Susannah Wilkerson Dickinson

She survived and lived to tell

Sam Houston please "Remember the Alamo"?

When I was 6 years old, Davy Crockett, “King of the Wild Frontier,” was my hero, as he has been with all generations before and since. Walt Disney made Fess Parker into an American icon, with TV stories of Crockett and the movie “The Alamo.” Kids wore coon skin caps, sung songs, and if lucky enough had an official “Alamo Set” of the fort and small figures of Davy and the defenders and the Mexican soldiers. Davy Crockett was bigger than life in fact and fiction. Stories were told of him killing a “b’ar at the age of three,” of his Indian fights, to his pioneer sprite, his tour as Tennessee’s representative in the US Congress, and of course his fight to the death at the Alamo. His death and the death of all the men that fought for thirteen days to defend the Alamo might have gone unheard if not for one brave lady, Susannah Wilkerson Dickinson.

Little is known of the early life of Susannah Wilkerson Dickinson of Hardeman County, TN before she married at age 15 to Alamo Defender Almeron Dickinson on May 24, 1829 with Justice of the Peace Joseph W. McKean officiating in Bolivar. She had been living in the Middleburg area. According to family legend, Almeron and Susannah were sweethearts, but a spat caused Almeron to court a friend of both. Susannah was to be a bridesmaid at Almeron's wedding to the friend, but somehow her charms persuaded Almeron to marry her instead and after which they migrated to Texas. A lot of Tennesseans were moving west to find new land and to make a new start. Davy Crockett left his home, November 1, 1835 in Rutherford, TN traveled to Jackson, arriving there with 30 well-armed men, where he gave a speech from the steps of the Madison County courthouse. He told a crowd “you may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas." and then rode southwest to Bolivar, where he spent the night at residence of Dr. Calvin Jones, once again drawing crowds who sent him off the next morning.

Several months prior to the battle, Texans had driven all Mexican troops out of Mexican, Texas. Approximately 100 Texans were then garrisoned at the Alamo. The Texan force grew slightly with the arrival of reinforcements led by eventual Alamo co-commanders James Bowie and William B. Travis. On February 23, 1836 approximately 1,500 Mexican troops marched into San Antonio de Béxar as the first step in a campaign to re-take Texas. For the next 12 days the two armies engaged in several skirmishes with minimal casualties. Aware that his garrison could not withstand an attack by such a large force, Travis wrote multiple letters pleading for more men and supplies, but fewer than 100 reinforcements arrived.

In the early morning hours of March 6, 1836, the Mexican Army advanced on the Alamo. After repulsing two attacks, Texans were unable to fend off a third attack. As Mexican soldiers scaled the walls, most of the Texan soldiers withdrew into interior buildings. Defenders unable to reach these points were slain by the Mexican cavalry as they attempted to escape. Between five and seven Texans may have surrendered; if so, they were quickly executed.

Present in the Alamo garrison during the siege and Battle of the Alamo in which Captain Almeron Dickinson was a casualty, Susannah Dickinson's life was spared by General and President Santa Anna and consequently she became the most extensively quoted eyewitness source to the final and subsequent events surrounding the Alamo defeat of March 6, 1836 in San Antonio. She was first found by English-speaking General Juan Almonte who asked for her and said "If you wish to save your life, follow me." Susannah was injured in the leg or ankle by a bullet, either stray or intentional, as she was escorted from her hiding place in the chapel. Captain Almeron and Susannah Dickinson's 15 month old daughter Angelina Elizabeth (1834-1871) was also present and a survivor of the defeat. According to Susannah, when she was escorted into Santa Anna's quarters, she found Angelina sitting on the lap of the dictator. He offered to adopt her and provide the best education and support for her in Mexico. After refusal of the offer, Susannah was released and sent to Gonzales by Santa Anna escorted by one or more Negro servants.

Mrs. Dickinson, Angelina and the servants eventually made their way toward Gonzales where they were met by Texans army scouts. They took her to the camp of General Sam Houston, the commander of all Texan forces and army assembling in Gonzales town, where she reported the news of the disaster and Santa Anna's messages. She told what she knew of the battle and told Houston to not forget what these men died for, “Texas freedom.”

On the afternoon of April 21, 1836, the Texan army attacked Santa Anna's camp near Lynchburg Ferry. The Mexican army was taken by surprise, and the Battle of San Jacinto was essentially over after 18 minutes. During the fighting, many of the Texan soldiers repeatedly cried "Remember the Alamo!" Santa Anna was captured the following day, and reportedly told Houston: "That man may consider himself born to no common destiny who has conquered the Napoleon of the West. And now it remains for him to be generous to the vanquished." Houston replied, "You should have remembered that at the Alamo." Santa Anna was forced to order his troops out of Texas, ending Mexican control of the province and giving some legitimacy to the new republic.

Susannah would go on to have three failed marriages, finally her fifth and final marriage was to J. W. Hannig, a cabinet maker in 1858. She would remain with him for the rest of her life. Susannah died in October 7, 1883 and was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Austin, Texas.

Submitted by Ken Savage

January 11, 2011