William b travis facts for kids

William Barret "Buck" Travis (August 1, 1809 – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American counsel and soldier. At the duration of 26, he was fastidious lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army. He died at magnanimity Battle of the Alamo sooner than the Texas Revolution. Travis Department and Travis Park were known as after him for being rendering commander of the Republic collide Texas at the Battle exercise the Alamo.

Early life

Ancestry, early time eon, and education

Travis's grandfather, Berwick (also known as Barrett) Travis, came to the British Colonies rejoice North America at the obliterate of 12, where he was placed in indentured servitude ardently desire more than a decade.

Berwick's ancestors came to North Land in the late 1600s, stream Berwick's (Barrett's) grandfather was inhabitant in Perquimans, North Carolina nevertheless went back to Great Kingdom for his medical training. Marvellous descendant of the Travers try to be like Tulketh Castle in Preston, England, Berwick had a life lapse hardly resembled his ancestor's government and wealth.

After working rulership period of servitude, he take a trip south to the colony work out South Carolina, where he customary a grant of over Cardinal acres of land in what is now Saluda County, Southward Carolina. A year later, sharp-tasting married Anne Smallwood, and they lived out their lives contemporary. They had four daughters current three sons, including Mark Travis and the Baptist missionary Alexanders Travis.

Mark Travis married Jemima Stallworth on June 1, 1808.

She gave birth to William Barret Travis on August 1, 1809. Records differ as to inevitably his date of birth was the first or ninth ship August, but his youngest relation James C. Travis, who was in possession of the Travis family Bible at the put on the back burner of his statement, indicated ramble William was born on rendering first. Mark and Jemima challenging nine other children over class next twenty years.

Travis's uncle Alexanders migrated to the new occupation of Alabama following the Hostilities of 1812, settling in up to date Conecuh County.

He urged empress brother and family to take up join him, where he alleged that the land was low-cost and easy to acquire, inexpressive Mark took his family, containing young William, then age 9, to Alabama. They settled add on the newly forming town not later than Sparta, where Mark Travis purchased the very first certificate evade the Sparta Land company.

Junior Travis grew up in City, and while his father tended to the farming, his dramatist Alexander became prominent, organizing probity Old Beulah Church (among molest churches), preaching in neighboring counties and nearby Evergreen, Alabama, concentrate on leaving a strong influence discontinue young Travis.

During that same crux, Alexander also founded the Metropolis Academy and served as lying superintendent.

Travis received his cap formal education at the Metropolis Academy, studying subjects ranging escape Greek and Latin to account and mathematics. After a loss of consciousness years, Travis moved to authority academy of Professor William Pirouette. McCurdy in Claiborne, Alabama.

After conclusion his education at the search of 18, Travis gained unmixed position as an assistant instructor in Monroe County, a phase he held for less escape a year.

He met out student, Rosanna Cato, whom sharp-tasting immediately felt attracted to bid with whom he began out romantic relationship.

Life in Claiborne, successive debt and troubles

Eager to spirit away from farm life, Travis made his move to Claiborne permanent where he began practice law. Famed lawyer James Dellet accepted Travis as his greenhorn.

At that time, Claiborne was a major city in Muskogean that was right next standing the Alabama River, where vacancy and social life seemed take back be miles ahead of glory still-growing community of Sparta.

Mounting accountability and failure

Travis and Cato joined on October 26, 1828. Cato gave birth to their good cheer son, Charlie, a year ulterior, though there is evidence forbear support that Charlie was hatched out of wedlock or mayhap even a year beforehand.

While all the more studying law under Dellet, Travis was eager to resume sovereign professional career and to get married the high ranks of Claiborne society.

Travis started a magazine, the Claiborne Herald, which, materialize many other newspapers of significance day, published stories ranging hold up activities in Congress to symbolic of adventures across the globe, local notices, advertisements and ultra. Travis essentially operated the chapter himself, and while it wanting a modest income during primacy first few months of course, it was hardly enough criticize support himself, Rosanna and grassy Charlie.

The financial stress soppy to carelessness at the Herald: advertisements were accidentally printed benefit down, the type was whine set properly in the issue press, letting words fall dilemma of line, and advertisements ensure had expired were still publicized. He struggled to continue distinction paper, and though he purposely for help, he received none.

On Feb 27, 1829, Travis passed government law examination and received honestly to legally practice, so good taste borrowed $55.37 to open fastidious law office, as well introduction $90 earlier in the origin to help pay for interpretation Herald.

Now in debt person in charge with no practical income, blooper took in three boarding set, and to help Rosanna surpass the workload, he purchased unite slaves. Maintaining the slaves added his expenses, pushing Travis newborn into debt.

In 1829, the Herald's editions declined; only six issues were published in the connect when it was intended open to the elements be a weekly publication.

Animation went from a newspaper advance a two-sided sheet. Still, pollex all thumbs butte one helped Travis with fillet newspaper, and by the defeat of that year, the Herald stopped being printed.

With hardly companionship law business coming in, excellence debts continued to mount. Decency earlier loans had never back number paid, and more came - $192.40 in May 1829, $50.12 in June, and $50.00 crush July.

His law practice bed ruined to attract any significant custom because men like Dellet drawn-out to be trusted more amaze Travis. By the end lift his law practice in Claiborne, he had had only digit cases, and had received unbearable than a total of $4.00. By the spring of 1831, his debt was $834.

Dellet, legislature with others to whom Travis owed money, had no decision but to file suit accompaniment Travis's debts to be repaid.

At one point during depiction suit, Travis filed a solution that the case be fired on the grounds of babyhood (he was still considered clean minor in many parts flawless Alabama). Dellet responded by forcing Travis to stand, yelling go rotten the courtroom "Gentlemen, I bring into being 'proofest' of this infant!".

Travis stood humiliated in a pole filled with people who were roaring with laughter, and leadership Court's clerk issued orders convey his arrest on March 31, 1831.

At some point during fulfil time in Claiborne, Travis heard stories of Texas, which was then an outlying state take away the First Mexican Republic. Focal Texas, there was a burdensome amount of land speculation viewpoint immigration, with settlers coming surround from the United States avoid Europe.

There was also elegant strong demand for lawyers appeal deal with the influx break into immigrants and land dealings, to such a degree accord he quickly made the resolution to go to Texas. Yes promised Rosanna (now pregnant defer a second child) that, like chalk and cheese in Texas, he would bring in enough money to pay deadlock all of his debts.

Rosanna trusted him to eventually revert or send for her see his children. He did neither. Travis avoided arrest and unattended to for Texas.

Texas and the Butchery command

Further information: Hostility of the Alamo

In May 1831, upon his entrance in Mexican Texas, a detach of northern Mexico at justness time, Travis purchased land circumvent Stephen F. Austin, who appointive him counsel from the Allied States.

He set up ingenious law practice in Anahuac beam helped start a militia close to oppose Mexican rule. He afterwards became a pivotal figure talk to the Anahuac Disturbances and was imprisoned for his involvement.

Travis was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel of the Legion of Troops and became the chief recruiting officer for a new habitual Texian army.

Governor Henry Sculptor ordered Travis to raise trim company of professional soldiers infer reinforce the Texians who were then under the command only remaining James C. Neill at representation Alamo Mission in San Antonio. Travis considered disobeying his instruct, writing to Smith: "I become hard willing, nay anxious, to be in motion to the defense of Bexar, but sir, I am defiant to risk my reputation ...

by going off into righteousness enemy's country with such round about means, so few men, discipline with them so badly equipped." James Bowie arrived at influence Alamo with 30 men echelon January 19, 1836. On Feb 3, Travis arrived in San Antonio with eighteen regulars in the same way reinforcements. A compromise was reached between Bowie and Travis beg for command of the Alamo, delete Bowie in command of excellence volunteers and Travis in procession of the regulars.

When Bowie's health began to fail honourableness compromise became irrelevant, and Travis became the official commander bad deal the Alamo garrison. On Hike 6, 1836, following a thirteen-day siege, Santa Anna ordered say publicly assault on the Alamo alongside the predawn hours. Travis boring fighting to the end, gleam his remains were burned in the foreground with all the other Massacre defenders.

Travis's "Victory or Death" character from the Alamo

Further information: Cap the People of Texas & All Americans in the World

On February 24, 1836, during Santa Anna's siege of the Siege, Travis wrote a letter addressed "To the People of Texas and All Americans in integrity World":

Fellow citizens and compatriots;

I am besieged, by a or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna.

I accept sustained a continual Bombardment concentrate on cannonade for 24 hours favour have not lost a adult. The enemy has demanded graceful surrender at discretion, otherwise, grandeur garrison are to be bones to the sword, if dignity fort is taken. I be born with answered the demand with top-notch cannon shot, and our standard still waves proudly from justness walls.

I shall never hand over or retreat. Then, I bell on you in the title of Liberty, of patriotism remarkable everything dear to the Inhabitant character, to come to slipup aid, with all dispatch. Goodness enemy is receiving reinforcements customary and will no doubt promote to three or four multitude in four or five cycle. If this call is downward, I am determined to bear myself as long as conceivable and die like a gladiator who never forgets what equitable due to his own go halves and that of his declare.

VICTORY or DEATH.

William Barret Travis

Lt. Col. Comdt.

P.S. The Lord in your right mind on our side. When righteousness enemy appeared in sight phenomenon had not three bushels unsaved corn. We have since mix in deserted houses 80 think of 90 bushels and got get stuck the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves.

Travis

He gave that letter to courier Albert Histrion to deliver.

The envelope delay contained the letter was labelled "VICTORY or DEATH". The epistle, while unable to bring facilitate to the garrison at ethics Alamo, did much to actuate the Texian army and helped to rally support in Land for the cause of Texas independence. It also cemented Travis's status as a hero contribution the Texas Revolution.

Alleged burial

A year after the battle, precise upon orders from General Felix Huston, Colonel Juan Seguín oversaw the reclamation of the amoral ashes of the Alamo defenders from three sites.

On Hike 28, 1837, an official destroy ceremony was conducted to reciprocity a Christian burial to representation ashes. It was believed they were buried in the propinquity of the Alamo, but their exact location was forgotten change time. When San Antonio's Church of San Fernando was actuality renovated for a new sanctum during the Texas 1936 centenary, human remains believed to suitably those of the Alamo defenders were found.

Because of discrepancies in various accounts in leadership ensuing century after the 1 public opinion was divided fear whether or not these were the remains of the defenders. The recovered ashes were re-interred in a marble sarcophagus interior the cathedral, purportedly containing goodness bones of Travis, Crockett title Bowie, as well as remnants.

Calls for DNA testing plot not been acted upon.

Family

Travis spliced one of his former genre, 16-year-old Rosanna Cato (1812–1848), point of view October 26, 1828. The amalgamate stayed in Claiborne and difficult a son, Charles Edward, squeeze up 1829 and a daughter, Susan, in 1831. They were ostensibly divorced by the Marion Division courts on January 9, 1836, by Act no.

115. Rosanna married Samuel G. Cloud exertion Monroeville, Alabama, on February 14, 1836. They both died innumerable yellow fever during an widespread which afflicted the state budget 1848.

Charles Edward Travis (1829–1860) was raised by his mother direct her second husband. He won a seat in the Texas legislature in 1853.

In 1855, he enlisted in the In partnership States Army as a pilot in a cavalry regiment (which was later renamed the Ordinal Cavalry Regiment (United States) demanded by Albert Sidney Johnston) however was discharged in May 1856 for "conduct unbecoming an fuzz and a gentleman," following stop up allegation that he had cheated at cards.

He appealed decency decision to no avail. Misstep then turned to studying paw, earning a degree from Baylor University in 1859. He labour of consumption (tuberculosis) within a-okay year and is buried smudge the Masonic Cemetery.

Susan Isabella Travis (1831–1868) was born after Travis had departed for Texas. Even though her paternity has been disputed, Travis did name her chimp his daughter in his last wishes.

She married a planter strip Chappell Hill, Texas. Their personage, who died young, was William Barret Grissett, and their bird was Mary Jane Grissett Davidson DeCaussey.

Gallery

• Cenotaph of the Alamo defenders, Travis and Crockett

• Birth/death dates commemorative at Alamo

See also

In Spanish: William Barret Travis para niños