History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 50

HISTORT OP TEXAS.

afcce. The main historic facts is what the
compiler wishes to emphasize in these pages.
Several declarations of independence were
adopted in different sections of the embryo
State, but an election was held for delegates
to a convention which met on the 1st of
March, 1836, and on the second day a committee
was appointed to draft a declaration
of independence, which was done. and it was
unanimously passed, Sam Houston offering
the resolution that the report of the committee
be adopted. Richard Ellis, for whom
Ellis county was named, was president of the
convention. A constitution was also framed
which was adopted March 17, and a government
ad interim inaugurated: David G.
Burnett, President; Lorenzo de Zavala, Vicepresident,
and Salw Houston, Commander-inChief
of the arlny in the field.
Zacatecas, and the district over which Governor
Garcia still had nominal sway, the reimaining
portion of old Mexico wherein the
Republicans held out the longest, at last fell.
Santa Anna having gained a complete victory
over the forces of the governor. This
swept away the last vestige of the Republican
party in Mexico. Yet Texas was not only
holding her own, but gaining strength with
every day; so Santa Anna determined to subjugate
this State. lie proposed to send two
columns into the province, General Urrea being
ordered to Matamoras to take one division
along the coast to Goliad and Victoria,
while the president himself, with the main
division, would take the province by way of
Presidio, thence to Sari Antonio and San Felipe.

THE ALAMO.
In January, 1836, Santa Anna /eached
Saltillo, and Gnlerrero by the 15th of February.
From the latter place he wrote to

Sefior Tornel, Minister of War, giving that
official an outline of his plans in reference to
Texas, which were "to drive froin the province
all who had taken part in the revolution,
together with all the foreigners who
lived near the sea-coast, or the borders of the
United States; to remove far into the interior
those who had not taken part in the revolution;
to vacate all lands and grants of lands
owned by non-residents; to remove from
Texas all who had come to the province and
were not entered as colonists under Mexican
rules; to divide among the officers and soldiers
of the army the best lands, provided
they would occupy them; to permit no
Anglo-American to settle in Texas; to sell
the remaining vacant lands at $1 per acre,
allowing those speaking the French language
to purchase 5,000,000 acres, those speaking
English the same, and those speaking
Spanish without limit; to satisfy the claims
of civilized Indians; to make the Texans
pay the expense of the war; and to liberate
and to declare free the negroes introduced
into the colony." And further, to cut off
from Texas the hope of aid from the United
States, the Minister of War, Tornel, issued a
general order to all commanders to treat all
foreigners (volunteers from the United States)
as outlaws, to show no quarter, and slay
them when'taken as prisoners,-in short, to
take no prisoners alive. Colonel Travis, with
145 men, who was in the vicinity of San Antonio,
on the approach of the invading army,
retired to the fortress of the Alamo, on the
east side of the river.
And just here a description of this famous
fortress, the Alamo, and its armament, will be
in place; and although it has often been described,
yet the memories surrounding it,
glorious though sad, cannot be kept too fresh
in the mind of all who love supreme hero

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