Joe's Account

Account of Travis' Slave, Joe¹, As Recorded By William Fairfax Gray²

        William Fairfax Gray arrived in Texas in early 1836 to investigate the possibility of investing in land. The Virginian met many of the men who participated in the revolution. He witnessed firsthand the Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos, the meeting where delegates declared independence from Mexico and formed the Republic of Texas. Grey was present, too, at Groce's Plantation when members of Texas' ad interim government interviewed Joe, a slave who had belonged to William B. Travis. Joe's account about the fall of the Alamo is important because it provides many of the elements that have come to make up the traditional story of the battle. Gray also included the names of the Alamo dead in his diary, making it one of the earliest attempts to compile a list of the Alamo's defenders. Notice that several names on his list appear twice.

                                                                            Sunday, March 20, 1836

        This morning Messrs. Zavalla, Ruis and Navarro arrived. The cabinet are now all here, except Hardiman.³
        The servant of the late lamented Travis, Joe, a black boy of about twenty-one or twenty-two years of age is now here. He was in the Alamo when the fatal attack was made. He is the only male, of all who were in the fort, who escaped death, and he, according to his own account, escaped narrowly. I heard him interrogated in the presence of the cabinet and others. He related the affair with much modesty, apparent candor, and remarkably distinctly for one of his class. The following is, as near as I can recollect, the substance of it:
        The garrison was much exhausted by incessant watching and hard labor. They had all worked until a late hour on Saturday night, and when the attack was made sentinels and all were asleep, except one man, Capt. -----------,⁴ who gave the alarm. There were three picket guards without the fort, but they, too, it is supposed, were asleep, and were run upon an bayonetted, for they gave no alarm. Joe was sleeping in the room with his master when the alarm was given. Travis sprang up, seized his rifle and sword, and called to Joe to follow him. Joe took his gun and followed. Travis ran across the Alamo and mounted the wall, and called out to his men, "Come on boys, the Mexicans are upon us, and we'll give them Hell." He discharged his gun; so did Joe. In an instant Travis was shot down. He fell within the wall, on the sloping ground, and sat up. The enemy twice applied their scaling ladders to the walls, and were twice beaten back. But this Joe did not well understand, for when his master fell he ran and ensconced himself in a house, from which he says he fired on them several times, after they got in. On the third attempt they succeeded in mounting the walls, and then poured over like sheep. The battle became a melee. Every man fought for his own hand, as best he might, with butts of guns, pistols, knives, etc. As Travis sat wounded on the ground General Mora,⁵ who was passing him, made a blow at him with his sword, which Travis struck up, and ran his assailant through the body, and both died on the same spot. This was poor Travis' last effort. The handful of Americans retreated to such covers as they had, and continued the battle until one [only?] one was left, a little, weakly man named Warner,⁶ who asked for quarter. He was spared by the soldiery, but on being conducted to Santa Anna, he ordered him to be shot, and it was done. Bowie is said to have fired through the door of his room, from his sick bed. He was found dead and mutilated where he lay. Crockett and a few of his friends were found together, with twenty-four of the enemy dead around them. The negroes, for there were several negroes and women in the fort, were spared. Only one woman was killed, and Joe supposes she was shot accidentally, while attempting to cross the Alamo. She was found lying between two guns. The officers came around, after the massacre, and called out to know if there were any negroes there. Joe stepped out and said, "Yes, here is one." Immediately two soldiers attempted to kill him, one by discharging his piece at him, the other with a thrust of the bayonet. Only one buckshot took effect in his side, not dangerously, and the point of the bayonet scratched him on the other. He was saved by Capt. Baragan. Besides the negroes, there were in the fort several Mexican women, among them the wife of a Dr. ---------- and her sister, Miss Navarro, who were spared and restored to their father, D. Angel Navarro of Bejar.⁷ Mrs. Dickenson, wife of Lieut. Dickenson, and child, were also spared, and have been sent back into Texas. After the fight was over, the Mexicans were formed in hollow square, and Santa Anna addressed them in a very animated manner. They filled the air with shouts. Joe describes him as a slender man, rather tall, dressed very plainly--somewhat "like a Methodist preacher," to use the negro's own words. Joe was taken into Bejar, and detained several days; was shown a grand review of the army after the battle, which he was told, or supposes, was 8,000 strong.⁸ Those acquainted with the ground on which he says they formed think not more than half that number could form there. Santa Anna questioned Joe about Texas, and the state of its army. Asked if there were many soldiers from the United States in the army, and if more were expected, and said he had men enough to march to the city of Washington. The American dead were collected in a pile and burnt.
        A list of those who fell in the Alamo, March 6, 1836, as far as they are known:
David Crockett, Tennessee.
Col. Wm. B. Travis.
Col. Bowman.
Col. James Bowie, Tennessee.
G. Washington, Drum Major
Adjt. I. Baugh, Virginia, New Orleans Greys.
Capt. S. C. Blair, Artillery, Ireland.
Capt. Carey, Ireland.
Capt. Baker, Mississippi.
Capt. Wm. Blazeby, New Orleans Greys.
Capt. Harrison, Tennessee.
Capt. Forsyth, New York.
Lt. John Jones, New Orleans Greys.
Lt. Kimble, Gonzales.
Lt. Dickenson, wife, and child.
Lt. Robt. Evans, Master of Ordnance, England.
Lt. Williamson, Sergt. Major, Philadelphia.
Dr. Mitchison, Civil Engineer.
Dr. Pollard, Surgeon.
Dr. Thompson, Tennessee.
Charles Despalier, Aide to Travis.
Elliot Melton, Quartermaster.
----- Anderson, Quartermaster.
Major G. B. Jamison, Kentucky.
Col. J. B. Bonham, Alabama.
----- Robinson, Scotland.
----- Nelson, Charleston, S. C.
----- Nelson, Austin's clerk.
Wm. Smith, Nacogdoches.
Lewis Johnson, Mina.
E. P. Mitchell, Georgia.
----- Thurston.
----- Moor, Mississippi.
Christopher Parker, Mississippi.
----- Hieskell, Nacogdoches.
----- Rowe, Nacogdoches.
John M. Hays, Tennessee.
----- Stewart.
James Blair, Nacogdoches.
William Simpson.
Albert Martin, Gonzales.
David Wilson, Nacogdoches.
Wm. Howell, New Orleans Greys.
Charles Smith, Bastrop.
J. McGregor, Scotland.
----- Rusk.
Col. ----- Hawkins, Louisiana.
Samuel Holloway, Texas.
----- Browne, Travis' Company.
----- Smith, Travis' Company.
----- Browne, Philadelphia.
----- Henderson.
Wm. Wells, Tennessee.
Wm. Cummings, Pennsylvania.
----- Battentine, Pennsylvania.
R. W. Valantine, Pennsylvania.
R. Cockran, Boston.
Capt. Robt. White.
Sergt. Isaac White, Harris, Ky.
----- Sterne.
----- Jackson, Ireland.
----- McAfferty.
Wm. D. Sutherland, Navidad.
Three Taylors, Trinity.
----- Taylor, Little River, Texas.
R. M. Kinney, Bastrop.
S. B. Evans, Tennessee.
Tom R. Miller, Gonzales.
Wm. R. King, Gonzales.
J. Kane, Gonzales.
Wm. Durduff, Gonzales.
Geo. Tomlinson, Gonzales.
Dan'l Jackson, Sailor.
John C. Goodrich, Tennessee.
Wm. Marshall, New Orleans Greys, Arkansas.
Jon'a Lindley, Tennessee.
Micajah Autry, Tennessee.
Jas. Sewall, Nacogdoches.
John Wilson, Nacogdoches.
C. Grimes, Alabama.
Jas. C. Day, Nacogdoches.
Taply Holland.
James George, Gonzales.
----- Bailey, Logan County, Kentucky.
----- Cloud, Logan Country, Kentucky.
----- Lewis, Philadelphia.
----- Stockton, Virginia.
----- Thomas, Tennessee.
----- Bowen, Tennessee.
----- Bailiss, Tennessee.
----- Crawford, Kentucky.
----- Devault, Missouri, Plasterer.
----- Dewell, Blacksmith.
Jas. Kinney.
----- Warner.
John Garvin, Missouri.
----- Wornell.
Capt. ----- Gilmore, Tennessee.
----- Smith, Tennessee.
Spain Summerlin, Tennessee.
----- Thompson, Tennessee.
----- Pollard.
----- Nelson, New Orleans Greys.
----- Butler, New Orleans Greys.
Wm. Ellis.
Jos. Shead.
Sam'l Holloway, New Orleans Greys.
----- Ballard.
----- Spratt.
Jacob Dust, Gonzales.
Christopher Parker, Mississippi.
----- Robbins, Kentucky.
John Flanders.
Isaac Ryan, Opelousas.
David Murphy, Tennessee.
Jon'a Lindley, Illinois.
Jas. Ewing.
Jas. Stewart, Nacogdoches.
Robt. Cunningham.
Francis Desooks, Storekeeper.
----- Lynn, Drum Major.
John Balone.
----- Burns, Ireland.
John Burnell.
Geo. Neggin.
F. Desanque, Philadelphia.
John ----- (clerk in Desanque's store).
Robt. Musselman, New Orleans.
Robt. Crossman, New Orleans.
Richard Starr, England.
J. G. Ganett, New Orleans.
J. G. Dinkin, England.
Rob. B. Moore, New Orleans.
Wm. Lynn, Boston.
----- Hutchinson.
Wm. Johnson, Philadelphia.
Dan'l Bourne, England.
----- Ingram, England.
Charles Lanco, Demark.
Capt. A. Dickerson, Gonzales.
Geo. C. Kimble, Gonzales.
Dolphin Floyd, Gonzales.
Thos. Jackson, Gonzales.
Geo. W. Cottle, Gonzales.
Andrew Kent, Gonzales.
Isaac Baker, Gonzles.
Jesse McCoy, Gonzales.
Claiborne Wright, Gonzales.
Wm. Fishback, Gonzales.
----- Millsap, Gonzales.
Galby Fuqua, Gonzales.
John Davis, Gonzales.

Footnotes

1. Click here to see a biographical sketch of Joe: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/view/JJ/fjo1.html   back to text
2. William Fairfax Gray, Diary of Col. Wm. F. Gray (Houston: Fletcher Young Publishing Co., 1965), 136-141. Click here to see a biographical sketch of William FairfaxGray http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/view/GG/fgr27.html  back to text
3. Paul Lack, The Texas Revolutionary Experience: A Political and Social History, 1835-1836 (College Station: Texas A & M Press), 97. The Cabinet of the Interim Government of the Republic of Texas included David G. Burnet (president), Lorenzo de Zavala (vice president), Thomas J. Rusk (secretary of war), David Thomas (attorney general), and Bailey Hardeman (treasury secretary). JosÈ Antonio Ruiz and JosÈ Antonio Navarro had served at the Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos as delegates from BÈxar.  back to text
4. Steven L. Hardin, Texian Iliad (Austin: University of Texas Press), 139. Tradition contends that this officer was the command's adjutant, John Baugh. back to text
5. Hardin, Texian Iliad, 146. Modern historians tend to discount this portion of Joe's account, finding it more fanciful than credible. back to text
6. J. M. Morphis, History of Texas (NY: United States Publishing Company, 1875), 176. Susanna Dickinson also mentioned this incident but claimed the man was [Jacob] Walker from Nacogdoches. back to text
7. The Navarro family was related to other important BÈxar families: Ruiz and Veramendi. Juana, a daughter of JosÈ Angel Navarro, had married an Anglo colonist named Dr. Horace A. Alsbury, who was absent from town at the time of the battle. She and another daughter, Gertrudis, were related to Ursula Veramendi, the wife of James Bowie, and had accompanied him to the Alamo. For more information, see http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/view/NN/fna16.html.   back to text
8. Richard G. Santos, Santa Anna's Campaign Against Texas,1835-1836 (Waso, TX: Texian Press, 1968), 17. The entire force assembled for the Texas Campaign numbered only between 6,0000 and 6,700. It is very likely that Santa Anna's officers told Joe that force at BÈxar number 8,000 in order to frighten the Texans. back to text