The Alamo and DRT celebrate Texas Independence Day

The Alamo and the DRT commemorate Texas Independence Day with a ceremony in Alamo Plaza.

On Monday, March 2, the Alamo and the DRT celebrated Texas Independence Day with a ceremony in Alamo Plaza. The ceremony, held by the Alamo Mission Chapter of the DRT, featured a speech from DRT Library Director Leslie Stapleton. Mrs. Stapleton spoke about the library’s history and collection. Specifically, Mrs. Stapleton discussed the great primary sources that the library has in its archives.

Leslie Stapleton, DRT Library Director, speaks about the library's history and collection.

Among the one-of-a-kind documents is a letter written by Alamo defender Daniel William Cloud on December 26, 1835 to his brother, John B. Cloud. A lawyer from Kentucky, Daniel William Cloud joined David Crockett’s Tennessee Volunteers to help in the fight for Texas Independence. He describes what many of these young men might have been feeling when he writes,

If we succeed, the Country is ours. It is immense in extent, and fertile in its soil, and will amply reward all our toil. If we fail, death in the cause of liberty and humanity is not cause for shuddering. Our rifles are by our side, and choice guns they are, we know what awaits us, and are prepared to meet it.

This letter was donated to the library by the Cloud family in 1979. Click here for a previous post about the Cloud letter.

Another great document in the collection is a letter written by Abishai Mercer Dickson written to his wife from New Orleans on December 29, 1835 on his way to Texas. He writes to her,

My Dear, my lips have not been wet with spirits of any description since I left you and I do hope they never will again and I think this trip will not only wean me entirely from it but will give me a new constitution.

He closes the letter by writing:

I have some hopes of making a little fortune. I feel more anxious than I ever did.

Dickson joined the Alabama Red Rovers and served under Col. Fannin at Goliad, where he was killed by the Mexican army along with more than 340 other Texan soldiers.

Lastly, another unique document in the collection is Samuel Augustus Maverick’s copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Maverick was an early Texas land baron, legislator, and leading citizen of the Republic. He lived at the corner of Alamo Plaza and Houston Street and played a large role in the Siege of Bexar in December 1835. He was chosen as one of two representatives from the Alamo to go to the independence convention on March 1, 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

Maverick left on March 2 but did not arrive at the convention until March 5. By that day, the Declaration had already been drafted and adopted. Maverick printed his name as well as the names of the other late arrivals to his broadside copy of the Declaration. Although one thousand broadside copies were originally printed, today only thirteen are known to exist. The DRT Library is fortunate to have two of these known copies. Click here for a previous post about the Maverick copy of the Declaration of Independence.

After the ceremony, Mrs. Stapleton invited all guests to visit the library, which is not usually a browsing collection, to view these and other special primary sources from the library’s collection.

Library visitors look at items on exhibit from the collection.

Letter from Daniel Cloud, Alamo Defender

First page of Daniel Cloud's letter to his brother, December 26, 1835.

One of the treasures in the DRT Library’s collections is a letter written by Daniel William Cloud, a twenty-two year old lawyer from Kentucky. Written on December 26, 1835 near Natchitoches, Louisiana, and addressed to his “beloved brother,” the letter primarily discusses the circumstances of various family members and acquaintances and describes the weather, soil quality, and business prospects Cloud and his traveling companion, Peter J. Bailey, observed as they traveled through Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana on their way to Texas. In perhaps the most well-known and often-quoted section of the letter, Cloud explains his views on the causes of the Texas Revolution and his reasons for wanting to enlist (all punctuation and spelling in the original document have been maintained here):

Ever since Texas has unfurled the banner of Freedom and commenced a warfare for Liberty or Death, our hearts have been enlisted in her behalf. The progress of her cause has increased the ardor of our feelings, until we have resolved to embark in the vessel which contains the flag of Liberty and sink or swim in its defence. Our Brethren of Texas were invited by the Mexican Government while republican in its form to come and settle, they did so, they have endured all the privations & sufferings incident to the settlement of a frontier country and have surrounded themselves with all the comforts and conveniences of live. Now the Mexicans with unblushing effrontery call on them to submit to a Monarchical, tyrannical, Central despotism, at the bare mention of which every true hearted son of Kentucky feels an instinctive horror followed by a firm and steady glow of virtuous indignation. The cause of Philanthropy, of humanity, of Liberty & human happiness throughout the world call loudly on every man who can, to aid Texas. If you ask me how I reconcile the duties of a soldier with those of a Christian I refer you to the memorable conversation between Genl. Marion & DeKalb on this point, and the sentiments of the latter I have adopted as my own. If we succeed, the country is ours, it is immense in extent and fertile in its soil and will amply reward all our toils. If we fail death in the cause of liberty and humanity is not cause for shuddering. Our rifles are by our sides and choice guns they are; we know what awaits us and are prepared to meet it.

Along with Bailey, Cloud joined the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers and was killed when Santa Anna’s troops attacked the Alamo on the morning of March 6, 1836.

Second and third pages of Cloud's letter.

Final page of Cloud's letter, which he ends by telling his brother, "If I were with you, I could talk enough to tire you. I hope we shall meet."

Click here for a full citation of the documents and images included in this entry.

Susanna Dickinson: Alamo Survivor

Studying a historical person or event often involves exploring different types of materials, as each type contributes a distinctive perspective on the subject. For example, walking through a restored home places you where someone celebrated with their family and friends, experienced loss or tragedy, completed daily tasks, and much more. Additionally, historians can read letters, diaries, and other documents written by people who lived in the past and touch artifacts that they created and/or used. Researchers also use secondary sources written by scholars; these works synthesize information from disparate sources and place the experiences of an individual or group within a larger context.

Visitors to the Alamo can walk through the historic structures of the former mission, and the collections of the DRT Library complement this experience with a variety of primary sources, artifacts, and secondary sources. Such is the case, for example, with Susanna Dickinson, who, with her daughter Angelina, was among the women and children who survived the Battle of the Alamo. Mrs. Dickinson lived the rest of her life in Texas and died in Austin on October 7, 1883. You can read more about Susanna and Angelina in the Handbook of Texas Online.

Susanna Dickinson. (SC95.342)

Angelina Dickinson. (SC95.052)

The DRT Library has a copy of a photograph of Susanna and an ambrotype of Angelina. Both images show the women later in their lives (above). Moreover, two of the treasures at the DRT library are petticoats that belonged to each of these women. These clothes, which they did not own and wear until several years after the Texas Revolution, and the photographs were donated by one of their descendants, Mrs. R. E. Nitschke.

Angelina Dickinson's petticoat.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries the word “petticoat” was used to indicate a “skirt, as distinguished from a bodice, worn either externally or showing beneath a dress as part of the costume (often trimmed or ornamented).” As authors C. Willett and Phyllis Cunningham note in their History of Underclothes (1992), petticoats and other undergarments have traditionally served several purposes for both men and women, including protecting the body against cold and creating fashionable shapes and silhouettes. To see how women’s fashions changed in Europe and the United States throughout the nineteenth century and over the course of Susanna’s and Angelina’s lives, see the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s thematic essay and online exhibit entitled “Nineteenth-Century Silhouette and Support.”

Lace detail, Angelina Dickinson's petticoat.

Finally, the DRT Library also has a marriage bond for Almeron and Susanna Dickinson dated May 24, 1829 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. This document obligated Almeron Dickinson and co-signer B. D. Johnson to pay Governor William Hall $1,050, an amount owed only if the bride or groom changed their mind or if a legal or moral obstacle to the marriage presented itself.

Marriage bond, Almeron and Susanna Dickinson.

For Further Reading

Hansen, Todd. The Alamo Reader: A Study in History.

“Historic Sites — Alamo — Alamo Defenders”: the DRT Library has vertical files for Angelina, Almeron, and Susanna Dickinson.

Hollmann, Robert. Susanna Dickinson.

King, C. Richard. Susanna Dickinson: Messenger of the Alamo.

Click here for a full citation of the documents and images included in this entry.

September is Tejano Heritage Month

This month has been designated Tejano Heritage Month by Governor Rick Perry. According to the website of Texas Tejano.com, the organization sponsoring the festivities, the goal of the month-long commemoration is to “elevate and celebrate the lives and legacies of Tejanos” and to educate Texans about Tejanos’ contributions to the state’s history and culture.

Many Tejanos, or Texans of Mexican or Spanish descent, played an important role in supporting the Texas Revolution. Tejanos were also present at the Alamo in 1836, as seven men in Juan N. Seguin’s unit entered the garrison on February 23; remained after William B. Travis sent their commander to Goliad with a message requesting reinforcements; and were among the Alamo defenders killed in the March 6 attack. These men were Juan Abamillo, Juan A. Badillo, Gregorio Esparza, Antonio Fuentes, Damacio Jiménez (Ximenes or Jimenes), Toribio Losoya, and Andrés Nava. Scholars have identified two other Tejanos, José María Guerrero and Carlos Espalier, who are also known to have died defending the Alamo.

The DRT Library contains several primary sources relating to Tejano Alamo defenders. For example, the John W. Smith collection (COL 917) contains the papers of a prominent San Antonio businessman and politician. Smith also managed several persons’ estates, including that of Toribio Losoya. The documents regarding Losoya’s estate include a statement by Erasmo Seguin, Judge of the Probate Court of Bexar County, dated February 6, 1838 appointing Smith administrator “of all and singular the goods and chattels, rights, and credits of the said Torribio Lasoya [sic] deceased.” In other words, Smith was empowered to pay debts Losoya owed others and collect debts owed to him. A second document in this file contains the “field notes of a survey of an [sic] league of land” that includes measurements of boundaries, notations of landmarks, and a small map of Losoya’s Texas property.

Other materials about Tejano Alamo defenders Carlos Espalier, Gregorio Esparza, Antonio Fuentes, Toribio Losoya, and Andrés Nava can be found in the James B. Lefler Research Papers (COL 1127). Lefler was a historical researcher and Pennsylvania resident, and his collection contains copies of documents he gathered at other repositories, particularly the Texas General Land Office. As stated in the inventory to this collection, the documents concern “the grants awarded the heirs of the men for their service to Texas, and include certificates, surveys, patents, and documents submitted in support of land claims.” A complete inventory of the materials in this collection is available at the DRT Library.