[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 170 (Tuesday, November 29, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TUESDAYS IN TEXAS: SUSANA DICKINSON

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 29, 2016

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the year was 1836. To many, this year 
does not signify much. For Texans everywhere, 1836 shaped the course of 
our history and spirit.
  In February of 1836, the troops of General Santa Anna invaded the 
Alamo where many Texians gave their lives in the struggle for 
independence. General Santa Anna and his troops numbered between 1,800 
and 6,000 men. The 200 Texians occupying the Alamo stood ready to 
defend their country. All of the men in the Alamo would give their 
lives for Texan independence that night. General Santa Anna had ordered 
his men to take no prisoners.
  Among the few that survived were Susana Dickinson and her daughter, 
Angelina. Susana Dickinson and her daughter had moved to San Antonio 
because her husband, Almeron Dickinson, had wanted them close to him. 
When the Mexican troops arrived in San Antonio, Almeron Dickinson moved 
his family into the Alamo. Although Susana and Angelina survived the 
siege of the Alamo, Almerson and the rest of the men did not.
  Susana was found hiding in the powder magazine by General Juan 
Almonte and sent to General Santa Anna, where she found her daughter 
sitting on his lap. General Santa Anna released her with the condition 
that she go to Camp Gonzalez and warn the Texas troops that he would 
kill them as he had killed the men in the Alamo. However, in accordance 
with true Texas spirit, it is believed that instead of delivering a 
threat, she delivered a war cry for the Texans.
  As a result of the siege and her husband's death, Susana was forced 
to live in poverty for years. She faced multiple unsuccessful marriages 
and a difficult life but her spirit remained strong. As a survivor of 
the Alamo, she lived to tell about the heroic fight for freedom against 
an oppressive and cruel dictator. The Alamo stands as a pillar of hope 
and is the single most significant structure in Texas history. Susana 
Dickinson's story of the brave, heroic men who drew a line in the sand 
and fought for Texas's freedom will live in the history books, 
reminding future generations of Texans just what this great state 
stands for. Her spirit and bravery will live on in Texas history.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________