Travis, William Barret, 1809-1836

As commander of the doomed Alamo garrison, Colonel William Barret Travis became a legendary figure in Texas history. Born in South Carolina in 1809, Travis went on to study law and marry Rosanna Cato before moving to Texas. He left his family behind and settled in Stephen F. Austin's colony to practice law. With the coming of war with Mexico, Travis became an army officer and was ordered to reinforce the Alamo garrison in San Antonio de Bexar. He took command after James C. Neill gave up the post to attend to family matters. Facing an overwhelming force of Mexican troops under the command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Travis commanded the 180 defenders of the Alamo, including such figures as David Crockett and Jim Bowie. The Alamo fell on March 6, 1836, ending Travis' life at age 26.

From the guide to the William Barret Travis Papers, 1831-1924, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

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