I love history and hope I don't irritate any of you with this.
The mini-series "Texas Rising" is currently airing on the History Channel. It is fantastic.
Texas owes its beginnings to people from the other southern states. Alabama played a huge role in the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence. One-fifth of all the soldiers killed in the war were from Alabama. Only Tennessee played a larger role.
In the years preceding the Texas Revolution, people from the southern states migrated to Texas, lured by land that was available for 4 cents per acre. When the War with Mexico began, 30,000 migrants had made their way to Texas. Alabamians who were already there took up arms for Texas but they also had tremendous help from volunteers in Alabama.
Colonel William B. Travis, Commander of the Alamo, made his way to Texas from Claiborne, AL near Evergreen in Conecuh County where he had lived since age 9. Austin is located in Travis County named for Colonel Travis. One of his top Lieutenants at the Alamo was James B. Bonham who organized the Montgomery (AL) volunteers to fight for Texas Independence. Bonham, TX (home of Bluebell Ice Cream) is named for him. Six of the dead at the Alamo were from Alabama.
The following is taken from an article written by David Sloan, journalism professor emeritus at the University of Alabama. CLICK HERE for "Alabama Voices: Let's remember the Alamo on Saturday: It's Texas Independence Day".
When fighting had begun back in 1835, volunteers from the states rushed to aid the Texas cause. Companies of Alabama volunteers formed as the Mobile Greys, Huntsville Volunteers, Montgomery Volunteers and Red Rovers from Courtland.
In Texas, the Alabamians were put under the command of Col. James Fannin. He was headed, too late, to relieve the Alamo.
In the face of a Mexican army 5,000 strong, he retreated with his small force to the village of Goliad. Heavily outnumbered and with no water and few supplies, Fannin surrendered, with assurances that the Mexicans would treat him and his men as prisoners of war.
Gen. Santa Anna, though, would have none of it and ordered all the prisoners shot. Of the 343 massacred at Goliad, approximately 125 were from Alabama - all four companies of the volunteers.
During the revolution, 630 soldiers on the Texas side died. At least 130 of them were from Alabama - more from any state other than Tennessee.
The mini-series "Texas Rising" is currently airing on the History Channel. It is fantastic.
Texas owes its beginnings to people from the other southern states. Alabama played a huge role in the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence. One-fifth of all the soldiers killed in the war were from Alabama. Only Tennessee played a larger role.
In the years preceding the Texas Revolution, people from the southern states migrated to Texas, lured by land that was available for 4 cents per acre. When the War with Mexico began, 30,000 migrants had made their way to Texas. Alabamians who were already there took up arms for Texas but they also had tremendous help from volunteers in Alabama.
Colonel William B. Travis, Commander of the Alamo, made his way to Texas from Claiborne, AL near Evergreen in Conecuh County where he had lived since age 9. Austin is located in Travis County named for Colonel Travis. One of his top Lieutenants at the Alamo was James B. Bonham who organized the Montgomery (AL) volunteers to fight for Texas Independence. Bonham, TX (home of Bluebell Ice Cream) is named for him. Six of the dead at the Alamo were from Alabama.
The following is taken from an article written by David Sloan, journalism professor emeritus at the University of Alabama. CLICK HERE for "Alabama Voices: Let's remember the Alamo on Saturday: It's Texas Independence Day".
When fighting had begun back in 1835, volunteers from the states rushed to aid the Texas cause. Companies of Alabama volunteers formed as the Mobile Greys, Huntsville Volunteers, Montgomery Volunteers and Red Rovers from Courtland.
In Texas, the Alabamians were put under the command of Col. James Fannin. He was headed, too late, to relieve the Alamo.
In the face of a Mexican army 5,000 strong, he retreated with his small force to the village of Goliad. Heavily outnumbered and with no water and few supplies, Fannin surrendered, with assurances that the Mexicans would treat him and his men as prisoners of war.
Gen. Santa Anna, though, would have none of it and ordered all the prisoners shot. Of the 343 massacred at Goliad, approximately 125 were from Alabama - all four companies of the volunteers.
During the revolution, 630 soldiers on the Texas side died. At least 130 of them were from Alabama - more from any state other than Tennessee.
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