The Immortal 32 was a relief force of thirty-two

Texian Militia The Texian Militia was the militia forces of Texian colonists in the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas from 1823 to 1835 and the inaugurate force of the Texas Military. It was established by Stephen F. Austin on August 5, 1823 for defense of the ...

from the

Gonzales Gonzales may refer to: Places * Gonzales, California, U.S. * Gonzales, Louisiana, U.S. * Gonzales, Texas, U.S. * Gonzales County, Texas Other uses * Battle of Gonzales, 1835 * Gonzales (horse) (1977 – after 1996), an American-bred Thoroughbred ...

Ranging Company who reinforced the

Texians Texians were Anglo-American residents of Mexican Texas and, later, the Republic of Texas. Today, the term is used to identify early settlers of Texas, especially those who supported the Texas Revolution. Mexican settlers of that era are refer ...

under siege at the Alamo. They are " immortalized" as the only unit to answer the

To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World is an open letter written on February 24, 1836, by William B. Travis, commander of the Texian forces at the Battle of the Alamo, to settlers in Mexican Texas. The letter is renowned as a "dec ...

letter. Along with the other

Alamo defenders The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a crucial conflict of the Texas Revolution. In 1835, colonists from the United States joined with Tejanos (Mexicans born in Texas) in putting up armed resistance to the centralization ...

, they were all killed and burned after the

Battle of the Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Ant ...

Background

As Santa Anna's army approached the Alamo February 19, 1836,

William Travis William Barret "Buck" Travis (August 1, 1809 – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army. He died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Tr ...

dispatched John Johnson to

Goliad Goliad ( ) is a city in Goliad County, Texas, United States. It is known for the 1836 Goliad massacre during the Texas Revolution. It had a population of 1,620 at the 2020 census. Founded on the San Antonio River, it is the county seat of Gol ...

for reinforcement from

James Fannin James Walker Fannin Jr. (1804 or 1805 – March 27, 1836) was an American military figure and slave trader in the Texas Army and leader during the Texas Revolution (1835-1836) against Mexico. After being outnumbered and surrendering to Mexi ...

. He also dispatched John Smith and Dr. James Sutherland to

with a letter for the

Alcade Alcalde (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian '' cabildo'' (the municipal council) a ...

Andrew Ponton:

"The enemy in large force is in sight. We want men and provisions. Send them to us. We have 150 men and are determined to defend the Alamo to the last. Give us assistance." William Barrett Travis Lt. Col. Comdt.

That night, Santa Anna sent General Ventura Mora's cavalry to encircle to the North and East corners of the Alamo to prevent the arrival of reinforcements. On February 24, Travis dispatched Albert Martin to Gonzales with a second letter for Andrew Ponton: Ponton received the first letter on February 24. He mobilized George Kimble, commander of the

Gonzales Ranging Company, who mustered his unit and waited for Fannin; who also received the first letter on February 24. On February 26, Fannin departed Goliad for the Alamo with 320 men, 4 cannon, and several supply wagons. After repeated disasters, Fannin abandoned the mission and returned to Goliad. On February 27, Kimble departed with his unit for the Alamo. Ponton received the second letter on February 27 and dispatched it to Governor Henry Smith in San Felipe. Smith informed colonists: Travis dispatched his final letter to the President

David G. Burnet David Gouverneur Burnet (April 14, 1788 – December 5, 1870) was an early politician within the Republic of Texas, serving as interim President of Texas (1836 and again in 1841), Vice President of the Republic of Texas (1839–1841), and Se ...

on March 3:

History

On February 29, 1836, the "Immortal 32" led by George Kimbell arrived at the Alamo. At 3:00 am on March 1, under the cover of night, they slipped through Santa Anna's lines and entered the fort. They are the only relief force to arrive before the final assault. On March 5, James Allen is the last Texian to leave the Alamo with a final dispatch from William Travis and various letters from the

Alamo Defenders The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a crucial conflict of the Texas Revolution. In 1835, colonists from the United States joined with Tejanos (Mexicans born in Texas) in putting up armed resistance to the centralization ...

. A letter written by one of the thirty-two, Isaac Millsaps, details events inside the Alamo on the night before the final assault; its authenticity is disputed: On March 6, the final assault of the

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...

, the

, commenced at 5:00 am. By 6:30 am, 257 of the 260 defenders, including all of the "Immortal 32", had been killed. Their bodies were stacked and burned.

The 32

Sources #

George C. Kimble George C. Kimble (alternately spelled Kimbell or Kimball, March 6, 1803 – March 6, 1836) was the commander of the Immortal 32 who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Kimble County in the hill country of Texas is named in his honor. Early life Ge ...

, 33,

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

# Albert Martin, 28 (also Old Eighteen) # Isaac G. Baker, 21 # John Cain, 34 # George W. Cottle, 25 (brother of an Old Eighteen) # David P. Cummins, 27 # Jacob C. Darst, 42 (also Old Eighteen) # John Davis, 25 # Squire Daymon, 28 # William Dearduff, 25 # Charles Despallier/ Espalier, 24 #

Almaron Dickinson Almaron Dickinson (1800 – March 6, 1836) was a Texian soldier and defender during the Battle of the Alamo, fought during the Texas Revolution. Dickinson is best known as the artillery officer of the small garrison, and the husband of one of th ...

(also Old Eighteen) # William Fishbaugh # John Flanders, 36 # Dolphin Ward Floyd, 32 # Galva Fuqua, 16 # John E. Garvin, about 40 # John E. Gaston, 17 # James George, 34 # Thomas Jackson (also Old Eighteen) # John Benjamin Kellogg II, 19 # Andrew Kent, 44 # William Philip King, 16 # Jonathan L. Lindley, 22 # Jesse McCoy, 32 # Thomas R. Miller, 40 (also Old Eighteen) # Isaac Millsaps, 41 # George Neggan, 28 # William E. Summers, 24 # George W. Tumlinson, 22 # Robert White, 30 # Claiborne Wright, 26 Other individual Texians who answered Travis'

letter Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet. * Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alphabe ...

and died at the Alamo: Daniel Bourne, 26; George Brown, 35; Jerry C. Day, 20; Andrew Duvalt, 32; John Harris, 23; William J. Lightfoot, 25; Marcus L. Sewell, 31; Amos Pollard, 33

Etymology

The origin of ''Immortal 32'' is disputed. It was likely coined and came into popular use after the release of

The Immortal Alamo ''The Immortal Alamo'' is an American silent film released on May 25, 1911. ''The Immortal Alamo'' is the earliest film version of the events surrounding the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. The film was directed by William F. Haddock, and produced by ...

in 1911.

Legacy

Centennial Monument

The

Gonzales Memorial Museum Gonzales may refer to: Places * Gonzales, California, U.S. * Gonzales, Louisiana, U.S. * Gonzales, Texas, U.S. * Gonzales County, Texas Other uses * Battle of Gonzales, 1835 * Gonzales (horse) (1977 – after 1996), an American-bred Thoroughbred r ...

was dedicated in 1936 for the

Texas Centennial The Texas Centennial Exposition was a world's fair presented from June 6 to November 29, 1936, at Fair Park, Dallas, Texas. A celebration of the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836, it also celebrated Texas and Western Am ...

. Among its exhibits is ''The Immortal 32 Centennial Monument'', a tall tapered shaft of pink Texas granite with a bronze sculpture by

Raoul Josset Raoul Jean Josset (9 December 1892 – 29 June 1957) was a French-born American sculptor. He was born in Tours. During the First World War, he worked as an interpreter for American forces in France. He was a pupil of Antoine Bourdelle between ...

. The sculpture depicts an allegorical figure supporting the Alamo above his head. Two flagpoles flank the sculpture. It is located at the end of the 104' reflection pool.

National Register

The monument was added the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

(#03001414) on January 13, 2004.

Legislation

* On March 6, 2018, a commemoration of Immortal Albert Martin was established by Representatives

John J. Lombardi John J. Lombardi (born April 30, 1952) is an American Democratic politician from Providence, Rhode Island. As President of the Providence City Council, he served as acting mayor for four months between the conviction of Buddy Cianci and the ele ...

, Raymond A. Hull, Antonio Giarrusso, Marvin L. Abney, and Arthur J. Corvese in House Resolution #7942 and authorized by the

Rhode Island House of Representatives The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the upper house being the Rhode Island Senate. It is composed of 75 members, elected t ...

Markers

* The Immortal 32 Centennial Monument received a

Historical Marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

(#2624) by the

Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Historic La ...

in 1936: * Immortal William E. Summers received a

(#17286) by the

in 2012:

Namesakes

* Floyd County is named for Immortal Dolphin Ward Floyd * Kent County is named for Immortal Andrew Kent * Kimble County is named for Immortal George Kimble *

King County King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...

is named for Immortal William Philip King *

Cottle County Cottle County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,380. Its county seat is Paducah. The county was founded in 1876 and later organized in 1892. It is named for George Washington Cottle, who died d ...

is named for Immortal George W. Cottle

Portrayal in media

* 1911: ''

,'' a silent feature film based on the

. * 1915: ''

Martyrs of the Alamo ''Martyrs of the Alamo'' (also known as ''The Birth of Texas'') is a 1915 American historical war drama film written and directed by Christy Cabanne. The film is based on the historical novel of the same name by Theodosia Harris, and features a ...

'', a feature film based on the

Siege of Béxar The siege of Béxar (or Béjar) was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texian army defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar (now San Antonio, Texas). Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican governmen ...

, and

Battle of San Jacinto The Battle of San Jacinto ( es, Batalla de San Jacinto), fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day La Porte and Pasadena, Texas, was the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engaged ...

. * 1937: ''

Heroes of the Alamo Heroes of the Alamo (1937) is a low-budget retelling of the events of the Texas Revolution and the Battle of the Alamo. It was produced by Anthony J. Xydias and reuses the battle scenes of his 1926 silent film ''Davy Crockett at the Fall of ...

'', is a low-budget filmed Texas Revolution and the

. * 1955: ''

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier ''Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier'' is a 1955 American Western film produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is an edited and recut compilation of the first three episodes of the '' Davy Crockett'' television miniseries. The episodes us ...

'', a feature film based on

Davy Crockett David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Re ...

at the

. * 1955: ''The Last Command'', a feature film based on

Jim Bowie James Bowie ( ) ( – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American pioneer, slave smuggler and trader, and soldier who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of h ...

and the

. * 1960: ''

The Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Anto ...

'', a feature film based on the

. * 1987: '' The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory'', a 3-hour miniseries based on the

* 2004: ''

'', a feature film based on the

. **Immortal

portrayed by

Stephen Bruton Turner Stephen Bruton (November 7, 1948 – May 9, 2009) was an American actor and musician. Background Born in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, he moved with his family to Texas at the age of two. He fell into the Fort Worth music scene after ...

**Immortal Isaac Millsaps portrayed by

Turk Pipkin Turk Pipkin (born July 2, 1953) is an author, actor, comedian and director. He is also the co-founder of The Nobelity Project, a non-profit organisation which seeks to find solutions to global problems, and which advocates for basic rights for chi ...

* 2015: '' Texas Rising,'' a 10-hour miniseries based on the Texas Revolution. * 2018: '' The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen'' ("Empire or Liberty"), an episode based on the

References

{{Reflist, 30em, refs= {{cite web , url = https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/alamo-battle-of-the , title = Alamo, Battle of the , last1 = Hardin , first1 = Stephen L. , author-link1 = Stephen L. Hardin , date = 2020-07-29 , orig-date = 1952 , website =

Texas State Historical Association The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, on March 2, 1897. , TSHA moved their offices from Austin to the University of N ...

, language = en-us , access-date = 2022-02-17 , url-status = live , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220211013650/https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/alamo-battle-of-the , archive-date = 2022-02-11 , quote = , df = dmy-all {{cite book , editor-last1 = Paddock , editor-first1 = Buckley B. , editor-link1 = , date = 1922-01-09 , chapter = CHAPTER XIX: THE FALL OF THE ALAMO , chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/historyoftexasfo01padd/page/275 , chapter-url-access = registration , title = History of Texas: Fort Worth and the Texas Northwest Edition , url = https://archive.org/details/historyoftexasfo01padd , url-access = registration , language = en-us , volume = 1 , publisher =

Lewis Publishing Company Edward Gardner Lewis (March 4, 1869 – August 10, 1950) was an American magazine publisher, land development promoter, and political activist. He was the founder of two planned communities that are now cities: University City, Missouri, and Atasc ...

, pages = 275-322 , isbn = 978-1363138241 , lccn = 22004320 , oclc = 2654462 , ol = OL6641917M , via =

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

, quote = , quote-page = , quote-pages = , df = dmy-all {{cite web , url = https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/millsaps-isaac , title = Millsaps, Isaac (1795–1836) , last1 = Groneman , first1 = Bill , author-link1 = , date = 1995-04-01 , orig-date = 1952 , website =

, language = en-us , access-date = 2022-02-17 , url-status = live , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210620103138/https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/millsaps-isaac , archive-date = 2021-06-20 , quote = , df = dmy-all Texas Revolution Texas Military Forces Texas Military Department

Background

History

The 32

Etymology

Legacy

Centennial Monument

National Register

Legislation

Markers

Namesakes

Portrayal in media

See also

References