[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 21 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S1412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, today, as I have done every year I 
have been in the Senate, I want to especially commemorate the 
anniversary of Texas independence. Many know--many do not know--the 
history of Texas, but I am very proud of the heritage we have. Texas is 
the only State that came into the Nation as a nation. There was a 
treaty that was made between the United States and the Republic of 
Texas for Texas to come into the Union. The freedom the Texans got in 
1836 was hard fought and it was a long time coming. They were a part of 
Mexico. The Mexican Government was becoming more oppressive, and they 
were taxing the people, they were not giving them religious freedom, 
and they finally passed a law that said no one could emigrate from the 
United States into the Texas territory of Mexico.
  So the people rebelled. They had to fight for their independence, and 
one of the most famous battles in the history of our country was the 
Battle of the Alamo.
  I commemorate Texas Independence Day, which is March 2, every year, 
by reading the letter from William Barret Travis, that has become very 
famous, as he was holding down the fort at the Alamo. This was at a 
time when the convention was meeting at Washington-on-the-Brazos to 
make the formal declaration of independence from Mexico for Texas. My 
great, great grandfather was one of the delegates to that convention. 
He represented Nacogdoches, just as Thomas Rusk did.
  Thomas Rusk was the first Senator to hold my seat. He and my great, 
great grandfather, Charles S. Taylor, were very good friends. They were 
partners, and they were certainly patriots in the fight for freedom for 
Texas.
  It is with that background I would like to read the letter from 
William Barret Travis, remembering there were 184 Texas rebels in the 
Alamo at the time. There was a huge army of Santa Ana's out there, and 
this was the second day of the siege of the Alamo, February 24, 1836.

       Fellow citizens and compatriots: I am besieged by a 
     thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Ana. I have 
     sustained a continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours 
     and 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 demands with 
     a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the 
     wall. I shall never surrender or retreat.
       Then, I call on you in the name of liberty, of patriotism 
     and of everything dear to the American character, to come to 
     our aid, with all dispatch. The enemy is receiving 
     reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three to 
     four thousand in four or five days. If this call is 
     neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as 
     possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due 
     to his own honor and that of his country--Victory or Death.
       William Barret Travis, Lt. Col, Commander.

  It turns out there were 3,000 to 6,000 Mexican soldiers. They did 
take the Alamo, which did not have reenforcements. Gen. Sam Houston 
decided it would be a waste of manpower to send reinforcements because 
he thought the cause was lost. Those 184 men were able to hold off the 
Mexican Army for days, and that allowed Gen. Sam Houston to gather his 
forces. The Declaration of Independence was signed on March 2, 1836, 
and because he was able to marshall the forces after the Alamo and take 
a stand at San Jacinto, that is where the war was won and the Republic 
of Texas was formed.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to 
speak for 10 minutes as in morning business
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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