Who was Susanna Dickinson and what did she do?
The woman, Susanna Dickinson, was the wife of Alamo defender Almaron Dickinson. She and her baby were hiding in the Alamo's chapel when Mexican troops bayoneted her husband and took the mission. Dickinson had come to Texas with her husband from Tennessee in 1831, when she was seventeen.
Did Susanna Dickinson die at the Alamo?
Susanna Wilkerson Dickinson (1813 – October 7, 1883) and her infant daughter, Angelina, were among the few American survivors of 1836 Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Her husband, Almaron Dickinson, and 185 other Texian defenders were killed by the Mexican Army.
Where did Angelina Dickinson live in the Texas Revolution?
Dickinson had come to Texas with her husband from Tennessee in 1831, when she was seventeen. They settled in Gonzales, where their daughter Angelina was born. In 1835, Mexican and Texian troops clashed near Gonzales, and the Texas Revolution began.
Did Susannah Dickinson offer to adopt Angelina Dickinson?
General Santa Anna interviewed Susannah Dickinson personally, and reportedly offered to adopt her daughter Angelina, who would become known as "The Babe of the Alamo."
Who was Susanna Dickinson and what was her significance to the Battle of the Alamo?
The woman, Susanna Dickinson, was the wife of Alamo defender Almaron Dickinson. She and her baby were hiding in the Alamo's chapel when Mexican troops bayoneted her husband and took the mission. Dickinson had come to Texas with her husband from Tennessee in 1831, when she was seventeen.
Was Susanna Dickinson a messenger of the Alamo?
Seeking to send the right message regarding the battle and the strength of his army, Santa Anna selected Susanna as his messenger. She would be escorted back to Gonzales where Sam Houston was stationed and present him with Santa Anna's letter.
How did Susanna Dickinson survive the Alamo?
If they spare you, save our child!” Mexican soldiers found her huddled in the chapel and hauled her before General Santa Anna; he spared her life and the baby's, then dispatched them to the Texas army in Gonzales with broadsides boasting of his military might. Thus the Alamo did indeed have its messenger of defeat.
Who is Susanna Dickinson for kids?
Susanna Dickinson was one of the few people who survived the famous battle of the Alamo in 1836. She was charged with telling Sam Houston, the commander of the Texan army, about the defeat at the Alamo.
Was anyone left alive at the Alamo?
Miraculously, at least fourteen people lived through the battle, and a few would later provide chilling eyewitness accounts of what happened. Enrique Esparza was the son of Alamo defender Gregorio Esparza and Ana Salazar Esparza. He, his mother, and two siblings survived the attack.
Did a woman and child survive the Alamo?
Perhaps the most well known Alamo survivor was Susanna Dickinson, wife of defender Almaron Dickinson, who spent the battle hiding in a small dark room with her infant daughter, Angelina.
What is the name of the woman who stayed at the Alamo throughout the entire battle?
The woman, Susanna Dickinson, was the wife of Alamo defender Almaron Dickinson. She and her baby were hiding in the Alamo's chapel when Mexican troops bayoneted her husband and took the mission. Dickinson had come to Texas with her husband from Tennessee in 1831, when she was 17.
Who escaped the Alamo?
Gregorio Esparza and one son Enrique Esparza (12 yr) with three other unnamed children. Also surviving were Trinidad Saucedo who left before the final assault and Petra Gonzales. One man, Brigido Guerrero survived when he convinced Mexican officers he had been held prisoner.
Who won at the Alamo?
MexicanOn March 6, 1836, after 13 days of intermittent fighting, the Battle of the Alamo comes to a gruesome end, capping off a pivotal moment in the Texas Revolution. Mexican forces were victorious in recapturing the fort, and nearly all of the roughly 200 Texan defenders—including frontiersman Davy Crockett—died.
Where did Susanna Dickinson settle?
Susannah (or Susanna) Wilkerson was born in Tennessee around 1814; she married Almaron Dickinson at the age of 15 and the young couple soon settled in the DeWitt colony in Texas, then under Mexican control.
Where did Susanna Dickinson grow up?
Haley Guest Curator, Dickinson Museum Born in rural Tennessee about 1814, Susanna Wilkerson was only fifteen when she eloped and married a dashing U. S. Army artillerist named Almeron Dickinson in 1829. Early in 1831 the couple joined the flood of American emigrants to the Mexi- can province of Texas.
Where is Susanna Dickinson buried?
Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, TXSusanna Dickinson / Place of burialOakwood Cemetery, originally called City Cemetery, is the oldest city-owned cemetery in Austin, Texas. Situated on a hill just east of I-35 that overlooks downtown Austin, just north of the Swedish Hill Historic District and south of Disch-Falk Field, the once-isolated site is now in the center of the city. Wikipedia
Why was Almaron Dickinson at the Alamo?
Dickinson participated in the battle of Gonzales on October 2, 1835. In early December 1835, during the storming of Bexar, he distinguished himself as a lieutenant of artillery. Throughout the siege of the Alamo, he served as an artillery captain.
What happened to Santa Anna after the Alamo?
After his army had defeated Texan forces at the Alamo and Goliad, Santa Anna then moved eastward to the San Jacinto River, where he was defeated on April 21 in the Battle of San Jacinto and was captured by Gen. Sam Houston.
Was Daniel Boone at the Alamo?
No, Daniel Boone was not at the Battle of the Alamo. Daniel Boone lived between 1734 and 1820, and he is credited with finding a passageway into Kentucky.
Did Davy Crockett fight at the Alamo?
He helped over 100 men to defend the Alamo. They fought against General Antonio López de Santa Anna and hundreds of Mexican troops. The Mexican army captured the Alamo. David Crockett was killed during battle.
Where is Susanna Dickinson's last home?
Susanna Dickinson's final home in Austin is now the Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Hannig Museum. Visit the museum's Facebook and Tumblr pages for the most up-to-date information on exhibitions and events.
Where is the Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Museum?
The Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Museum in Austin. Photo courtesy of the museum.
Why did Santa Anna send Susanna and her daughter to Gonzales?
After the Alamo fell on March 6, 1836, Santa Anna sent Susanna and her daughter to Gonzales to war n Texians about the strength of the Mexican army. That sparked the Runaway Scrape, as settlers fled eastward ahead of Santa Anna’s advancing troops. Sam Houston's victory over the Mexican Army at San Jacinto, the following month, ended the war.
Who was the woman who was killed in the Alamo?
The woman, Susanna Dickinson, was the wife of Alamo defender Almaron Dickinson . She and her baby were hiding in the Alamo's chapel when Mexican troops bayoneted her husband and took the mission.
Who was Susanna Dickinson?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. Susanna Dickinson. Susanna Wilkerson Dickinson (1813 – October 7, 1883) and her infant daughter, Angelina, were among the few American survivors of 1836 Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Her husband, Almaron Dickinson, and 185 other Texian defenders were killed ...
Who played Susanna Dickinson in The Alamo?
In the 2004 version of The Alamo, Laura Clifton portrays Susanna Dickinson. She has a fairly minor part in the film. However, in the final battle scene she is shown witnessing Almaron's death, who a little earlier calls her by her name. In almost every scene she is in, she is shown holding Angelina.
What battle did the Texas Revolution take place in?
He would later join with other volunteers during the Battle of Gonzales, becoming one of the "Old Gonzales 18" in the battle which launched the Texas Revolution on October 2, 1835. By the end of the year, the Texian army had driven all Mexican soldiers from the territory.
Who was the woman who was brought inside the Alamo?
The men thus quickly herded cattle into it and scrounged for food in the recently abandoned houses outside. Susanna and Angelina were among the families of garrison members who were brought inside for safety. For the next twelve days, the Alamo lay under siege. Santa Anna planned an early morning assault for March 6.
Who played Dickinson in Texas Rising?
In 2015, Dickinson was portrayed by Alixandra von Renner, in the History Channel miniseries, Texas Rising .
Who lived outside the Alamo?
The Dickinson family lived outside the Alamo, boarding with the Ruiz family. In early 1836, Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna led troops into Texas, which arrived in San Antonio on February 23 and immediately besieged the Alamo. It did not even have food stocked inside the mission to withstand the siege.
Did Santa Anna adopt Angelina?
On March 7, Santa Anna interviewed each of the survivors individually. Impressed with Susanna, he offered to adopt Angelina and have her educated in Mexico City. Susanna refused, which was not extended to fellow Alamo survivor Juana Navarro Alsbury for her son of similar age.
Who painted Susanna Dickinson leaving the Alamo?
Painting of Susanna Dickinson leaving the Alamo by Harry Anthony De Young, 1941.
Where was Susanna Wilkerson born?
Susanna Wilkerson was born in Tennessee around 1814. On May 24, 1829, Susanna married Almaron Dickinson in Bolivar, Tennessee. The couple migrated to Texas in 1830, arriving in Gonzales on February 20, 1831. The couple’s only child, Angelina Elizabeth Dickinson, was born in Gonzales on December 14, 1834.
When did Susanna and Angelina join the Mexican army?
On February 23, 1836, when General Santa Anna and the Mexican army arrived in San Antonio, Susanna and Angelina joined several other women taking refuge in the Alamo with the Texian troops.
When did Susanna give her last account of the battle?
Susanna gave her last known account of the battle shortly before her death in 1883 around the time the Alamo Church was sold to the State of Texas. This account was published in the memoirs of Mary Maverick, another remarkable Texas woman.
Who was Susanna in the Alamo?
Susanna is best remembered for her role as messenger following the Battle of the Alamo and the eyewitness accounts of the battle that she provided over the years. A lesser known fact is that on a number of occasions Susanna testified on behalf of the families of Alamo defenders so they could claim the land granted by the Republic of Texas for military service at the Alamo. Susanna gave her last known account of the battle shortly before her death in 1883 around the time the Alamo Church was sold to the State of Texas. This account was published in the memoirs of Mary Maverick, another remarkable Texas woman.
When did Almaron move to San Antonio?
This prompted Almaron to move his family to San Antonio sometime in December 1835 following the Battle of Bexar.
Overview
In film and other media
Susanna was portrayed by Joan O'Brien in the 1960 John Wayne feature film The Alamo. She was featured in the dramatic final scene walking away from the fort and into the sunset with Angelina on the back of a mule, and a young slave boy walking with her. As she walks past Santa Anna she exchanges some very dramatic looks with him. Other important events dramatized in the film include her being captured in the chapel at bayonet point, and her electing to stay as Santa Ann…
Early life
Susanna was born in 1814 in Williamson County, Tennessee and never learned to read and write. On May 24, 1829, when she was 15, she married Almaron Dickinson. Two years later, they became DeWitt Colonists, obtaining property on the San Marcos River, where they opened a blacksmith shop and also invested in a hat factory run by fellow colonist George Kimbell in Gonzales.
Texas Revolution
As the Mexican government increasingly abandoned its federalist structure in favor of a more centralized government, Almaron Dickinson became one of the early proponents of war. He would later join with other volunteers during the Battle of Gonzales, becoming one of the "Old Gonzales 18" in the battle which launched the Texas Revolution on October 2, 1835. By the end of the year, the Texian army had driven all Mexican soldiers from the territory. Soon after, Susanna joined Al…
Susanna's witness accounts
Susanna reported, after the battle, the following about the siege and final fight:
• There were very few casualties before the final assault. She did not know the number.
• She confirmed the legendary "line in the sand" incident, where William Barrett Travis gave defenders the choice of staying or leaving, did happen. However, she said that it happened the day before the final assault, when it is believed to have happened on either March 3 or March 4.
After the Alamo
Illiterate, Susanna left no written accounts of what happened in the Alamo, but did give several similar oral accounts. She remarried soon afterward to a man named John Williams on Nov 27, 1837, but they divorced almost immediately afterward on the grounds of cruelty. She married a third time on Dec 20, 1838 to a man named Francis P. Herring, but he died of alcoholism in 1843. She married a fourth time on Dec 7, 1847, to a man named Peter Belles, but they divorced in 185…
Death and legacy
Susanna died in 1883 and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin, with the following inscription:
"Sacred to the Memory of Susan A. Wife of J. W. Hannig Died Oct. 7, 1883 Aged 68 Years."
Hannig lived long after Susanna (dying in 1890) and placed the original marbl…
See also
• List of Texan survivors of the Battle of the Alamo