Victory or Death!
The Battle of the Alamo and the Travis Letter
28 February 1836
28 February 1836
Mexico of the early 1800s held particularly significant territory in what is now the U.S., including what we now know as Texas. This land was governed by the Mexican government but, as time went on, increasing numbers of American colonists spread into this area, causing inevitable friction that eventually resulted in the Texas Revolution and the declaration of the Republic of Texas. One of the early battles was the now-famous battle of the Alamo and this letter in the collection, known as the Travis Letter, illustrates clearly and in emotional language the patriotism and cost of this war.
The Battle of the Alamo was an attempt by the Mexican government to retake Texas after a rebellion had successfully expelled them a few months previously. The Texas army was made up of self-identified ‘Texians’ – the name coming from an amalgamation of ‘Mexican’ and ‘Texas’ – who were mainly Anglo-Americans who had been encouraged by the Mexican government to put down roots in the area and who now made up the majority of Texas inhabitants. After the passing of widely disliked new laws (the Siete Leyes) by the Mexican Government in 1835 the Texians fought against Mexican rule and successfully expelled them from the area. They then set up a small garrison of men at the Alamo in preparation for its defence. On 23 February 1836 an army of around 1,500 Mexicans descended on the Alamo in the first stage of a prepared retaking of Texas. After a 13-day siege, the Mexican army managed to break the defence and descended on the Texian defenders, who were then slaughtered. Previous to this gruesome ending, one of the leaders of the defenders, William Travis, had written a number of pleading letters to the Americans asking for reinforcements. One of these was the ‘Victory or Death’ letter, an emotional and patriotic letter that, in between pleading for reinforcements and updating the reader on the situation, contained brave and determined statements that promised to never surrender and to die for the Texian cause. Despite his rousing words, significant reinforcements failed to appear, in direct contrast to the expanding Mexican army, which numbered nearly 3,000 by the time it attacked. Travis himself was one of the first to die and his comrades soon followed, those who surrendered were executed without mercy. Eyewitnesses claim that 182 Texians were killed, whilst historians place Mexican casualties at 400-600.
Travis’ letter was not in vain however. After being carried from the Alamo by Captain Albert Martin it appeared in newspapers as early as 2 March of that year. Published and circulated around Europe and the U.S., it quickly became a bestseller and successfully rallied the Texian cause. Alongside the knowledge of the massacre of the Alamo, and the evidence of the letter showing the bravery of the men killed, the Texian army received the volunteers and morale push it needed and expelled the Mexicans from Texas for a final time, ending the Texan revolution on 21 April 1836, only a few months after the Battle of the Alamo.
The Battle of the Alamo was an attempt by the Mexican government to retake Texas after a rebellion had successfully expelled them a few months previously. The Texas army was made up of self-identified ‘Texians’ – the name coming from an amalgamation of ‘Mexican’ and ‘Texas’ – who were mainly Anglo-Americans who had been encouraged by the Mexican government to put down roots in the area and who now made up the majority of Texas inhabitants. After the passing of widely disliked new laws (the Siete Leyes) by the Mexican Government in 1835 the Texians fought against Mexican rule and successfully expelled them from the area. They then set up a small garrison of men at the Alamo in preparation for its defence. On 23 February 1836 an army of around 1,500 Mexicans descended on the Alamo in the first stage of a prepared retaking of Texas. After a 13-day siege, the Mexican army managed to break the defence and descended on the Texian defenders, who were then slaughtered. Previous to this gruesome ending, one of the leaders of the defenders, William Travis, had written a number of pleading letters to the Americans asking for reinforcements. One of these was the ‘Victory or Death’ letter, an emotional and patriotic letter that, in between pleading for reinforcements and updating the reader on the situation, contained brave and determined statements that promised to never surrender and to die for the Texian cause. Despite his rousing words, significant reinforcements failed to appear, in direct contrast to the expanding Mexican army, which numbered nearly 3,000 by the time it attacked. Travis himself was one of the first to die and his comrades soon followed, those who surrendered were executed without mercy. Eyewitnesses claim that 182 Texians were killed, whilst historians place Mexican casualties at 400-600.
Travis’ letter was not in vain however. After being carried from the Alamo by Captain Albert Martin it appeared in newspapers as early as 2 March of that year. Published and circulated around Europe and the U.S., it quickly became a bestseller and successfully rallied the Texian cause. Alongside the knowledge of the massacre of the Alamo, and the evidence of the letter showing the bravery of the men killed, the Texian army received the volunteers and morale push it needed and expelled the Mexicans from Texas for a final time, ending the Texan revolution on 21 April 1836, only a few months after the Battle of the Alamo.