On Thursday, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham was pleased to announce that William Barret Travis has been selected by voters as the 2023 Top Texan Tournament Winner. After multiple weeks of legendary Texans facing off in exciting matchups during this Texas-style March Madness tournament, William B. Travis secured the final victory over second-time, second place finisher Selena Quintanilla.
As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Texas Army, a revered Alamo Defender, and author of the famous letter, To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World-, penned from the besieged Alamo, William Travis is truly an icon of Texas history. Colonel Travis was a native of South Carolina and an attorney before he fought for Texas’ independence and earned himself a reputation as a high-spirited, man of action, who deeply loved the land he gave his life to defend.
In his letter, Colonel Travis called for reinforcements to help defend the Alamo against Santa Anna’s continuous bombardments. He beseeched his readers in “the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character,” to send reinforcements as he would never surrender or retreat, knowing the only outcome for this battle would be “Victory or Death.” On March 6, 1836, Colonel Travis, along with other legends like David Crockett and James Bowie, and about 200 more Alamo defenders, made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. Colonel Travis and his men’s bravery stands as one of our nation’s greatest testaments to courage in the face of insurmountable odds. Today, we stive to preserve the memory of these heroes, and the selfless bravery of the Alamo defenders will continue to inspire Texans for generations to come.
Created in 2004, the Save Texas History program is a statewide initiative to rally public support and private funding for the preservation and promotion of the historic maps and documents housed in the GLO Archives and serves as a resource for teaching and digitizing Texas history. If you would like to donate to the Save Texas History program to adopt a document or collection, assist with archival acquisitions, develop educational programs, or support digital projects, please visit SaveTexasHistory.org.
