H.R. No. 615



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Memorial Day Weekend was established to pay tribute 
to the generations of men and women who have served in our nation's 
armed forces, and on May 29, 2005, Lieutenant Joseph Bonnell, an 
unsung hero of the Texas Revolution, will be honored with a 
historical marker commemorating his significant contributions to 
achieving independence for Texas; and
	WHEREAS, A West Point graduate and a member of the Long Gray 
Line, Lieutenant Bonnell was assigned to the U.S. Army's 3rd 
Infantry Regiment when he successfully quelled an uprising of 1,700 
Caddo warriors through a peaceful negotiation with Caddo Chief 
Cortes; his efforts helped enable General Sam Houston to focus the 
full strength of his army on defeating Mexican troops led by Antonio 
Lopez de Santa Anna at the famed Battle of San Jacinto, effectively 
securing the independence of the Republic of Texas; and
	WHEREAS, Lieutenant Bonnell's grave site at Laurel Hill 
Cemetery in Philadelphia has been unmarked since his death on 
September 27, 1840, and this unfortunate oversight is now being 
rectified thanks to the generosity of the West Point Society of 
Philadelphia; and
	WHEREAS, Remembering the brave and dedicated individuals who 
have risked their lives in the name of freedom and democracy is 
essential to fully appreciating the comforts and abundances 
American citizens may sometimes take for granted, and the 
posthumous recognition of Lieutenant Joseph Bonnell serves as a 
powerful affirmation of our nation's military and a poignant 
reminder of the difference that one person can make; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Lieutenant Joseph 
Bonnell and commemorate the placement of a historical marker at his 
grave site.

                                                                          Baxter


                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 615 was unanimously adopted by a 
rising vote of the House on March 17, 2005.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House