|
|
|
|
Details of the four Scottish Heroes of the Alamo their names and Scottish roots |
|
|
|
It is amazing what turns up on Scottish History Online and takes your own research off in a tangent. I had never thought about who was at the Alamo before (probably because I am Scot and not a Texan) but due to a entry in the Guest Book about Colonel William Barrett Travis one of the two commanders of the Alamo the other being Jim Bowie I thought I would look into it a bit further. It was interesting to find that there were four Scots lads who played their part from the 23rd Feb to 6th March 1836 in the defence of the Alamo and who along with the other 185 volunteers, gallantly lost their lives. The Cost to Mexican forces was dreadful. While Santa Anna dictated an announcement of glorious victory, his aide, Col. Juan Almonte, privately noted: "One more such glorious victory and we are finished". The finish came April 21 when Sam Houston's Texans routed the Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto near Houston.
|
|
Richard W.
Ballentine.
(1814-1836). Richard W. Ballentine, Alamo defender, was born in
Scotland in 1814. He traveled to Texas from Alabama aboard the
Santiago and disembarked on December 9, 1835. He and the other
passengers signed a statement declaring, "we have left every
endearment at our respective places of abode in the United States of
America, to maintain and defend our brethren, at the peril of our
lives, liberties and fortunes." Ballentine died in the battle of
the Alamoqv on March
6, 1836. John McGregor.
(1808-1836). John McGregor,
Alamo defender, was born in Scotland in 1808 and lived in 1836 in
Nacogdoches, Texas. He took part in the siege of Bexarqv
and later served in the Alamo garrison as a second sergeant of Capt.
William R. Carey'sqv
artillery company. It is said that during the siege of the Alamo,
McGregor engaged in musical duels with David Crockett,qv
McGregor playing the bagpipes and Crockett the fiddle. McGregor died
in the battle of the Alamoqv
on March 6, 1836. Isaac Robinson.
(1808-1836). Isaac Robinson,
Alamo defender, was born in Scotland in 1808 and came to Texas from
Louisiana. He took part in the siege of Bexarqv
and later served in the Alamo garrison as a fourth sergeant in Capt.
William R. Carey'sqv
artillery company. He died in the battle of the Alamoqv
on March 6, 1836. David L. Wilson. (1807-1836). David L. Wilson, Alamo defender, son of James and Susanna (Wesley) Wilson, was born in Scotland in 1807. In Texas he lived in Nacogdoches with his wife, Ophelia. Wilson was probably one of the volunteers who accompanied Capt. Philip Dimmittqv to Bexar and the Alamo in the early months of 1836. He remained at the Alamo after Dimmitt left on the first day of the siege. Wilson died in the battle of the Alamoqv on March 6, 1836. © by John A. Duncan of Sketraw, KCN, FSA Scot BIBLIOGRAPHY: Daughters of the American Revolution, The Alamo Heroes and Their Revolutionary Ancestors (San Antonio, 1976). John H. Jenkins, ed., The Papers of the Texas Revolution, 1835-1836 (10 vols., Austin: Presidial Press, 1973).
|
|
|
© 1999-2007 Scottish History Online Last Update: 09 Jan 2007 |
| Website Design by Huntly Computer Services |
Scottish Heroes The Alamo |