William B. Travis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William B. Travis
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William B. Travis in a sketch by Wyly Martin; it is the only known likeness of Travis drawn during his lifetime, although its accuracy has been questioned.
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| Birth name | William Barret Travis |
| Nickname(s) | Buck |
| Born | August 1, 1809 Saluda County, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 1836 (aged 26) San Antonio, Republic of Texas |
| Allegiance | Republic of Texas |
| Service/ |
Texian Army |
| Years of service | 1835–1836 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Commands held | The Alamo |
| Battles/wars |
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| Signature |  |
William Barret "Buck" Travis was an important Texian Army officer and lawyer. He is famous for his role in starting the Texas Revolution during the Anahuac disturbances and for bravely defending the Alamo Mission during the Battle of the Alamo.
During the Mexican attack on the Alamo, Travis wrote a famous letter asking for help, known as the "Victory or Death" letter. When Travis and the other defenders were defeated and killed by Santa Anna's army, their sacrifice became a powerful symbol for Texas independence. This event is remembered as one of history's most famous "last stands." The cry "Remember the Alamo" became a rallying call and was even the official motto of Texas for many years. Today, the Alamo is a top tourist spot, a National Landmark, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Many places are named after him, including Fort Travis Seashore Park, Travis Park, Travis County, Lake Travis, and several schools.
Contents
His Family and Early School Days
William B. Travis's grandfather, Berwick Travis, came from Great Britain to the Thirteen Colonies when he was 12. He worked for many years to pay off his travel costs. After this, he moved to the Province of South Carolina and received land. He married Anne Smallwood, and they had seven children, including Mark Travis and Alexander Travis.
Mark Travis married Jemima Stallworth in 1808. William Barret Travis was born on August 1, 1809. His parents had ten children in total.
After the War of 1812, Travis's uncle Alexander moved to Alabama. He encouraged his brother, Mark, to join him, saying land was affordable. So, when William was nine, his family moved to Sparta, Alabama. William grew up there. His uncle Alexander was a respected church leader and had a big influence on him.
Alexander Travis also started the Sparta Academy, where William first went to school. He studied many subjects, like Greek, Latin, history, and math. Later, he attended another academy in Claiborne, Alabama.
After finishing school at 18, Travis worked as an assistant teacher for a short time. He met Rosanna Cato, a student, and they began a relationship.
Life in Claiborne, Alabama
Travis wanted to leave farm life, so he moved to Claiborne to study law. A well-known lawyer, James Dellet, took Travis on as his student. Claiborne was a busy city near the Alabama River, with much more activity than Sparta.
Financial Challenges
Travis and Rosanna Cato married on October 26, 1828. Their first son, Charlie, was born about a year later.
While still studying law, Travis wanted to start his career and become part of Claiborne's important society. He started a newspaper called the Claiborne Herald. He ran the newspaper mostly by himself. Although it made some money at first, it wasn't enough to support his family. This financial pressure led to mistakes in the newspaper, and he couldn't keep it going.
On February 27, 1829, Travis passed his law exam and could legally practice law. He borrowed money to open his law office and to help with his newspaper. With growing debts and little income, he took in students who boarded with him. To help Rosanna with household tasks, he purchased two enslaved people. However, caring for them added to his expenses, increasing his debt.
The Herald newspaper struggled in 1829. It was meant to be weekly, but only six issues came out that fall. It even became just a two-sided sheet. By the end of the year, the Herald stopped printing completely.
With very few law clients, Travis's debts grew larger. He couldn't pay back his loans, and his law practice didn't attract many people. By the spring of 1831, his total debt was $834.
Because Travis couldn't pay his debts, people he owed money to, including Dellet, took legal action. Travis tried to argue that he was still considered a minor in some areas, but this didn't work. On March 31, 1831, legal orders were issued for his arrest due to his unpaid debts.
While in Claiborne, Travis heard about Texas, which was then part of the First Mexican Republic. Texas offered many opportunities, with new settlers arriving and a great need for lawyers. Travis decided to move there, hoping to earn enough money to pay his debts. He promised Rosanna, who was expecting their second child, that he would either return or send for her and their children. Travis left for Texas to avoid his legal troubles.
Texas and the Anahuac Disturbances
In May 1831, Travis arrived in Mexican Texas, which was then part of northern Mexico. He bought land from Stephen F. Austin and started a law practice in Anahuac. He also helped form a local group, a militia, to oppose Mexican rule. He soon became a key figure in the Anahuac Disturbances.
The Anahuac Disturbances were conflicts that happened just before the Texas Revolution. They were caused by disagreements between the Mexican government and Texian militias.
The first disturbance in 1832 began over a disagreement about enslaved people. Mexican General Juan Davis Bradburn was keeping them safe in his compound. Travis was hired to help the slaveowner get them back. Bradburn arrested Travis twice, suspecting him of planning a revolt. When a Texian militia came to free Travis, he encouraged them to attack. Travis was freed after negotiations, but a short fight followed, leading to six deaths and the Turtle Bayou Resolutions.
A second conflict happened on June 27, 1835. Tensions grew after Texians protested new taxes. Two men, Briscoe and Harris, were arrested by Mexican commander Captain Antonio Tenorio. A Texian named William Smith was wounded by soldiers while they were escorting the arrested men.
When news of the arrests reached San Felipe de Austin, political leader Peter Miller asked Travis to gather a Texian Militia. Travis took control of a boat and sailed to Anahuac. His group of 25 men quickly forced the 40 Mexican troops to surrender. Travis and his men disarmed the Mexican soldiers, freed the Texians, and sent the Mexican troops away.
Because Travis had acted without widespread support, he apologized to prevent problems for Stephen F. Austin, who was in Mexico City at the time. Later that summer, Mexican military leaders demanded Travis be handed over for a military trial, but the Texian colonists refused.
The Texas Revolution and the Alamo
Travis was made a lieutenant colonel in the Texian Army and became the main officer for recruiting new soldiers. Governor Henry Smith ordered Travis to gather a company of professional soldiers. These soldiers were to reinforce the Texians already at the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, who were led by James C. Neill.
Travis thought about not following these orders. He wrote to Smith, saying he wanted to defend Bexar (San Antonio) but was worried about his reputation if he went with too few men and not enough supplies. James Bowie arrived at the Alamo with 30 men on January 19, 1836. On February 3, Travis arrived in San Antonio with eighteen regular soldiers. Travis and Bowie agreed to share command: Bowie would lead the volunteers, and Travis would lead the regular soldiers. When Bowie became ill, Travis became the official commander of the Alamo garrison. On March 6, 1836, after a thirteen-day siege, Santa Anna ordered his army to attack the Alamo before dawn. Travis fought until the end, and his remains, along with those of the other Alamo defenders, were burned.
Travis's "Victory or Death" Letter from the Alamo
On February 24, 1836, during Santa Anna's attack on the Alamo, Travis wrote a powerful letter. It was addressed "To 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 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 demand with a cannon shot, and 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 and 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 or 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. Comdt.
P.S. The Lord is on our side. When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn. We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves.
Travis
He gave this letter to a messenger named Albert Martin. The envelope was famously labeled "VICTORY or DEATH." Although the letter couldn't bring help to the Alamo defenders in time, it greatly inspired the Texian army. It also helped gather support in America for Texas independence. This letter cemented Travis's place as a hero of the Texas Revolution.
Alleged Burial
A year after the battle, Colonel Juan Seguín was ordered to collect the abandoned ashes of the Alamo defenders from three different places. On March 28, 1837, a public ceremony was held to give the ashes a Christian burial. People believed they were buried near the Alamo, but their exact spot was forgotten over time.
In 1936, during renovations for a new altar at San Antonio's Cathedral of San Fernando, human remains were found. Many believed these were the bones of the Alamo defenders. However, because of different stories over the years, people disagreed about whether these were truly the defenders' remains. The recovered ashes were placed in a marble tomb inside the cathedral. This tomb supposedly holds the bones of Travis, Crockett, Bowie, and others. There have been requests for DNA testing, but this has not yet happened.
Family Life
Travis married Rosanna Cato, one of his former students, on October 26, 1828. She was 16 years old. They lived in Claiborne and had a son, Charles Edward, in 1829, and a daughter, Susan, in 1831. Their divorce was finalized by the Marion County courts on January 9, 1836. Rosanna later married Samuel G. Cloud in 1836. Both Rosanna and Samuel died from yellow fever in 1848.
Charles Edward Travis (1829–1860) was raised by his mother and her second husband. He was elected to the Texas legislature in 1853. In 1855, he joined the United States Army as a captain in a cavalry regiment. He was later dismissed from service in May 1856 after an incident. He then studied law and earned a degree from Baylor University in 1859. He died from tuberculosis within a year and is buried in the Masonic Cemetery.
Susan Isabella Travis (1831–1868) was born after her father had left for Texas. Travis named her as his daughter in his will. She married a planter from Chappell Hill, Texas. Their son, William Barret Grissett, died young. Their daughter was Mary Jane Grissett Davidson DeCaussey.
Legacy
- Twelve elementary schools
- 1836, Fort Travis
- 1840, Travis County
- 1870, Travis Park
- 1891, Heroes of the Alamo Monument
- 1936, Cenotaph by Pompeo Coppini
- 1936, William B. Travis, Hall of Heroes at the Hall of State, by Pompeo Coppini
- 1942, Lake Travis
- 1953, Travis Early College High School
- 1956, Travis Science Academy, Temple
- 1971, William Barret Travis, THC Historical Marker #9135, Fort Anahuac Park
- 1985, William B. Travis Building, Austin
- 2003, “Victory or Death”, Statues of Heroes at The Alamo, by Glenna Goodacre
- 2006, William B. Travis High School
- 2007, “The Line”, Collin County Courthouse, by James N. Muir
- 2019, William B. Travis Heritage Trail
See also
In Spanish: William Barret Travis para niños
