[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 30 (Thursday, March 4, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E313-E314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE FALL OF THE ALAMO

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 4, 2010

  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, throughout U.S. history, individuals 
selflessly and courageously have taken a stand for freedom and liberty, 
many times against great odds.
  March 6, 1836 was one of those times. This date is what most 
Americans know as the day the Alamo fell against Mexico General Antonio 
Lopez de Santa Anna and his Mexican troops. The siege against the 
Texian Army lasted 13 days. The battle began on February 23rd when 
Santa Anna and his army arrived at the Alamo and caught the Texian Army 
by surprise. On the second day of the siege, Texian Alamo Commander 
William Barret Travis called for reinforcements, bravely stating: ``I 
shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of 
Liberty, of patriotism, and everything dear to the American character, 
to come to our aid with all dispatch . . . Victory or Death.''
  On the eighth day of the 13-day siege, 32 additional men from 
Gonzales arrived ready to fight for Texas. Legend has it that Commander 
William B. Travis drew a line on the ground asking the few men present 
to step over if they were willing to stay and fight, to defend the 
Alamo for the sake of Texas. All present stepped over, except one.
  There were 189 defenders, including famous knife fighter Jim Bowie 
and former Tennessee congressman Davy Crockett. All of the defenders 
were volunteers and originated from all over the globe. Eleven of the 
defenders were born in Texas, 131 of the defenders were born in some 23 
various states in America, 29 of the defenders were born abroad, mostly 
in Europe, one defender was a freed slave, and there are 17 defenders 
of which their birthplace has not been identified.
  All of the Alamo defenders stood their ground against the 
overwhelming odds. Some estimate that Santa Anna's army consisted of 
6,000 troops. At the end of the day on March 6, 1836, after the smoke 
cleared, all 189 defenders gave their lives for Texas. The enemy 
casualties were enormous. As Travis said, ``Victory will cost the enemy 
more than defeat.''
  This historic battle resulted in General Sam Houston having enough 
time to gather a strong army of men to avenge Santa Anna at the Battle 
of San Jacinto 46 days later. On April 21st Sam Houston led an army of 
800 volunteers and angry Texans to defeat Santa Anna and his 1,500 
strong Mexican army, most of whom were the same invaders that were at 
the Alamo. This victory played an important role in the Texas 
Revolution.
  Texas was an independent nation for 9 years following the Battles of 
the Alamo and San Jacinto. The freedom the Texians enjoyed during those 
years would not have occurred without the thousands of selfless 
volunteers who risked and gave their lives to protect the liberties 
they believed every person should retain.
  Today the Alamo remains a great treasure to the story of Texas and 
represents the steadfast, unrelenting character of the American spirit. 
The fight for freedom that these heroic Alamo defenders displayed is a 
testament of living boldly and courageously for the cause of liberty. 
We honor and thank these volunteers for their role in defending and 
fighting for Liberty and for Texas.
  And that's just the way it is.


                            Alamo Defenders

  1. Abamillo, Juan, TX, 2. Allen, Robert, VA, 3. Andross, Miles 
DeForrest, VT, 4. Autry, Micajah, NC, 5. Badillo, Juan A., TX, 6. 
Bailey, Peter James III, KY, 7. Baker, Isaac G., AR, 8. Baker, William 
Charles M., MO, 9. Ballentine, John J., PA, 10. Ballantine, Richard W., 
Scotland, 11. Baugh, John J., VA, 12. Bayliss, Joseph, TN, 13. Blair, 
John, TN, 14. Blair, Samuel, TN, 15. Blazeby, William, England, 16. 
Bonham, James Butler, SC, 17. Bourne, Daniel, England, 18. Bowie, 
James, KY, 19. Bowman, Jesse B., TN, 20. Brown, George, England, 21. 
Brown, James, PA, 22. Brown, Robert, unknown, 23. Buchanan, James, 
AL, 24. Burns, Samuel E., Ireland, and 25. Butler, George, D., MO.

  26. Cain, John, PA, 27. Campbell, Robert, TN, 28. Carey, William R., 
VA, 29. Clark, Charles Henry, MO, 30. Clark, M.B., MS, 31. Cloud, 
Daniel William, KY, 32. Cochran, Robert E., NH, 33. Cottle, George 
Washington, MO, 34. Courtman, Henry, Germany, 35. Crawford, Lemuel, SC, 
36. Crockett, David, TN, 37. Crossman, Robert, PA, 38. Cummings, David 
P., PA, 39. Cunningham, Robert, NY, 40. Darst, Jacob C., KY, 41. Davis, 
John, KY, 42. Day, Freeman H.K., unknown, 43. Day, Jerry C., MO, 44. 
Daymon, Squire, TN, 45. Dearduff, William, TN, 46. Dennison, Stephen, 
England or Ireland, 47. Despallier, Charles, LA, 48. Dewall, Lewis, NY, 
49. Dickinson, Almeron, TN, and 50. Dillard, John Henry, TN.
  51. Dimpkins, James R., England, 52. Duvalt, Andrew, Ireland, 53. 
Espalier, Carlos, TX, 54. Esparza, Gregorio, TX, 55. Evans, Robert, 
Ireland, 56. Evans, Samuel B., NY, 57. Ewing, James L., TN, 58. 
Faunterloy, William Keener, KY, 59. Fishbaugh, William, unknown, 60. 
Flanders, John, MA, 61. Floyd, Dolphin Ward, NC, 62. Forsyth, John 
Hubbard, NY, 63. Fuentes, Antonio, TX, 64. Fuqua, Galba, AL, 65. 
Garnett, William, VA, 66. Garrand, James W., LA, 67. Garrett, James 
Girard, TN, 68. Garvin, John E., unknown, 69. Gaston, John E., KY, 70. 
George, James, unknown, 71. Goodrich, John C., VA, 72. Grimes, Albert 
Calvin, GA, 73. Guerrero, Jose Maria, TX, 74. Gwynne, James C., 
England, and 75. Hannum, James, PA.
  76. Harris, John, KY, 77. Harrison, Andrew Jackson, TN, 78. Harrison, 
William B, OH, 79.

[[Page E314]]

Hawkins, Joseph M., Ireland, 80. Hays, John M., TN, 81. Heiskell, 
Charles M., TN, 82. Herndon, Patrick Henry, VA, 83. Hersee, William 
Daniel, England, 84. Holland, Tapley, OH, 85. Holloway, Samuel, PA, 86. 
Howell, William D., MA, 87. Jackson, Thomas, Ireland, 88. Jackson, 
William Daniel, KY, 89. Jameson, Green B., KY, 90. Jennings, Gordon C., 
CT, 91. Jimenes (Ximenes), Damacio, TX, 92. Johnson, Lewis, Wales, 93. 
Johnson, William, PA, 94. Jones, John, NY, 95. Kellog, John Benjamin, 
KY, 96. Kenney, James, VA, 97. Kent, Andrew, KY, 98. Kerr, Joseph, LA, 
99. Kimbell, George C., PA, and 100. King, William Philip, TX.

  101. Lewis, William Irvine, VA, 102. Lightfoot, William J., VA, 103. 
Lindley, Jonathan L., IL, 104. Linn, William, MA, 105. Losoya, Toribio, 
TX, 106. Main, George Washington, VA, 107. Malone, William T., GA, 108. 
Marshall, William, TN, 109. Martin, Albert, RI, 110. McCafferty, 
Edward, unknown 111. McCoy, Jesse, TN, 112. McDowell, William, PA, 113. 
McGee, James, Ireland, 114. McGregor, John, Scotland, 115. McKinney, 
Robert, TN, 116. Melton, Eliel, GA, 117. Miller, Thomas R., TN, 118. 
Mills, William, TN, 119. Millsaps, Isaac, MS, 120. Mitchell, Edwin T., 
unknown, 121. Mitchell, Napoleon B., unknown, 122. Mitchusson, Edward 
F., VA, 123. Moore, Robert B., VA, 124. Moore, Willis A., MS, and 125. 
Musselman, Robert, OH.
  126. Nava, Andres, TX, 127. Neggan, George, SC, 128. Nelson, Andrew 
M., TN, 129. Nelson, Edward, SC, 130. Nelson, George, SC, 131. 
Northcross, James, VA, 132. Nowlan, James, England, 133. Pagan, George, 
MS, 134. Parker, Christopher Adam, unknown, 135. Parks, William, NC, 
136. Perry, Richardson, TX, 137. Pollard, Amos, MA, 138. Reynolds, John 
Purdy, PA, 139. Roberts, Thomas H., unknown, 140. Robertson, James 
Waters, TN, 141. Robinson, Isaac, Scotland, 142. Rose, James M., OH, 
143. Rusk, Jackson J., Ireland, 144. Rutherford, Joseph, KY, 145. Ryan, 
Isaac, LA, 146. Scurlock, Mial, NC, 147. Sewell, Marcus L., England, 
148. Shied, Manson, GA, 149. Simmons, Cleveland Kinlock, SC, and 150. 
Smith, Andrew H., TN.

  151. Smith, Charles S., MD, 152. Smith, Joshua G., NC, 153. Smith, 
William H., unknown, 154. Starr, Richard, England, 155. Stewart, James 
E., England, 156. Stockton, Richard L., NJ, 157. Summerlin, A. Spain, 
TN, 158. Summers, William E., TN, 159. Sutherland, William DePriest, 
unknown, 160. Taylor, Edward, TN, 161. Taylor, George, TN, 162. Taylor, 
James, TN, 163. Taylor, William, TN, 164. Thomas, B. Archer M., KY, 
165. Thomas, Henry, Germany, 166. Thompson, Jesse G., AR, 167. Thomson, 
John W., NC, 168. Thruston, John, M., PA, 169. Trammel, Burke, Ireland, 
170. Travis, William Barret, SC, 171. Tumlinson, George W., MO, 172. 
Tylee, James, NY, 173. Walker, Asa, TN, 174. Walker, Jacob, TN, and 
175. Ward, William B., Ireland.
  176. Warnell, Henry, unknown, 177. Washington, Joseph G., KY, 178. 
Waters, Thomas, England, 179. Wells, William, GA, 180. White, Isaac, 
unknown, 181. White, Robert, unknown, 182. Williamson, Hiram James, PA, 
183. Wills, William, unknown, 184. Wilson, David L., Scotland, 185. 
Wilson, John, PA, 186. Wolf, Anthony, unknown, 187. Wright, Claiborne, 
NC, 188. Zanco, Charles, Denmark, 189. John, a Black Freedman.

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