said Company, while

encamped near the town of Goliad or La Bahia in Texas.

Towards the end of the month of February 1836 this company

was together with the Company of Capt. Llewellyn under-

-command of Colonels Johnson and Charles Grant employed

in bringing horses for the use of the Texian Army from the

State of Tamaulipas into Texas.         Shortly after this party

arrived on the north bank of the river Nueces I was detached

by order of Cols. Johnson and Grant to take in charge the horses

we had collected and guard them at the farm of Don Manuel

a mexican proprietor about two miles south of the town of

the irish settlement at San Patricio in Texas.         Amongst the

12 men I had to select to guard the horses was my friend the

                                                        th
above named Dr Gustavus Bunsen.             On the 27   of February

the party under my charge was surprised and attacked by the

advanced guard of the right division of the mexican army

then about invading Texas under command of General Urrea.

In the first moment of the attack Dr G. Bunsen, then very

close to me, was wounded b y bullets in the head and in the

breast as I clearly perceived and fell down apparently dead.

Myself and three of my comrades were taken prisoners, the

rest of them were killed on the spot or severely wounded.









After some days the eldest son of the owner of the farm, having

obtained admission to the prison, where we were kept, related

to me the fate of my wounded comrades.           Dr Bunsen, with

whom he became acquanted during our encampment at his

                                                              fathers

[Begin page two]

fathers farm, he said, died of his wounds the same he was

wounded at his fathers house and was burried at the burrial

place of his family in the garden adjoining the house.          In

the early part of the month of May, while I was kept as

prisoner the war in the prison of Matamoros I met the owner

of the farm, who confirmed the statement of this son in every

particular as well in respect of the wounds as the death and

burial of the said Dr Gustavus Bunsen.  About the same time

John Spiess a native of Aargan in Switzerland, who had be-

longed to the party under my charge and being shot through

the hip in the conflict was not kept with the rest of the

prisoners having gained admittance to the prison at Matamo-

ros stated to me in presence of my companions, that the

said Dr Bunsen after being wounded very severely in the

attack, died the same afternoon in the same room where he,

the said john spiess, lay wounded nd that his body was

buried the following day.

         I know the above designated owner of the farm and his son

as an upright, religious and well behaved men and the said

John Spiess, who had been in company with Dr Bunsen since

he left the town of Louisville in the state of Kentucky, as an

honest, well meaning and veracious man.           I therefore have








no doubt that the statement as above related is true and

that Dr Gustavus Bunsen is actually dead.

Phineas Jencks Mahan and George Copeland natives of

Philadelphia and now residing near the city of Houston

in Texas were taken prisoners in the above narration engage-

-ment and will, I have no doubt, confirm the facts of this

statement.

                             William Longenheim

Sworn and subscribed ∫

before me one of the         ∫

Aldermen of the City  ∫

of Philadelphia             ∫

Jany 5. 1841                ∫

          O. Christian      ∫

This PDF was copied and pasted from the Handbook of Texas Online

God bless men like Dr. Gustavus Bunsen and may God continue to bless Texas.

Texas Tidbits: The Story of Joe the Slave at the Alamo

Earliest Known Image of the Alamo

While many of us are familiar with the names of the men who died at the Battle of the Alamo, very few of us are familiar with the names of those who survived the attack. yes, there some who made it out alive. One such survivor was a freed slave of William B. Travis, commander of the Alamo. The only name we can find for the slave is Joe. This man was an eyewitness to the happenings of one of the most famous military engagements in history, and he lived to tell about it.

Here's an excerpt from The Handbook of Texas Online : "Joe claimed that when Gen. Antonio López deSanta Anna^qv's troops stormed the Alamo on March 6, 1836, he armed himself and followed Travis from his quarters into the battle, fired his gun, then retreated into a building from which he fired several more times. After the battle, Mexican troops searched the buildings within the Alamo and called for any blacks to reveal themselves. Joe did so and was struck by a pistol shot and bayonet thrust before a Mexican captain intervened. Sam, James Bowie's slave, was also reported to have survived the battle, but no further record of him is known to exist. Joe was taken into Bexar, where he was detained. He observed a grand review of the Mexican army before being interrogated by Santa Anna about Texas and its army. Accounts of his departure from the Alamo differ, but he later joined Susanna W. Dickinson and her escort, Ben, Santa Anna's black cook, on their way to Gen. Sam Houston's camp at Gonzales."


Joe was also the only living witness to the famous story about Colonel Travis drawing a line in the sand of the coutryard of the Alamo. The story goes that Travis drew a line in he sand and told his men that bthey could stay and almost certainly perish defending the Alamo or leave without losing their honor. Every last soldier corssed that line and sacrificed his life for the cause of Idependence for Texas. Except for one. He crossed the line to fight along side the orher men, but soo sneaked out if the Alamo before the fight began. He was a French guy. Go figger. Joe the slave told that story to a gathering of the Cabinet of thr new Republic of Texas and was commended for honesty and integrtiy.

Another excerpt from The Handbook of Texas Online gives this account of what later became of Joe: "he remained until April 21, the first anniversary of the battle of San Jacinto. On that day, accompanied by an unidentified Mexican man and taking two fully equipped horses with him, he escaped. A notice offering fifty dollars for his return was published by the executor of Travis's estate in the Telegraph and Texas Register
on May 26, 1837. Presumably Joe's escape was successful, for the notice ran three months before it was discontinued on August 26, 1837. Joe was last reported in Austin in 1875"

I look back at this story and think what a shame it was that Joe did not the opportunity to tell his story to the people of Texas in a book. He was, after all, there when the Alamo fell, and his recollections of that March day in 1836 would have added to the Historical Record, so that future generations would forever more be able to read a first hand account of those thirteen days that stand as one of the greatest stories ever told. Alas, it was not to be.

God bless Joe and may God continue to bless Texas.

Issy Gets Her Own Blog!!!

A REALLY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

I am adding yet another blog to the TexNetMaine Blogging Network! Read on for all the details!

Following in Daddy's Footsteps

I was taliking to my eight year old daughter this morning as she was geting ready for school and I came up with a brilliant idea. A little info first: Isabella (my 8 year old) is a very smart little girl. She is a leader when it comes to her class at school. She works and studies diligently and is always bringing  home some sort of Classroom Award for the school work she does. Her mother and I are very proud of her. Issy also a very creative child. She's constantly drawing or writing a story, usually about her family.  :) It's her creativity that that I think will serve her well a she grows up and in fact one day it's that creative streak in her that could make her very successful in whatever she chooses to do in life.

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Issy is going to have her own blog! I am going ro put it together for her over the next day or two and then Issy is on her own to write about whatever she wants to. I think it will a great tool in developing her writing skills as well as honing the tremendous gift of her creative abilities. Also, I think it will be a great way for adults to see what an eight year old mind observes in the world around her, and maybe those parents who read Issy's blog will talk to their own children about the subject of  that particular day. It's a win-win situation for everybody. The subject matter of Issy's blog will vary from day to day, thus offering a variety of things for kids to read and maybe even learn from.

IMPORTANT STUFF FOR PARENT TO READ: I am going to supervise every key stroke that Issy is posting to her blog. I understand the potential dangers a child could face on the internet, so I'll be like a duck on a June Bug when it comes to making sure that Issy is safe from these potential dangers. Therefore, by extension, your child will be safe in reading the stories Issy posts. My child and yours are the number 1 concern when it comes to internet safety. Rest assured that what is posted on Issy's blog will be scrtinized personally by me. Issy won't even have the password to her blog, so there's one safety measure in place right there. I'll also set the blog to be family friendly with certain filters that will block any material unsuitable for children. The bottom line is that I am asking for your trust in me that your child will be 100% safe when reading Issy's blog.

I guess that's bout it. Be looking for a big announcement when Issy's blog goes live! now it's off to Blog Design Land!

Adios,
Toby
 
***cross posted at TexNetMaine & Because Toby Said So***

Texas Tidbits : Brother vs Brother in the Texas Revolution

One of the things about the Texas Revolution that I hadn't considered was the possibility that brothers could face brother in combat. In other words, Brother A would be on the Texas side of the conflict and his own flesh and blood, Brother B, could be on the Mexican side of the war, much like the Civil War. Such a scenario played out in the Texas Revolution between Franciso Esparza in the Mexican Army and his brother, Gregorio, was a defender of the Alamo. Talk about your basic dilemma. Fortunately, francisco was not involved in the Mexican assault on the Alamo, yet his brother Gregorio was killed in the battle. Francisco obtained permission from his commander, General Cos (of whom will hear more later) , to retrieve the body of his dead brorther and give it a proper burial.

The document chronicles this event:

THE STATE OF TEXAS. ∫  Before me Saml. S. Smith, Clerk of the County
∫  Court of Bexar County personally appeared Fran-
COUNTY OF BEXAR ∫  cisco Esparza a Citizen of Bexar County to me
personally known, who being by me first duly sworn upon his oath saith that the late
Gregorio Esparza was his Brother; that said Gregorio Esparza about the middle of
October 1835.  entered the Texas service as a volunteer, and as such volunteer Soldier
he entered Bexar between the mornings of the 5th
 and 10th
 of December 1835.  with the
American forces; he remained in Bexar until the approach of Genl. Santa Anna when
he entered the Alamo, when he was killed with Cols. Travis, Crockett, Bowie and
the other Americans.  After the fall of the Alamo I applied and obtained permission
from Genl. Cos to take the body of my Brother (Gregorio Esparza) and bury it.  I
proceeded to the Alamo and found the dead body of my Brother in one of the Rooms
of the Alamo, he had received a ball in his breast, and a stab from a sword in his
side, I took his body in company with two of my brothers, took his body, and we
proceeded and interred it the burrying ground (Campo Santo) on the West side of the
San Pedro Creek, where it still lies.  My Brother at the takin of Bexar was under
the command of Col. Juan N. Seguin and Capt. Don Manuel Flores and a member of
their company.  I was not in service at the time of the Storming of Bexar, the company
to which I belonged the Local Presidial Company of Bexar, and the soldiers of the
company of the Alamo were under the Capitulation of Genl. Cos, allowed to remain
in Bexar with their families, I remained with my family, as I was born here, and
had always lived here;  When Santa Anna arrived here in Feb. 1836.  He gave orders
that all those who were the local Soldiers at the Capitulation of Genl. Cos, should
hold ourselves themselves in readiness to join the Army for active service, but he
never called us away from our homes.  I remained here, when Santa Anna’s Army
went into the interior of Texas, and I am now fifty-four years of age and have always
lived here ever since, and done and performed all the duties of a good Citizen, as
all my neighbors can testify.  I mention these facts to show the reason why permis-
sion was given me to bury the body of my Brother.  The legal heirs of my said De-
ceased Brother, Gregorio Esparza, are as follows “To Wit:”  Enriquez Esparza;
Manuel Esparza; and Francisco Esparza his sons, who are living now in AttascosoCounty together at their Ranche.
Sworn to and ∫ his
subscribed, (he ∫ Francisco         X        Esparza
making his mark for ∫           mark
signature declaring his ∫
inability to write) this ∫
26th
 day of August 1859.  And I do hereby certify that the said Francisco Esparza is
personally known to me to be the identical person he represents himself to be, and
that he is a man of credibility, and a Citizen of Texas, and a resident of Bexar County.
And that after having read over the above depositions to the said deponent and no one
being present but him and myself and he being again duly sworn by me, he upon his
oath said that his depositions, as written out above, are true and correct, and he
signed the same in my presence, making his mark, declaring his inability to write.
In testimony where of I have hereunto signed
My name and affixed the seal of the County
Court of said county, at Office, in San Antonio
S E A L this 26th
 day of August 1859.
/s/ Sam S. Smith
Clk CCB Co

It's hard for me to imagine taking up arms against my younger brother, and be faced with the possibilty of having to kill him or be killed by him. (BTW, I do have a younger brother who just turned 21 in December)
Such a decision would only take a milli-second to make, but the lifetime of the horror of making such a decision would haunt me forever. Thank God, I'll never have tro make that choice, but my hesrt goes to those in the Texas Revolution who had no choice. It was war and war is hell. God rest the souls who were confronted with such a dilemma. God bless Texas!

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