89R13503 BPG-D
By: Cain H.R. No. 222
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, February 24, 2026, marks the 190th anniversary of
Lieutenant Colonel William Barrett Travis's letter from the Alamo,
providing a fitting opportunity to acknowledge the enduring legacy
of his request for aid during the fight for Texas independence; and
WHEREAS, In 1836, Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis led
150 Texas rebels in their brave stand at the Alamo against the
vastly greater forces of Mexican General Antonio López de Santa
Anna; on February 24, the second day of the siege, Colonel Travis
penned a letter addressed "to the people of Texas and all Americans
in the world," conveying that his valiant band was surrounded by a
thousand enemy soldiers demanding surrender, and he warned that the
fort was under continual bombardment and that enemy numbers were
increasing; calling urgently for reinforcements, he acknowledged
the grave peril of the situation, closing with the defiant words
"Victory or Death"; and
WHEREAS, Colonel Travis entrusted the letter to Captain
Albert Martin of Gonzales; the following day, Captain Martin passed
the dispatch on to Lancelot Smither, who departed for San Felipe on
the cold and windy evening; Mr. Smither delivered the missive to
the town's citizens committee within 40 hours; although several
copies were made, and the letter was published in newspapers as
early as March 2, little help reached the defenders of the Alamo;
General Santa Anna's troops broke through on March 6, and Colonel
Travis died alongside all of his men; and
WHEREAS, Shortly after the Texas Revolution, the original
letter was presented to the Travis family; a great-grandson of
Colonel Travis, John G. Davidson, sold the letter for $85 in 1893 to
the Texas Department of Agriculture, Insurance, Statistics, and
History; this was the predecessor agency to the Texas State Library
and Archives Commission, which maintains stewardship of the
significant artifact today; and
WHEREAS, One of the most famous epistles in American history,
the William B. Travis letter is a testament to the love of liberty
and spirit of sacrifice that exemplified the Texas Revolution, and
the noble phrase "Victory or Death" will continue to inspire Texans
in generations to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 190th anniversary of Lieutenant
Colonel William B. Travis's letter from the Alamo and commend the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission for its preservation;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the commission as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.