[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 24, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H1108-H1111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 2015
REMEMBERING THE ALAMO
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Grothman). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 6, 2015, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it was in the cold, dark, damp, moldy
walls of a beat-up old Spanish mission that was already 100 years old
at the time. He was a 27-year-old lawyer from South Carolina and also
from Alabama. He was the commander of 187 volunteers from 13 countries
and most of the States in then the United States. His men were
surrounded by several thousand of the enemy. It was the Alamo. It had
been turned into a makeshift fort, and the commander was William Barret
Travis.
Mr. Speaker, he wrote the following letter 179 years ago this very
night, February 24, 1836. It is entitled Commander of the Alamo,
February 24, 1836:
To all the people of Texas and all Americans in the world,
fellow citizens and compatriots:
I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under
Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual bombardment and
cannon fire for over 24 hours, but I have not lost a man. The
enemy has demanded surrender at its discretion; otherwise,
the fort will be put to the sword. I have answered that
demand with a cannon shot, and the flag still waves proudly
over the north wall. I shall never surrender or retreat.
I call upon you in the name of liberty and patriotism and
everything dear to our character to come to my aid with all
dispatch. The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and
will no doubt increase to 3 or 4,000 in 4 or 5 days.
If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain
myself for as long as possible and die like a soldier that
never forgets his honor and that of his country. Victory or
death.
Signed, William Barret Travis, Commander of the Alamo.
[[Page H1109]]
Besides Travis, there were other famous people: Davy Crockett, Jim
Bowie, Jim Bonham, and many others. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that
all of these people were volunteers. They came from most States, 13
foreign countries. They were black, they were brown, and they were
white.
Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the names of the 187 volunteers
who were at the Alamo and died on March 6, 1836.
?, John, Unknown, A Black Freedman, Unknown; Abamillo,
Juan, Unknown, Garrison Member, Texas; Allen, James L., 21,
Garrison Member, Kentucky; Andross, Miles DeForest, 27,
Garrison Member, Vermont; Autry, Micajah, 43, Garrison
Member, North Carolina; Badillo, Juan Antonio, Unknown,
Garrison Member, Texas; Bailey, Peter James, 24, Garrison
Member, Kentucky; Baker, Isaac G., 32, Garrison Member,
Arkansas; Baker, William, Unknown, Garrison Member, Missouri;
Ballentine, John J., Unknown, Garrison Member, Pennsylvania;
Ballentine, Richard W., 22, Garrison Member, Scotland; Baugh,
John J., 33, Captain, Virginia; Bayliss, Joseph, 28, Garrison
Member, Tennessee; Blair, John, 33, Garrison Member,
Tennessee; Blair, Samuel, 29, Captain, Tennessee; Blazeby,
William, 41, Captain, England; Bonham, James, 29, Second
Lieutenant, South Carolina; Bourne, Daniel, 26, Garrison
Member, England; Bowie, James, 40, Colonel, Kentucky; Bowman,
Jesse, 51, Garrison Member, Tennessee.
Brown, George, 35, Garrison Member, England; Brown, James
Murry, 36, Garrison Member, Pennsylvania; Brown, Robert, 18,
Garrison Member, Unknown; Buchanan, James, 23, Garrison
Member, Unknown; Burns, Samuel E., 26, Garrison Member,
Ireland; Butler, George D., 23, Garrison Member, Missouri;
Cain, John, 34, Garrison Member, Pennsylvania; Campbell,
Robert, 26, Lieutenant, Tennessee; Carey, William R., 30,
Captain, Virginia; Clark, Charles Henry, Unknown, Garrison
Member, Missouri; Clark, M. B., Unknown, Garrison Member,
Mississippi; Cloud, Daniel William, 22, Garrison Member,
Kentucky; Cochran, Robert E., 26, Garrison Member, New
Hampshire; Cottle, George Washington, 25, Garrison Member,
Tennessee; Courtman, Henry, 28, Garrison Member, Germany;
Crawford, Lemuel, 22, Garrison Member, South Carolina;
Crockett, David (Davy), 50, Colonel, Tennessee; Crossman,
Robert, 26, Garrison Member, Pennsylvania; Cummings, David
P., 27, Garrison Member, Pennsylvania; Cunningham, Robert W.,
32, Private, New York.
Darst, Jacob C., 43, Garrison Member, Kentucky; Davis,
John, 25, Garrison Member, Kentucky; Day, Freeman, 30,
Garrison Member, Unknown; Day, Jerry C., 18, Garrison Member,
Missouri; Daymon, Squire, 28, Garrison Member, Tennessee;
Dearduff, William, Unknown, Garrison Member, Tennessee;
Dennison, Stephen, 24, Garrison Member, England or Ireland;
Despallier, Charles, 24, Garrison Member, Louisiana; Dewall,
Lewis, 24, Garrison Member, New York; Dickinson, Almaron, 36
Captain, Pennsylvania; Dillar, John Henry, 31, Garrison
Member, Tennessee; Dimpkins, James R., Unknown, Sergeant,
England; Duvalt, Andrew, 32, Garrison Member, Ireland;
Espalier, Carlos, 17, Garrison Member, Texas; Esparza,
Gregorio, 34, Garrison Member, Texas; Evans, Robert, 36,
Garrison Member, Ireland; Evans, Samuel B., 24, Garrison
Member, New York; Ewing, James L., 24, Garrison Member,
Tennessee; Fauntleroy, William H., 22, Garrison Member,
Kentucky; Fishbaugh, William, Unknown, Garrison Member,
Unknown.
Flanders, John, 36, Garrison Member, Massachusetts; Floyd,
Dolphine Ward, 32, Garrison Member, North Carolina; Forsyth,
John Hubbard, 38, Captain, New York; Fuentes, Antonio, 23,
Garrison Member, Texas; Fuqua, Galba, 16, Garrison Member,
Alabama; Garnett, William, 24, Garrison Member,
Virginia; Garrand, James W., 23, Garrison Member,
Louisiana; Garrett, James Girard, 30, Garrison Member,
Tennessee; Garvin, John E., 27, Garrison Member, Unknown;
Gaston, John E., 17, Garrison Member, Kentucky; George,
James, 34, Garrison Member, Unknown; Goodrich, John C.,
27, Garrison Member, Virginia; Grimes, Albert Calvin, 19,
Orderly Sergeant, Georgia; Guerrero, Jose Maria, Unknown,
Garrison Member, Texas; Gwynne, James C., 32, Garrison
Member, England; Hannum, James, 21, Garrison Member,
Pennsylvania; Harris, John, 23, Garrison Member, Kentucky;
Harrison, Andrew Jackson, 27, Garrison Member, Tennessee;
Harrison, William B., 25, Commanding Officer, Ohio;
Haskell, Charles M., 23, Garrison Member, Tennessee.
Hawkins, Joseph M., 37, Garrison Member, Ireland; Hays,
John M., 22, Garrison Member, Tennessee; Herndon, Patrick
Henry, 32, Garrison Member, Virginia; Hersee, William Daniel,
31, Sergeant, England; Holland, Tapley, 26, Garrison Member,
Ohio; Holloway, Samuel, 28, Garrison Member, Philadelphia;
Howell, William D., 39, Garrison Member, Massachusetts;
Jackson, Thomas, Unknown, Garrison Member, Ireland; Jackson,
William Daniel, 29, Lieutenant, Ireland; Jameson, Green B.,
27, Lieutenant, Kentucky or Tennessee; Jennings, Gordon C.,
56, Corporal, Connecticut; Jimenez, Damacio, Unknown,
Garrison Member, Unknown; Johnson, Lewis, 23, Private,
Virginia; Johnson, William, Unknown, Garrison Member,
Pennsylvania; Jones, John, 26, Lieutenant, New York; Kellogg,
John Benjamin, 19, Lieutenant, Kentucky; Kenny, James, 22,
Garrison Member, Virginia; Kent, Andrew, Unknown, Garrison
Member, Kentucky; Kerr, Joseph, 22, Garrison Member,
Louisiana; Kimbell, George C., 33, Lieutenant, Pennsylvania.
King, William Philip, 16, Garrison Member, Mississippi;
Lewis, William Irvine, 30, Garrison Member, Virginia;
Lightfoot, William John, 31, Third Corporal, Kentucky;
Lindley, Jonathan, 22, Garrison Member, Illinois; Linn,
William, Unknown, Garrison Member, Massachusetts; Losoya,
Jose Toribio, 27, Private, Texas; Main, George Washington,
29, Second Lieutenant, Virginia; Malone, William T., 18,
Garrison Member, Virginia or Alabama; Marshall, William, 28,
Garrison Member, Tennessee; Martin, Albert, 28, Garrison
Member, Rhode Island; McCafferty, Edward, Unknown,
Lieutenant, Unknown; McCoy, Jesse, 32, Garrison Member,
Tennessee; McDowell, William, 42, Garrison Member,
Pennsylvania; McGee, James, Unknown, Garrison Member,
Ireland; McGregor, John, Unknown, Second Sergeant, Scotland;
McKinney, Robert, 27, Garrison Member, Tennessee; Melton,
Eliel, 38, Lieutenant, Georgia; Miller, Thomas Redd, 31,
Garrison Member, Virginia; Mills, William, 20, Garrison
Member, Tennessee; Millsaps, Isaac, 41, Private, Tennessee.
Mitchasson, Edward F., 30, Private, Virginia; Mitchell,
Edwin T., 30, Private, Unknown; Mitchell, Napoleon B., 32,
Private, Tennessee; Moore, Robert B., 30, Garrison Member,
Virginia; Moore, Willis A., 28, Garrison Member, North
Carolina; Musselman, Robert, 31, Sergeant, Ohio; Nava,
Andres, 26, Sergeant, Texas; Neggan, George, 28, Garrison
Member, South Carolina; Nelson, Andrew M., 27, Garrison
Member, Tennessee; Nelson, Edward, 20, Garrison Member, South
Carolina; Nelson, George, 31, Garrison Member, South
Carolina; Northcross, James, 32, Garrison Member,
Virginia; Nowlan, James, 27, Garrison Member, England or
Ireland; Pagan, George, 26, Garrison Member, Unknown;
Parker, Christopher Adams, 22, Garrison Member, Unknown;
Parks, William, 31, Garrison Member, North Carolina;
Perry, Richardson, 19, Garrison Member, Texas or
Mississippi; Pollard, Amos, 32, Garrison Member,
Massachusetts; Reynolds, John Purdy, 29, Garrison Member,
Pennsylvania; Roberts, Thomas H., Unknown, Garrison
Member, Unknown.
Robertson, James Waters, 24, Garrison Member, Tennessee;
Robinson, Isaac, 28, Fourth Sergeant, Scotland; Rose, James
M., 31, Garrison Member, Ohio; Rusk. Jackson J., Unknown,
Garrison Member, Ireland; Rutherford, Joseph, 38, Garrison
Member, Kentucky; Ryan, Isaac, 31, Garrison Member,
Louisiana; Scurlock, Mial, 26, Garrison Member, North
Carolina; Sewell, Marcus L., 31, Garrison Member, England;
Shied, Manson, 25, Garrison Member, Georgia; Simmons,
Cleveland Kinloch, 20, Lieutenant, South Carolina; Smith,
Andrew H., 21, Garrison Member, Tennessee; Smith, Charles S.,
30, Garrison Member, Maryland; Smith, Joshua G., 28,
Sergeant, North Carolina; Smith, William, 25, Garrison
Member, Unknown; Starr, Richard, 25, Garrison Member,
England; Stewart, James E., 28, Garrison Member, England;
Stockton, Richard Lucius, 19, Garrison Member, New Jersey;
Summerlin, A. Spain, 19, Garrison Member, Tennessee; Summers,
William E., 24, Garrison Member, Tennessee; Sutherland,
William DePriest, 17, Garrison Member, Unknown.
Taylor, Edward, 24, Garrison Member, Tennessee; Taylor,
George, 20, Garrison Member, Tennessee; Taylor, James, 22,
Garrison Member, Tennessee; Taylor, William, 37, Garrison
Member, Tennessee; Thomas, B. Archer M., 18, Garrison Member,
Kentucky; Thomas, Henry, 25, Garrison Member, Germany;
Thompson, Jesse G., 38, Garrison Member, Arkansas; Thomson,
John W., 29, Garrison Member, Virginia; Thurston, John M.,
23, Second Lieutenant, Pennsylvania; Trammel, Burke, 26,
Garrison Member, Ireland; Travis, Wlliam Barret, 26,
Lieutenant Colonel, South Carolina; Tumlinson, George W., 22,
Garrison Member, Missouri; Tylee, James, 41, Garrison Member,
New York; Walker, Asa, 23, Garrison Member, Tennessee;
Walker, Jacob, 36, Garrison Member, Tennessee; Ward, William
B., Unknown, Sergeant, Ireland; Warnell, Henry, 24, Garrison
Member, Unknown; Washington, Joseph G., 28, Garrison Member,
Kentucky; Waters, Thomas, 24, Garrison Member, England;
Wells, William, 47, Garrison Member, Georgia; White, Isaac,
Unknown, Sergeant, Alabama or Kentucky.
White, Robert, 30, Captain, Unknown; Williamson, Hiram
James, 26, Sergeant-Major, Pennsylvania; Wills, William,
Unknown, Garrison Member, Unknown; Wilson, David L., 29,
Garrison Member, Scotland; Wilson, John, 32, Garrison Member,
Pennsylvania; Wolf, Anthony, 54, Garrison Member, Spain;
Wright, Claiborne, 26, Garrison Member, North Carolina;
Zanco, Charles, 28, Garrison Member, Unknown.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this hardy band of frontiersmen and
patriots, shopkeepers, lawyers were a frightful sight to see. They did
not wear uniforms. They wore what they worked in. They entered the
Alamo, and they stood there for 13 days, fought here at this place, and
all died for Texas freedom.
They fought against a dictatorship, a dictator by the name of Santa
Anna. He had abolished the Constitution of Mexico. Texas was a part of
Mexico at the time. He had abolished the Constitution and set up a
dictatorship.
[[Page H1110]]
That is what started the Texas war of independence against Mexico.
You notice that the flag that is flying over the Alamo is the Mexican
flag. The Mexican eagle has been removed, and it has the date 1824 on
it. That is the date that the Republic of Mexico established a
Constitution. The defenders of the Alamo were hoping to reestablish a
democracy in Mexico, which Texas was a part of.
After the Alamo fell, after 13 days and all 187 of the Texans were
killed, other Texans went ahead and rallied for Texas independence from
Mexico. As I said, the defenders of the Alamo were from all races.
Nine, maybe 11 were Tejanos. Tejano is a uniquely Texas name. Those are
individuals of Mexican or Spanish descent that were born in Texas, thus
the name Tejano.
The Alamo was important for a lot of reasons, but, one, it stopped
Santa Anna's invasion of Texas. Texas was one of several states in
Mexico that had rebelled against Santa Anna's dictatorship.
On this other chart here, there are numerous states in Mexico that
were established, but several of those, including Texas, Coahuila y
Tejas, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Yucatan, all of them rebelled about the
same time against Mexico, in 1835, 1836, because Santa Anna established
a dictatorship and abolished the democracy.
None of these other states that rebelled were successful in creating
independence except Texas. Santa Anna used his army and went through
his own country, destroying and defeating any resistance to his
dictatorship, and he had taken all of these states back, so to speak,
when he invaded what is now the State of Texas. So he had well-seasoned
troops when he came into the State of Texas in 1836.
It all started, really, in the year of 1835. In October of 1835, the
Mexican Army had come upon a small town in Gonzales, Texas, and had
demanded that the townspeople turn over to the Mexican Army a small
cannon that they had to defend themselves from Indians in the area. The
locals, the Texans, refused to turn over the cannon.
They, in fact, made a flag. They called it the Come and Take It flag,
that had a white background and then painted in a cannon that said,
``Come and Take It.'' That is the famous Come and Take It flag that was
used, the first flag that was used in the Texas war of independence.
After a skirmish where several shots were fired by both sides--I
don't think anybody was hurt very bad--the Mexican Army left, but most
importantly they left without taking the arms, the cannon from the
Texas people who lived in Gonzales. That was the spark that started the
Texas war of independence and revolution.
There were several other skirmishes, and by February of 1836, Travis
and his band of volunteers had found themselves in the Alamo to thwart
the invasion of the larger army of Santa Anna that was coming from the
south. Their defense of the Alamo for 13 days gave the rest of Texas
time to build another army to eventually fight Santa Anna. That army
was, of course, led by General Sam Houston at the time.
So they were in the Alamo for many reasons, but the primary reason
was to fight for liberty for Texas and Texas independence. When Travis
realized that he wasn't getting any aid except for a small band of
individuals from Gonzales, Texas, that came and volunteered when Travis
sent out that first letter, he penned this letter on March 3, 1836.
Travis addressed his last letter to the Council at Washington-on-the-
Brazos that was not far from the Alamo or San Antonio, Bexar--what it
was called at that time--in hopes that they would understand his
plight.
His battered walls, according to T. R. Fehrenbach, the noted Texas
historian, were still show defenses, still flew the flag. His men were
on duty and in combat that day and every day and night. They were
exhausted. Travis expected no rescue, and he wrote, according to
Fehrenbach, apparently to stir his countrymen into action that the
country might be saved. He was speaking of Texas.
Here is what he said in that last letter:
I shall have to fight the enemy on its own terms. I will do
the best I can. The victory will cost the enemy so dear that
it will be worse for him than defeat. I hope your honorable
body will hasten reinforcements. Our supply of ammunition is
limited. God and Texas. Victory or death.
William Barret Travis.
Then on March 6, 1836, a few days later, they were all killed in the
Alamo, even though they inflicted tremendous losses against the
invasion by Santa Anna. But Travis was right, victory would cost the
enemy more than defeat. It did give Sam Houston and other Texas
volunteers enough time to assemble another army. Not a large army, it
was only 600 individuals.
Santa Anna, still with a larger force, met Sam Houston and his 600
volunteers, which once again included men from several countries,
included men from several States, and had numerous Tejanos involved
fighting from the side of the Republic of Texas, including Juan Seguin,
Captain Seguin and his volunteers, his cavalry that was there.
It is interesting to note that before the battle took place on April
21, 1836, on the plains of San Jacinto--you have never heard of that,
Mr. Speaker, but it is near what is now Houston, Texas, down on the
gulf coast, in the marsh area--Juan Seguin made sure that he had all of
his Tejanos, the cavalry, put playing cards in the hatbands of their
hats so that they wouldn't be mistaken for the enemy. In those days,
apparently, the playing cards that were used to gamble were much larger
than the small ones we have. So they placed these playing cards in
their hatbands so they could be recognized as fighting on the side of
the Texas volunteers because, once again, they didn't wear uniforms.
The battle that took place that Travis was able to delay the army of
Santa Anna in reaching this battle was an interesting military feat.
Most battles take place, have taken place throughout history, in the
early hours of the day. At sunrise, two armies get together and fight
it out. They have done that for thousands of years. Even still today in
World War II, Vietnam, battles were fought at dawn.
{time} 2030
This battle--the Battle of San Jacinto--did not take place at dawn;
it took place in the middle of the afternoon on April 21 because Santa
Anna and his army were taking a siesta in the middle of the day. They
didn't expect the battle until the next morning.
Sam Houston and his other commanders didn't want to wait until the
next day--the troops were getting restless, as they say--so they
decided to have that battle in the afternoon. They lined up in a single
column across the high ground and marched in broad daylight.
Santa Anna had not put out pickets, so he had no one to warn him that
the Texans were charging. They came down the hill, and the battle
began.
In 18 minutes, Mr. Speaker, it was all over. Santa Anna had been
completely defeated. More of the enemy were killed than were in the
Texas Army. The rest were captured. Only a handful--13 Texans--were
killed, and the battle lasted 18 minutes. Santa Anna was captured. He
was pretending to change clothes, and he put on the uniform of a
Mexican private. He was captured and held.
Travis enters the Alamo on February 23, 1836, and writes this famous
letter. He and the defenders were killed on March 6. In between that,
on March 2, 1836, Texas had declared independence. Then, just a few
weeks later, on April 21, about 200 miles or so from the Alamo, the
Battle of San Jacinto took place. Sam Houston won that battle, and
Texas became a free and independent country.
We have this map here, Mr. Speaker. You may not have seen something
like this. This is what Texas claimed when Texas became an independent
country--what is now modern-day Texas--and you see that here on this
map; but it also had claimed parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico,
Colorado, and parts of Wyoming. Texas claimed all of this area when
Texas became the Republic of Texas.
Sam Houston was the first President of the Republic of Texas. Texas
was an independent country for 9 years, and then it decided to request
to join the United States. Even how Texas joined the United States was
an interesting phenomena.
Not all of the States wanted Texas to become a part of the United
States. Finally, after several tries and failures to become a State in
the United States,
[[Page H1111]]
on a joint resolution--not a treaty--Texas became a State in the United
States by one vote when, apparently, a Louisiana Senator changed his
mind and voted to annex Texas and make it the next State in the United
States.
That took place in 1845. Ever since then, Texas gave up its
sovereignty as a republic and became a State. Some say that we still
act like we are a foreign country, a sovereign country.
Under Texas law that allowed it to become a part of the U.S., the
Texas flag always is supposed to fly level with the American flag,
since we were a republic. Texas can divide into five states. I don't
ever see that happening, but Texans can make that decision and split
the State up to make it five different states.
We have a unique history, as all of America has a unique history, and
it goes back to the fact that Texans did not want to live under a
dictatorship no matter who it was.
That is why people of all races were at the Alamo. All races fought
for Texas independence, for freedom, and for liberty--very similar to
the actions that took place with the Thirteen Colonies in how they were
being oppressed by Great Britain.
Nobody ever thought they could whip Great Britain--the most powerful
empire that had ever existed at the time--and very few people thought
that Texas could defeat Mexico. After all, Santa Anna had defeated all
of these other parts of Mexico that were in rebellion. He had not lost
any battles when he came and invaded Texas.
People were surprised that Texas could defeat them, but it did
because some things are worth fighting for and giving their lives for.
That is why those 187 individuals from all walks of life, from
different parts of the world--Brown, Black, and White--stood together
as volunteers to defend the Alamo and help freedom ring in a part of
the world that we call Texas.
Mr. Speaker, I think you are probably old enough to have heard of
Marty Robbins. Maybe you haven't. Marty Robbins, years ago, the singer,
wrote a ballad in honor of the people who stayed and defied tyranny and
gave their lives fighting for freedom, for Texas.
It goes like this:
In the southern part of Texas in the town of San Antone,
There's a fortress all in ruin, and the weeds have overgrown.
You may look in vain for crosses, and you'll never see a one,
but sometime between the setting and the rising of the
Sun,
You can hear a ghostly bugle as men go marching by;
You can hear them as they answer to that roll call in the
sky:
Colonel Travis, Davy Crockett, and 180 more;
Captain Dickinson, Jim Bowie stand present and accounted for.
Back in 1836, Sam Houston said to Travis, ``Get some
volunteers, and go and fortify the Alamo.''
Well, the men came from Texas and from old Tennessee and a
lot of other places.
They joined up with Travis just to fight for the right to be
free.
Indian scouts with squirrel guns and men with muzzle loaders,
Stood together, heel and toe, to defend the Alamo.
``You may never see your loved ones,'' Travis told them that
day.
``Those who want to can leave now. Those who fight to the
death, let 'em stay.''
So, in the sand, he drew a line with his army sabre;
Out of 185, not a soldier crossed the line.
With his banners a-dancin' in the dawn's golden light,
Santa Anna came prancin' on a horse that was black as the
night.
He sent an officer to tell Travis to surrender.
Travis answered with a shell and a rousin' yell.
Santa Anna said, ``I will show them no quarter. Everyone will
be put to our sword.''
185 holding back 5,000.
5 days, 6 days, 8 days, 10 days, Travis kept holding again
and again.
Then Travis sent for replacements for his wounded and lame,
But the troops that were comin' never came, never came.
So twice Santa Anna charged and then blew recall,
But on that fatal third time, Santa Anna breached the wall,
and he killed them one and all.
Now the bugles are silent, and there is rust on each sword,
And the small band of soldiers lies asleep in the arms of the
Lord.
In the southern part of Texas, near the town of San Antone,
Like a statue on his pinto rides a cowboy all alone.
He sees the cattle grazin' where a century before,
Santa Anna's guns were blazin' and the cannons used to roar.
His eyes turn a little misty, and his heart begins to glow,
And he takes his hat off slowly to those men of the Alamo,
To the 13 days of glory at the siege of the Alamo.
And that is just the way it is.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________