The men who died at the Alamo

WE are familiar with the great wave of people who fled poverty and starvation for a new life in the United States in the 1800s but there had been an equally significant earlier emigration. Ulster Presbyterian descendents of the Plantation of Ulster settlers emigrated for economic reasons and also to escape religious discrimination. What was a trickle in the late 1600s grew to a major migration in the early 1700s.

These people went on to play an important role in the establishment of the new country, its expansion and settlement. The original Declaration of Independence was handwritten by Charles Thompson from Derry, it was printed by John Dunlop from Strabane and the first signature was that of John Hancock, whose ancestors were from Down. Mainly settling in the north-east, their descendents moved south, particularly to Tennessee and Virginia and from there west as new territories were discovered.
When Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, Texas was part of that country. They offered grants of up to 40,000 acres of land to people who agreed to settle families in the Mexican territory. The Mexican government were particularly keen on settlers from Ireland or of Irish descent. James McGlynn and John McMullen received large grants in return for settling 200 families. In 1829, they brought families from New York and set up Villa de San Patricio de Hibernia. In 1834, James Power and James Heweston brought families direct from Ireland to a settlement named Refugio on the Gulf coast. Another man, Stephen Austen, after whom the capital of Texas is named, brought 300 families. He was great great grandson of Anthony Sharpe, a Dublin Quaker.
The settlers in Texas began to demand more freedom for themselves and things came to a head when Mexico banned any further settlers from the United States. The settlers began to fight for their freedom and the revolution began. Many flocked to Texas to help the settlers and also to get land for themselves. Irish men and those of Irish descent played a vital role in the revolution.
A large Mexican army under General Santa Anna, moved to quell the uprising and one of the first battles they faced was at the Alamo. Of the 187 men who held the Alamo, at least 40 were Irish. As many as 12 were actually Irish-born. Their leader, William Travis, and the leader of those who came to help, Davy Crockett, were both descended from those Irish of Tennessee and Virginia, as was Sam Houston, the leader of the army they hoped would relieve them. Unfortunately, that help did not arrive in time. The siege started on February 23 and lasted for two weeks. Santa Anna offered to spare their lives if they surrendered but the defenders refused. When the final attack succeeded, the Mexican soldiers were under orders to take no prisoners and to allow no survivors.
The Mexican success was short-lived. In April, Houston routed Santa Anna’s army at San Jacinto, the Republic of Texas became a reality and Sam Houston the first president.
Their freedom was due in no small way to the men who died at the Alamo when, on March 6 1836, the Mexican army overran the mission and killed all there – 176 years ago this week.