When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. In full names, he is known as William Barret Travis, who was born in the year 1809 and unfortunately, died in 1836. Mark and Jemima had nine other children over the next twenty years. When Bowie fell ill, Travis, with 186 men, assumed total command of the Texan forces. James Bowie reached the Alamo along with 30 men on January 19, 1836. William Barret Travis. The army was under the command of James Neill. William Barrett Travis. William Barret Travis studied law as a young man and was admitted to the bar. Were it not for his heroic defense of the Alamo and his death, Travis would most likely be a historical footnote. William Barret Travis was the commander of the Texans. Young Travis grew up in Sparta, and while his father tended to the farming, his uncle Alexander became prominent, organizing the Old Beulah Church (among other churches), preaching in neighboring counties and nearby Evergreen, Alabama, and leaving a strong influence on young Travis. They were officially divorced by the Marion County courts on January 9, 1836, by Act no. McMillan Papers; Letford, "Story of William B. Travis". He taught in a school because he couldn't support himself . Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. Share; Report; Skip Photos. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Most historians put the casualty count at around 600 Mexican soldiers to some 200 Texan defenders. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Texans Army when he died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution, at the age of 26. Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States. It was believed they were buried in the vicinity of the Alamo, but their exact location was forgotten over time. Travis's grandfather, Berwick (also known as Barrett) Travis, came to the British Colonies of North America at the age of 12, where he was placed in indentured servitude for more than a decade. William Barret Travis and his wife Cato remained in Claiborne and had two children: Charles Edward Travis in 1829 and Susan in 1831. Eager to get away from farm life, Travis made his move to Claiborne permanent where he began studying law. Both men had orders to quit the Alamo, a mission chapel of fortress proportions, but both chose to disregard the order. [33] Their son, who died young, was William Barret Grissett, and their daughter was Mary Jane Grissett Davidson DeCaussey.[34][35]. A thirteen-day siege ensued and an assault was made on the Alamo in the predawn hours. His family moved to southern Alabama shortly after his birth, where they assisted in the founding of Evergreen. He and his troops were killed while defending the Alamo, an old Spanish mission-fort in San Antonio . His fame increased even more when it was revealed that Mexican authorities had issued a warrant for his arrest. Still, no one helped Travis with his newspaper, and by the end of that year, the Herald stopped being printed. The most likely reinforcements were the men serving under James Fannin in Goliad, but repeated pleas to Fannin brought no results. Interesting Facts About the Battle of the Alamo. Fighting at The Alamo began Mar 6, 1836. William Travis was a lawyer and rabble-rouser who was responsible for several acts of agitation against the Mexican government in Texas starting in 1832. There was also a strong demand for lawyers to deal with the influx of immigrants and land dealings, so he quickly made the decision to go to Texas. WBT's Learning Model. Rosanna married Samuel G. Cloud in Monroeville, Alabama, on February 14, 1836. Travis died at the . In 1832 he participated in disputes with the Mexican commanding officer at Anahuac that led to his arrest. . There was also a strong demand for lawyers to deal with the influx of immigrants and land dealings, so he quickly made the decision to go to Texas. There were around 200 Texans defending the Alamo which included the famous folk hero Davy Crockett. William Barret Travis was eager to resume his professional career and join the elite tiers of Claiborne society while still studying law with Dellet. Battle of The Alamo began Mar 6, 1836. He was the ninth of ten children. Courage quotes. He was in command, as he was the highest-ranking officer there. . He drew a line in the sand with his sword and challenged those who would stay and fight to cross it. By rank, Travis was technically the second-in-command at the Alamo. He was born in 1809 and married at a very early age that is at 19 years he had a wife who later had a baby boy and one unborn . Today, Travis is considered a great hero in Texas. Bowie had hired Travis as early as 1833 in San Felipe to prepare land papers, and in June 1834 Travis represented Bowie and Isaac Donoho in a case filed by Francis W. Johnson. He also ran a newspaper that he edited and published. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. Famed lawyer James Dellet accepted Travis as his apprentice. On February 27, 1829, Travis passed his law examination and received permission to legally practice, so he borrowed $55.37 to open a law office,[12] as well as $90 earlier in the year to help pay for the Herald. Travis and Cato married on October 26, 1828. He was their first child. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. . Find the perfect place to live. The couple stayed in Claiborne and had a son, Charles Edward, in 1829 and a daughter, Susan, in 1831. (April 27, 2023). Travis' ancestors include William Travers/Travis, one of the leading Quakers in the Carolinas, whose forefathers came from Lancashire, England. William B. Travis was arguably one of the most important figures at the Battle of the Alamo, serving as the commander for the Republic of Texas. Antonio Tenorio. With hardly any law business coming in, the debts continued to mount. He set up a law practice in Anahuac and helped start a militia to oppose Mexican rule. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. William B. Travis Bldg. The letter was dated February 24, 1836 (one day into the siege) The envelope was marked with the defiant words "Victory or Death". [24] He held the defenders together in the face of overwhelming odds and did what he could to defend the Alamo. In 1829, the Herald's editions declined; only six issues were published in the fall when it was intended to be a weekly publication. Charles Edward Travis (18291860) was raised by his mother and her second husband. His family moved to a farm in Alabama when he was nine years old. During the Siege and Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio, Travis led the Texas defenders. Encyclopedia.com. Travis left his wife, son, and expectant daughter behind in Alabama in early 1831 to start anew in Texas. Questions are formatted much like those on the 4th Grade STAAR Test. While still studying law under Dellet, Travis was eager to resume his professional career and to join the high ranks of Claiborne society. Travis boasted that he held the fort for 24 hours against Santa Anna's soldiers without losing a single man. In May 1831, upon his arrival in Mexican Texas, a part of northern Mexico at the time, Travis purchased land from Stephen F. Austin, who appointed him counsel from the United States. By the spring of 1831, his debt was $834. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! //