[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 40 (Thursday, March 2, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S623-S624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Texas Independence Day

  Mr. President, on another matter, today is Texas Independence Day, a 
day for Texans to celebrate our unique history and honor the brave men 
and women who shaped it.
  It was 187 years ago, on March 2, 1836, that Texas adopted its 
Declaration of Independence from Mexico. If you read that Declaration 
of Independence of 1836, it bears a lot of similarities to what our 
Founding Fathers declared when they declared their independence from 
England.
  But independence from Mexico happened in the context of the struggle 
that is perhaps best remembered by the Battle of the Alamo, which laid 
some of the groundwork for eventual victory. One courageous defender of 
the Alamo was a man named William Barret Travis, a lieutenant colonel 
in the Texas army. During the battle, his fellow soldiers were 
outnumbered 10 to 1--10 to 1--by the forces of Mexican dictator Antonio 
Lopez de Santa Anna.
  On February 24 of that year, with his position under siege, 
Lieutenant Colonel Travis wrote a letter pleading for reinforcements, 
and I would like to read it. It was addressed ``To the People of Texas 
& All Americans in the World.''

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

  Signed by William Barret Travis.
  Well, the Travis letter is one of the most treasured documents in 
Texas history, and it lays bare the ideals and character of the people 
who founded our State, people characterized by their courage, by their 
sacrifice, by

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their devotion, by their fortitude, and a deep and strong and enduring 
sense of independence.
  Here in the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans from Texas have 
had the honor of reading the fabled Travis letter over the years. This 
tradition actually goes back to Senator John Tower, who began his 
career in the Senate in 1961. I am glad that tradition continues today 
to ensure that the words of William Barret Travis live on and that 
generations of Texans and Americans can appreciate the courage and 
sacrifice they demonstrated at that time.
  So, today, I would like to express my gratitude for these Texas 
patriots, many of whom would later serve in the U.S. Congress, 
including Sam Houston, whose Senate seat I am honored to now occupy. 
Their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.