The Provisional Government - An Official House Divided Against Itself - A Depleted Garrison - Travis' Heroic Appeals to the Powerless - Bexar's Indignation Meeting - The Gonzalean Volunteers - A Blood-Red Banner - Declaration of Independence.

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     A provisional government had been formed not long before the close of the first campaign of the Texas Revolution, at San Felipe with Henry Smith, gov-

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ernor, James W. Robinson, lieutenant-governor, and one man from each of the eighteen municipalities in Texas, to compose a council.  The stern fact for their consideration, after the departure of the Mexican army from San Antonio in the middle of December, 1835, was that with the coming of spring, Santa Ana himself would be in Texas and with a larger army.  A plan of defense could not be agreed upon, there being dissensions between the governor and the council - a house divided against itself.  Thus began an official quarrel which culminated in the most disastrous calamity ever chronicled in history - the fall of the Alamo.
     Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Neill had been left in charge of the garrison at Bexar after the departure of the Mexican troops.  This force was soon depleted, however, by Dr. James Grant, who - applauded by the council - hastened with many of them to Matamoras on the Rio Grande, a stronghold of the Mexicans, and furthermore carried off so many supplies of clothing, ammunition and provisions, that Colonel Neill, writing to Governor Smith, declared the place was ''left destitute and defenseless - even the sick and wounded being stripped of blankets needed to cover them, and medicines necessary for their recovery."
     On the night of Jan. 11th, 1836, General Houston was informed by courier from Colonel Neill, in command of but eighty men at San Antonio, that a large

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Mexican force was marching on the place.* The next day he ordered Colonel Bowie with thirty men to hasten to San Antonio with instructions to Colonel Neill to demolish the fortifications and bring off the artillery, as it would be impossible to hold the town with the force there, stripped as it had been by Dr. Grant, of men and ammunition.  On that same day General Houston wrote Governor Smith, "In an hour I will take up the line of march for Refugio with a force of about two hundred men to await orders from your Excellency . . . I would myself have marched with a force to Bexar, but the ' Matamoras fever' rages so high that I must see Colonel Ward's men.  You have no idea of the difficulties I have encountered.  Patton has told you of the men that make the trouble.  Better material was never in ranks."
     General Houston, on reaching Refugio, and finding that he had been ignored by the council and virtually superseded by the authorization given to Fannin and Johnson, returned to Washington-on-the-Brazos.  Colonel Neill in answering Houston's orders, declared he could not remove the artillery for want of teams, and could not therefore demolish the fortifications.  Grant had not left enough horses for scouting purposes or for bringing in beeves.  The men were not paid, were poorly fed and so many had gone home that but eighty were left.

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     * The name of Lorenzo de Zavala was particularly reverenced in San Antonio.  To friends in the Alamo, and in the town of Bexar, he sent a special courier to warn them of the coming of Santa Ana.

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     On Feb. 2nd, 1836, Colonel Bowie wrote from Bexar to Governor Smith that no other man in the army save Colonel Neill, could have kept men at that post under the neglect they had experienced.  "Relief at this post in men, money and provisions, is of vial importance.  The salvation of Texas depends on keeping Bexar out of the hands of the enemy. . . . Again we call aloud for relief . . . Our force today is but one hundred men and officers.  It would be a waste of men to put our brave little band against thousands."
     Ten days later found Lieutenant-Colonel Travis with a small force at Bexar, sent thither by order of Governor Smith.  Upon his arrival, Lieutenant-Colonel Neill, because of ill-health, departed for his home in Central Texas, leaving Travis in command.  Wishing to give satisfaction to the volunteers at that place, Colonel Travis issued an order for the election by two small companies.  On February 14th, a letter was sent to Governor Smith saying:  "By an understanding of today, Colonel James Bowie has command of the volunteers of the garrison, and Colonel W. B. Travis of the regulars and volunteer cavalry.  All general orders and correspondence will henceforth be signed by both until Colonel Neill's return."
     By the arrival of Crockett and Travis, the garrison was increased to one hundred and fifty men.  "I must again remind your Excellency that this position

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at Bexar is the key of Texas, and should not be rejected by the Government,'' wrote Travis to the governor nearly a week later.
     On Jan. 26th, 1836, an indignation meeting of citizens and soldiers was held at Bexar, supporting the authority of Governor Smith and ''his unyielding and patriotic efforts to fulfill the duties and preserve the dignity of his office," and declaring they ''would not submit to the attempts of the President and members of the Executive Council to annul the acts or embarrass the officers appointed by the General Constitution, deemed by this meeting to be anarchial assumptions of power."  These animadversions referred to the assumption of Grant and Johnson as officers of the self-styled Federal Army, and the acts of the malcontents, composing a fragment of the council, in virtually appointing Fannin an officer independent of the governor and commander-in-chief.  Thus had Governor Smith's efforts been sorely crippled and the power of General Houston for good been paralyzed, by the usurpations of a minority of the governing body of Texas.
     On February 23rd, 3 :00 o 'clock p .m., 1836, an appeal was sent from Colonel Travis to Andrew Ponton, alcalde, and the citizens of Gonzales: "The enemy in large force is in sight.  We want men and provisions.  Send them to us.  We have one hundred and fifty men and are determined to defend the Alamo to

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the last.  Give us assistance .  .  . Send an express to San Felipe with the news night and day.''
     Immediately upon receipt of this dispatch Governor Smith had it printed on hand-bills with an appeal to the people of Texas, which contained the ringing appeal "I call upon you as an officer and implore you as a man, to fly to the aid of your besieged countrymen and not permit them to be massacred by a mercenary foe.  I slight none.  The call is upon ALL who are able to bear arms, to rally without one moment's delay, or in fifteen days the heart of Texas will be the seat of war . . . The campaign has commenced.  We must promptly meet the enemy or all will be lost.  Do you possess honor?  Suffer it not to be insulted or tarnished!  Do you possess patriotism?  Evince it by your bold, prompt, and manly action.  If you possess even humanity, you will rally without a moment's delay to the aid of your besieged countrymen!"
     On February 24th, Travis sent out from the Alamo an heroic document addressed "To the people of Texas, and all Americans in the world," containing the historical words:  "I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Ana.  I have sustained a continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and not a man lost.  The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise the garrisons are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken.  I have answered the demand with a cannon shot and

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our flag still waves proudly from the walls.  I shall never surrender or retreat.  Then, I call upon you in the name of liberty, of patriotism and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch.  The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days.  If this call is neglected I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier, who never forgets what is due to his honor an that of his country.  VICTORY OR DEATH."

     Before day on the morning of March 1st, Captain Albert Martin and thirty-nine other dauntless Gonzaleans, passed safely through the lines of Santa Ana and entered the walls of the Alamo.  These heroes, most of them husband and fathers, voluntarily organized, thus entered a fortress doomed to destruction.
     For days the men within the walls had been ready for a supreme sally, when Fannin and his men from Goliad would need a welcome backed by the Alamo rifles, - for as a final appeal to them for help, James Butler Bonham had been sent a willing messenger.  Early on the morning of March 3rd, Bonham returned alone from his mission.  "They are coming!" he cried hopefully.  But in Travis' letter written that same day to President Burnet of the Convention at Wash

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ington-on-the-Brazos, he wrote: ''Colonel Fannin* is said to be on the march to this place with reinforcements, but I fear it is not true . . . I look to the colonists alone for aid . . . A blood red banner waves from the church at Bexar, and in the camp above us, in token that the war is one of vengeance against rebels . . . God and Texas! Victory or death!''
     A few days after the promulgation of Governor Smith's appeal, a convention assembled at Washington-on-the-Brazos, which on March 2nd, adopted unanimously a Declaration of Independence for Texas.  This same convention vindicated the course of Governor Smith and unanimously re-elected Sam Houston commander-in-chief of the armies of Texas.

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     * It is but justice to Fannin to state that although heeding none of the other messengers sent him from the Alamo, he finally gave encouragement to Bonham, after whose departure he started forth with his men.  But he had too long delayed.  a trivial accident caused him to return to Goliad.  Of his massacre there with his men all Texans are familiar.

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