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 Alamo^qv 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 Bexar^qv and later served in the Alamo garrison as a second sergeant of Capt. William R. Carey's^qv 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 Alamo^qv 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 Bexar^qv and later served in the Alamo garrison as a fourth sergeant in Capt. William R. Carey's^qv artillery company. He died in the battle of the Alamo^qv 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 Dimmitt^qv 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 Alamo^qv 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).

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Scottish Heroes The Alamo