A few days later, Santa Anna's great army camped around it.
In command of The Alamo garrison was Colonel Travis, a young man of
twenty-five; an Alabaman, admitted to the bar there, but driven out of
his native state by financial troubles, and casting in his lot with the
Texas revolutionists, among whom he soon acquired considerable
influence. The third of the trio, Colonel Bowie, was a native of
Georgia, but had settled in Louisiana, where, nine years before, he had
been a participant in a celebrated affray. Two gentlemen, becoming
involved in a quarrel, decided to settle it in approved fashion by a
duel, and, accompanied by their friends, among whom was Bowie, adjourned
to a convenient place and took a shot at each other without doing any
damage. They were about to declare honor satisfied and to shake hands,
when a dispute arose among their friends, and before it was over,
fifteen were killed and six were badly injured. Bowie distinguished
himself by stabbing a man to death with a knife made from a large file.
The weapon was afterwards sent to Philadelphia and there fashioned into
the deadly knife which has ever since been known by his name. The
prospect of trouble in Texas naturally attracted him, he was made
colonel of militia there, and dispatched to The Alamo with a small force
by General Houston early in 1836.
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