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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, February 24, 2026, marks the 190th anniversary of |
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Lieutenant Colonel William Barrett Travis's letter from the Alamo, |
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providing a fitting opportunity to acknowledge the enduring legacy |
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of his request for aid during the fight for Texas independence; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1836, Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis led |
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150 Texas rebels in their brave stand at the Alamo against the |
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vastly greater forces of Mexican General Antonio López de Santa |
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Anna; on February 24, the second day of the siege, Colonel Travis |
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penned a letter addressed "to the people of Texas and all Americans |
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in the world," conveying that his valiant band was surrounded by a |
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thousand enemy soldiers demanding surrender, and he warned that the |
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fort was under continual bombardment and that enemy numbers were |
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increasing; calling urgently for reinforcements, he acknowledged |
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the grave peril of the situation, closing with the defiant words |
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"Victory or Death"; and |
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WHEREAS, Colonel Travis entrusted the letter to Captain |
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Albert Martin of Gonzales; the following day, Captain Martin passed |
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the dispatch on to Lancelot Smither, who departed for San Felipe on |
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the cold and windy evening; Mr. Smither delivered the missive to |
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the town's citizens committee within 40 hours; although several |
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copies were made, and the letter was published in newspapers as |
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early as March 2, little help reached the defenders of the Alamo; |
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General Santa Anna's troops broke through on March 6, and Colonel |
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Travis died alongside all of his men; and |
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WHEREAS, Shortly after the Texas Revolution, the original |
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letter was presented to the Travis family; a great-grandson of |
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Colonel Travis, John G. Davidson, sold the letter for $85 in 1893 to |
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the Texas Department of Agriculture, Insurance, Statistics, and |
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History; this was the predecessor agency to the Texas State Library |
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and Archives Commission, which maintains stewardship of the |
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significant artifact today; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the most famous epistles in American history, |
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the William B. Travis letter is a testament to the love of liberty |
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and spirit of sacrifice that exemplified the Texas Revolution, and |
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the noble phrase "Victory or Death" will continue to inspire Texans |
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in generations to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 190th anniversary of Lieutenant |
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Colonel William B. Travis's letter from the Alamo and commend the |
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Texas State Library and Archives Commission for its preservation; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the commission as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |