Downtown Austin in Travis County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Battles for Texas Independence from Mexico
1836
Photographed by Larry D. Moore, December 16, 2020
1. Battles for Texas Independence from Mexico Marker
Several notable individuals of African descent participated in the battles at the Alamo and San Jacinto in 1836. Joe, slave of William B. Travis, fought at the Alamo and survived. His account of the fighting is one of the most important Alamo narratives. Mack Smith, slave of Ben Fort Smith, and Dick the Drummer, a musician, both participated in the battle of San Jacinto.
A story recorded in 1842 by William Bollaert, an Englishman touring Texas, claimed that the Mexican Army probably lost the battle of San Jacinto because of the influence of a mulatto girl named "Emily,” who belonged to Col. James Morgan and was "closeted” in Santa Anna's tent, detaining him when the Texans charged the Mexican Army camp. No other account of the battle mentions this story, but in l836 a free woman named Emily D. West, who came to Texas from New York in late 1835, was employed by Col. Morgan as a house worker in New Washington (now Morgan's Point) on Galveston Bay. Morgan's settlement was occupied and burned by Santa Anna's army on April 20, the day before the battle. His servants, unable to escape, were captured by the Mexican
this page online
Erected 2016 by the Texas African American History Memorial Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: African Americans. A significant historical date for this entry is April 20, 1836.
Location. 30° 16.4′ N, 97° 44.488′ W. Marker is in Austin, Texas, in Travis County. It is in Downtown Austin. It is at the intersection of West 11th Street and Congress Avenue, on the right when traveling west on West 11th Street. Marker is on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Austin TX 78701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Texas. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate
Photographed by Larry D. Moore, December 16, 2020
2. Texas African American History Memorial reverse
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hendrick Arnold and Samuel McCulloch, Jr. (here, next to this marker); The 21st Century (here, next to this marker); Major Achievements (here, next to this marker); Post Reconstruction Challenges and Achievements (here, next to this marker); Civil War, Emancipation and Juneteenth (here, next to this marker); Reconstruction and the Post Slavery Experience (here, next to this marker); Slavery During the Mexican National Era (here, next to this marker); Slavery During the Republic and Early Statehood (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Austin.
More about this marker. The marker is one of ten markers on the Texas African American History Memorial. The monument honors the many contributions of African Americans in Texas. The markers trace the history of African Americans from the 1500s to the present.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 20, 2020, by Larry D. Moore of Del Valle, Texas. This page has been viewed 444 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 20, 2020, by Larry D. Moore of Del Valle, Texas.
