Northampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Biographies.....Travis, William Thomas 1860 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 25, 2008, 10:17 pm Author: Leonard Wilson (1916) WILLIAM THOMAS TRAVIS THE family name of Travis is one that will never be forgotten in our country, for history has recorded upon its pages no more heroic character than William Barrett Travis, "The Hero of the Alamo." The name is said to have been derived from a locality called Trevieres in Normandy, hence the family is of French origin. The most common form of the name was Travers, and from that came Travis. Each name is in use to-day, both in Great Britain and America. The Travers family is perhaps the more numerous of the two; but both come from the same source. The family in Virginia was founded by Edward Travis, who was among the number of earlier settlers, probably coming over within twenty years after the colony was founded. He lived in James City County, and, in 1637, brought over Walter Travis, who was evidently a relative, though it cannot now be definitely stated what the relationship was. These two were the founders of the Virginia family which Bishop Meade says were, in the Colonial period, among the noted families of Virginia. From the Virginia Travers family sprang branches which settled further south, and it was to one of these branches that William Barrett Travis belonged. The chief incidents in his short life cannot be repeated too often. It is an epic that our children and our children's children should all learn by heart. In the early thirties of the last century, the settlers in Texas were struggling with the anarchistic and despotic Mexican government. To Texas there had come from South Carolina young Travis, still in his twenties. In 1835, with the rank of Colonel, the young man of twenty-eight found himself in command at San Antonio. He had one hundred and fifty-three men. Marching up from the south was Santa Anna with an army of five thousand. It was the duty of Travis to hold in check this Mexican horde and give General Sam Houston a chance to organize a sufficient force to meet them. Travis, with his hundred and fifty-three followers, took refuge in the Alamo, an abandoned Mission Church, and was besieged on February 22 by Santa Anna and his army. Bonham, the lifelong friend of Travis, young and ardent, made his way out in search of help, accompanied by Captain Juan Seguin. Help could not be found, except one small squad of thirty-two men who fought their way through Santa Anna's host into the Alamo. Bonham, failing to secure aid for his friend, resolved to die with him if need be, and mounted on a splendid horse, rode furiously through the Mexican line and made his way into the fort. This brought the total up to one hundred and eighty-six men. Travis' last message to the world was, "I will neither retreat nor surrender." For twelve days he and his heroes withstood the assaults of the Mexicans, and in the final and desperate assault they died to the last man, leaving around the little fort fifteen hundred dead Mexicans. It has been well said that, "Thermopylae had its messenger of defeat; but the Alamo had none." In the Revolutionary War, the Virginia Travis family were represented by Miles Travis, and James Travis, by Captain Edward Travis, very prominent and active in the service, and by Colonel Champion Travis. So that William B. Travis had behind him a fighting ancestry, both in the old country and in the new. To this family belongs William Thomas Travis, of Oyster, Northampton County, Virginia, who was born at Cheapside, on January 27, 1860, son of Severn Borden and Missouri Anne (Andrews) Travis. The family has been settled in Northampton County since the Revolutionary War. Mr. Travis' mother was of Scotch descent. Mr. Travis had the usual rearing of a farmer's son. He attended the country school, and worked between intervals on the farm at occupations suited to his strength. Arriving at manhood, he became a farmer; but the farmers of the eastern shores of Virginia, like the coastwise farmers of New England, are marines,-they can't keep away from salt water; so Mr. Travis became eventually a sailor, and the captain of his own vessel. He also tried mercantile life, but finally went back to farming, in which he has been very successful; owning a fine landed estate yielding abundant crops. He has the reputation of being the largest grower of potatoes on the eastern shore, having planted as many as seven hundred barrels of potatoes in one year. He belongs to the greatest and grandest army in the world,- the army of producers. But it is an army which is yet far too small. We have in our country, under our present civilization, too many middlemen, too many non-producers, and all of them, in the final analysis, have to depend on the producer. Mr. Travis is one of the burden bearers, and he is doing his full share by making the acres which he controls produce results from year to year. Mr. Travis is an adherent of the Democratic party, but has never been an office seeker or holder beyond serving for a time as Postmaster of the village where he makes his home. A member of the Methodist Church, a Bible Class teacher, lie has been a student of the good book throughout life, which means that he is a well-educated man, for no one can diligently study the Bible without broadening his character and extending his education. He was married on February 11, 1880, to Sarah Ellen Cobb, who was born on Cobb's Island, December 5, 1863, daughter of Albert Freeman and Ellen Anne (Doughty) Cobb. They have a line family of children, George Elmer, Clarence Thomas, Madeline Annie, Sue Elizabeth, Paul Jones, William Bryan, and William Henry Travis. Additional Comments: Extracted from: MAKERS OF AMERICA BIOGRAPHIES OF LEADING MEN OF THOUGHT AND ACTION THE MEN WHO CONSTITUTE THE BONE AND SINEW OF AMERICAN PROSPERITY AND LIFE VOLUME II By LEONARD WILSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSISTED BY PROMINENT HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WRITERS Illustrated with many full page engravings B. F. JOHNSON, INC. CITY OF WASHINGTON, U. S. A. 1916 Copyright, 1916 by B. F. Johnson, Inc. 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