This Day In Texas History - March 1

[joe817]

1836 - Thirty-two troops attached to Lt. George C. Kimbell's Gonzales ranging company made their way through the enemy cordon and into the Alamo. Travis was grateful for any reinforcements, but knew he needed more.

1836 - One month after delegates were elected at the various settlements around Texas, the Convention of 1836 convened at Washington-on-the-Brazos. As the Mexican Army made its way up from the Rio Grande to San Antonio, the delegates hastily begin drafting a Declaration of Independence. The Convention names Sam Houston as commander-in-chief of the republic's military forces.

1836 - John Milton Swisher and a force of 10-12 men began a trek from Washington County en route to the Alamo, after learning of William B. Travis's appeal for assistance. They halted in Gonzales after learning of the Alamo defenders' fate.

1840 - Several military units in Texas history have been named for William B. Travis. The Travis Guards were organized at Austin on March 1, 1840, for home protection and speedy campaigns against Indian attack. Officers were elected annually, and the first roster listed as officers a captain, two lieutenants, four sergeants, four corporals, a secretary, and a treasurer. In 1840 the group was called to San Antonio to repel Indian attack.

1845 - A congressional joint resolution was passed in the Republic of Texas in favor of annexation by the United States of America.

1848 - Hays County was organized by the Texas Legislature. San Marcos is declared the County Seat. San Marcos Springs, the second largest cluster of springs in Texas, is located just 2 miles north of the courthouse. Originally named Canocanayesatetlo by the Tonkawa Indians, the springs became the site of the famed Aquarina Springs for many years.

1850 - Fort Merrill, located on the right bank of the Nueces River where the Corpus Christi to San Antonio road crossed the river, fifty miles above its mouth, was founded by Capt. Samuel M. Plummer and companies H and K of the First United States Infantry. Lumber and logs used in the construction of the fort were shipped in from New Orleans, and the soldiers of the garrison erected the buildings. The fort was abandoned on December 1, 1855. Fort Merrill is off U.S. Highway 281, three miles northwest of Dinero in Live Oak County.

1861 - The 2 1/2-year history of the Butterfield Overland Mail in Texas came to an end. The Butterfield line began operations on September 15, 1858. It carried passengers and mail between St. Louis, Memphis, and San Francisco, a distance of 2,795 miles. A government contract called for the company to carry letter mail twice weekly in both directions in four-horse coaches, or spring wagons suitable for carrying passengers. Each trip was to be completed in twenty-five days. The postage rate was ten cents per half ounce. Passenger fare was $200 each way. Stage service in Texas was terminated in March 1861, when an agreement was made to modify the contract and move the route northward out of the state.

1882 - Fossati's Delicatessen is founded in Victoria. Today, Fossati's is the oldest deli in Texas.

1939 - The Golden Gate International Exposition was held in San Francisco. As part of the fair, a race was held from Texas to the fair in San Francisco. On this date in Nacona, the starting gun was fired by Amon G Carter, and 18 riders took off in hopes of receiving 750 brand new silver dollars from the San Francisco Mint.

1942 - The cruiser Houston was sunk in the Sundra Strait. The surviving crewmen and the Second Battalion, 131st Field Artillery of the Thirty-sixth Infantry Division, came to be known as the Lost Battalion because for a year no one at home knew what had happened to them. The men of the Lost Battalion spent the rest of the war in Japanese prison camps.

1946 - Edgar Odell Lovett retired as president of Rice Institute (now Rice University) in Houston. Rice Institute was chartered in 1891 by William Marsh Rice with a $200,000 note payable upon his death. He was First president of Rice Institute.

1978 - the Nature Conservancy, a private concern based in Arlington, Virginia, bought Enchanted Rock for $1.3 million and agreed to act as interim owner until the state could take over, thus guaranteeing that the area would not be opened to private development. Enchanted Rock, a spectacular granite dome near the Gillespie-Llano county line in southern Llano County, rises to 1,825 feet above mean sea level and is the second largest such mountain in the United States. Its name derives from Spanish and Anglo-Texas interpretations of Indian legends and related folklore, which attribute magical properties to the ancient landmark. The first owners of this land were Anavato and María Martínez, to whom a headright certificate was issued in 1838. Llano rancher Charley Moss(owner at the time) first offered it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; the Nature Conservancy stepped in when the agency could not pay his price and deeded the land to the state six days later. Following eighteen months of renovations, the site reopened as Enchanted Rock State Park in March 1984. Today the 1,643-acre Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is a favorite destination of hikers, campers, rock-climbers, hang-gliders, and other outdoor enthusiasts from around the state. [Note: I've heard about this all my life, but never made it out there. Someday I hope to.]

[joe817]

Letters from Fannin at Golidad:

"ead Quarters Army Texas 5 oclock, P.M. 1st mch 1836 Capts Desauque & Chenworth Yours of 28th ult. was recd. this evening & I hasten to answer it, aggreeable to previous arrangements I marched the troops the evening you left & with much difficulty got two waggons & partly across the river one mile above not having provisions but for one day and having only sixty seven men & no provisions for them in the Garrison Two waggons stalled & another could not be got over in this situation they were encamped for the night expecting trains from below The messenger dispached whilst you were here not having returned, about this time an express arrived from Matagorda giving us intelligence of the arrival of more provisions stores clothing &c and shortly afterwards another came in from San Patricio giving us the unpleasant information that our countrymen under the command of Col. Johnson were attacked and inhumanely murdered mostly after surrendering except five who have arrived here (last night) (To wit) Col. Johnson Love Miller Fuler & Beck

In this situation not able to go forward and what was then understood & believed to be a division or its advance to the west coming against this post a council of war was unanamously demanded of me by the Volunteer officers and granted of course it was resolved to be inexpedient to attempt to go forward and that we should return and complete the Fortification and await our doom until relcived whipped or we conquer I have some quantity of Beef cattle and hope soon to have more, and Flour, clothing &c I immediately forwarded an express to Washington Demitts Landing &c. and one after any provisions that might be on the way to Bexar and inform them of our movements also the committee of safety of Gonzales-I will soon bring to bear this place-which I think can be defended some time by 200 men and am informed by persons from Victoria that Col. Wharton crossed the Guadaloupe on Saturday with 270 men and 9 carts with about 70 Barrels flour and proceded toward Bejar-If you can find him or communicate with Gonzales and know how many volunteers will form a junction & if informed speedily I will push out 200 and cooperate-we shall not be able to bring two pieces of cannon .

I think Wharton will try and go by Gonzales or if he saw my express and that was the day it passed Victoria, may endeavor to find me near where you are stationed I would advise you either to return here with the provisions or proceed to Gonzales and hold conferrence with the officers in command-I am in hourly expectation of either an attack or information of the near approach of the enemy I also hope to hear from St. Felipe & to learn that 1000 citizens are out-Mr. Royall informs me that our agents in N. O. gives information of large quantities of supplies being shipd for here by the Mexican Govt. and hence their desire to gain this place to keep up a chain of communication and cover the coast. It is equally important for us to retain it and cover our own scanty stock-Under all the circumstances I was unable to move and do trust no bad effects will follow I would risk life and all for our brave men in the Alamo, but circumstanced as I was and even now am I could not, do otherwise If you can communicate this to them and adopt the following cipher in your communications double the alphabet and uniformly an A. for Z. B. for Y. and X for C. &c & so vice versa inform all officers of this and should any despatches fall into their hands they will not be the gainers by it. Write me & forward by expresses in hast I am &c J. W. Fannin [addressed:] Capts. Desauque Chenoworth or other Volunteer Officers of Texas Cibolo or elsewhere
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The primary responsibility for aiding the Alamo fell to Major Robert M. Williamson, the commander of the Ranger Battalion authorized by the Consultation. On March 1, Williamson, who knew Travis, wrote an encouraging message, promising help:

" You cannot conceive my anxiety; today it has been four whole days that we have not the slightest news relative to your situation and we are therefore given over to a thousand conjectures regarding you. Sixty men have left this municipality, who in all probability are with you by this date. Colonel Fannin with 300 men and four pieces of artillery has been on the march toward BÈxar three days now.

Tonight we await some 300 reinforcements from Wahington, Bastrop, Brazoria, and S. Felipe and no time will be lost in providing you assistance. . . .

P. S. For God's sake hold out until we can assist you--I remit to you with Major Bonham communication from the interim government. Best wishes to all your people and tell them to hold on firmly by their "wills" until I go there. - Williamson. - Write us very soon "