Marker for Alamo letter unveiled Tuesday at courthouse
Public invited to ceremony; cannon to be fired
A cannon shot echoing in downtown Boerne noon Tuesday will signal the dedication on the Kendall County Courthouse grounds of a bronze plaque honoring an Alamo defender’s famous “Victory or Death” letter.
The ceremony highlights the missive penned by Lt. Col. William Barret Travis during an ill-fated attempt to defend the Alamo during the Texas war for independence from the Republic of Mexico 190 years ago.
Officials with the Alamo Letter Society, the Kendall County Historical Commission and the Boerne Area Historic Preservation Society invite the public to join them for the installation of a permanent bronze marker of Travis’ letter, marking the siege at the Alamo March 1836.
The April 21 plaque dedication will be held at 208 E. San Anto- nio Ave.
The letter, written at the Alamo in San Antonio on Feb. 24, 1836, is considered by historians to be a pivotal document in Texas history.
In his post, Travis addressed the people of Texas and all Americans, pleading for help as the Alamo faced an attack by the Mexican army under Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna.
“It is a testament to the bravery and patriotism of the Texan defenders and has been held in high esteem by many as a symbol of liberty and resistance,” said Rusty Busby, Alamo Letter Society- Kendall County chair.
The Travis letter dedication is organized by the society.
The ceremony opens at “high noon” with a cannon shot and a welcome by Busby. After the presentation of colors, the U.S. and Texas pledges of allegiance, and invocation, the state anthem, “Texas, Our Texas” will be heard.
Remarks will be given by Taylor Millard of the society and Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk. There will be a drawing for a special Travis shadowbox and a presentation of the Albert Martin Award afterwards.
Errol Flannery, the fourth great-grandson of Alamo defender Davy Crockett, will read Travis’ letter.
The Boerne Area Historic Preservation Society will present a spray of yellow roses on a pedestal by the plaque in memory of the fallen Texians of the Alamo and the 342 soldiers under Col. James Fannin’s command of Presidio La Bahia de Goliad.
Organizers said the significance of the yellow roses is a “tip of the hat” to Emily D. West, also known as Emily Morgan, whose legendary activities during the Texas Revolution have come to be identified with the song, “The Yellow Rose of Texas.”
During the Texas Revolution, more than 180 Texians starting in December 1835 occupied the Alamo, formerly a mission of the Spanish empire, under the command of James Bowie and Travis.
Travis’ letter was written during the Mexican Army’s assault on the mission, which fell on March 6, 1836, after a 13-day siege, resulting in the deaths of all defenders and becoming a symbol of colonial resistance and the fight for independence, officials said.
The revolution reached its climax with Gen. Sam Houston’s Runaway Scrape, resulting in the decisive defeat of Santa Anna’s forces at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. The 18-minute battle marked the end of the revolution and the establishment of the Republic of Texas.
The capture of Santa Anna was followed by the signing of the Treaties of Velasco, which ordered Mexican troops to withdraw from Texas.
Those wishing to make a donation can send checks to Friends of the Kendall County Historic Jail, 127 Busby Road, Boerne, TX 78006.
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