Joanna Troutman also Johanna Troutman (19 February 1818 – 23 July 1879) sewed a flag for a battalion of Georgia volunteers who were leaving to fight in the Texas Revolution, which became known as the Troutman flag, consisting of a five-pointed blue star and the words "Liberty or Death" on a white silk field. On the reverse side was the Latin phrase UBI LIBERTAS HABITAT, IBI NOSTRA PATRIA EST which means "Where liberty dwells, there is our fatherland". On 8 January 1836 the flag was raised at Velasco which is now part of modern

Freeport, Texas Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, located on the Gulf of Mexico. According to the 2020 census, the city population was 10,696, down from 12,049 in 2010. History Freeport was founded as a European-American settlement i ...

. The original flag was badly damaged by accident and only shreds flew in battle.tshaonline.org, ''Troutman, Joanna''

Background

The Georgians, who were led by William Ward, suffered a harsh fate. Though they escaped the

Battle of Coleto The Battle of Coleto, also known as the Battle of Coleto Creek, the Battle of the Prairie, and the Batalla del Encinal del Perdido, was fought on March 19–20, 1836, during the Goliad campaign of the Texas Revolution. In February, General Jos ...

and the capitulation of

James W. 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 ...

's command, they were pursued by

José de Urrea José Cosme de Urrea y Elías González (full name) or simply José de Urrea (March 19, 1797 – August 1, 1849) was a Mexican general. He fought under General Antonio López de Santa Anna during the Texas Revolution. Urrea's forces were never ...

's cavalry. Out of ammunition, they finally surrendered and were marched back to Goliad to join the rest of Fannin's captured troops. On 27 March 1836 they were nearly all executed in the Goliad massacre.tshaonline.org, ''Ward, William''

Life

Born in

Crawford County, Georgia Crawford County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,130. The county seat is Knoxville. Crawford County is included in the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical ...

on 19 February 1818, Troutman was the daughter of Hiram Bainbridge Troutman. In 1839 she married Solomom L. Pope and moved to a plantation in

Knoxville, Georgia Knoxville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Crawford County, Georgia, United States. It is the Crawford County seat. The community is part of the Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Knoxville h ...

called Elmwood. The couple had four sons. Her husband died in 1872 and in 1875 she wed W. G. Vinson, who served in the Georgia state legislature. She died on 23 July 1879 at Elmwood and was buried next to her first husband. At the request of Texas governor

Oscar Branch Colquitt Oscar Branch Colquitt (December 16, 1861 – March 8, 1940) was the 25th Governor of Texas from January 17, 1911 to January 19, 1915. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Gov. Colquitt defended the actions of the Texas Rangers who alle ...

her remains were transferred to the

Texas State Cemetery The Texas State Cemetery (TSC) is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of the U.S. state of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and vice-president of the Republic of ...

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

in 1913. Her portrait hangs in one of the legislative chambers of the Texas Capitol.

Notes

References

Texas State Historical Association tshaonline.org ''Troutman, Joanna''Texas State Historical Association tshaonline.org ''Ward, William''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Troutman, Joanna People from Baldwin County, Georgia People of the Texas Revolution Burials at Texas State Cemetery 1818 births 1879 deaths People from Crawford County, Georgia People from Freeport, Texas