Letters of William B. Travis from the Alamo: Appeals for Help That Never Came
The letters of William Barret Travis from the Alamo between 23 February and 3 March 1836 provide a first-hand account of the famous siege of the Alamo. Travis became the sole commander of the garrison after James “Jim” Bowie fell ill on 24 February 1836. Travis repeatedly called for assistance that never came and was killed, along with all the other Alamo defenders, on 6 March 1836 at the Battle of the Alamo.
The Bowie-Travis Letter & Failure to Respond
Prior to the siege, Bowie and Travis had agreed to co-command the garrison. A letter alleged to have been jointly issued by them on 23 February 1836 to Colonel James W. Fannin at Goliad is included among the Travis letters, although scholar Bill Groneman notes that the letter first appeared in an 1841 work, Texas and the Texians, by Henry Stuart Foote who provided no information on its origin (3).
All of Travis’ letters from the Alamo between 23 February and 3 March 1836 were published shortly after they were received and, as this letter does not appear among them, there is some suggestion it may be a later piece not authored by Travis or Bowie. Scholar William C. Davis, however, accepts the letter as authentic (538), as does scholar Stephen L. Hardin (128-129).
The details of the Bowie-Travis letter are accurate, based on reports of survivors such as Susanna Dickinson and Travis’ slave, Joe, and so it seems likely it was drafted by Bowie and Travis with the final letter written by Travis, as it matches his style.
Travis placed great hope in Fannin’s swift arrival with reinforcements. Hardin writes:
Travis and Bowie were firm in their determination to defend the Alamo, but both understood it would be only a matter of days before the enemy artillery breached the walls; they were well aware that their survival depended on the speed with which Texians rallied to their aid. (128)
Fannin, however, took his time in preparing his men to march toward San Antonio, starting from Goliad on either 25 or 26 February. When his wagons broke down, and the oxen wandered off, instead of pressing on to reinforce the Alamo, he returned to Fort Defiance in Goliad.
Had he not failed in coming to Travis’ aid, the story of the Alamo would most likely be told quite differently today. Fannin’s return to the safety of Fort Defiance only led to his death – and that of almost his entire command – at the Goliad Massacre of 27 March 1836.
The same dismal failure needs to be recognized regarding Sam Houston and any others to whom Travis appealed for help. Houston disliked and distrusted Travis, believing he wanted to usurp Houston’s position as general of the Texian army. He rejected Travis’ famous “Victory or Death” letter of 24 February as exaggeration, refusing to believe that General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was even in Texas at the time Travis was writing. He would, of course, be proven wrong and would later meet Santa Anna, and defeat him, at the Battle of San Jacinto on 21 April 1836.
Many of the men who made up Houston's army that day were volunteers from the United States who had come to Texas in response to Travis' "Victory or Death" letter. The letter was quickly published and widely circulated throughout Texas and the USA, inspiring many to join the cause - only too late to save the garrison at the Alamo.
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⇒ Letters of William B. Travis from the Alamo: Appeals for Help That Never Came