Diary of a Mad Man

   Diary of a Mad Man

Suzanne Marsh

5^th November 1835

Once again father and I have minced words, he insists that since I am the only son I marry his partners daughter. I have meet her, she reminds me of an albatross, with her hook of a nose, her voice is enough to shatter glass. I have no intention of marrying her now nor in the future. However I did find a way to get out of this prearranged marriage; I have been saving money in another bank. The account is in mother’s maiden name: Hampton. My assumed name when I leave will be Harry Hampton. The dinner bell is ringing, I must go for now.

7^th November 1835

I do wish this train were a smoother ride, every time I begin to write the train his a tie and ink is slopping out of the well, the quill flew several times. The scenery is lovely, the company fantastic. Several of the men have been discussing Texas. There is a great deal of land to be had there for next to nothing. I plan to build my empire there, father then can no longer call me a failure. I have saved enough money to take the train, the conductor told me that it will take two weeks from our stop in Detroit, Michigan to New Orleans, Louisiana. Once in New Orleans I take a riverboat to Nacogdoches, Texas. After that I have no idea where I will settle. Oh I do hope there is a lot of adventure in Texas.

9^th November 1835

The train seems to be going through endless flat country. The further south it goes the warmer it has gotten. No snow on the tracks. I did the math, we should arrive in New Orleans, Louisiana on 30^th of November. I am determined to a make a go of it in Texas. Here on the train I have the girl of my dreams, her name is Martha Billings, her family owns a plantation in Louisiana where they raise cotton , rice and sugar cane. She says it is marvelous and has invited me to visit before I leave for Texas. I haven’t the heart to tell the dear girl I already have passage on the Memphis Belle paddle wheeler that is taking me to Nacogdoches. Dear me, what have I done now?

11^th November 1835

Finally wrote mother to inform her where I am going. It was not an easy letter to write but I had to do it. The air needs to be cleared with father and mother is the one to do just that. Sooner or later this whole thing with Abigail Wentworth will blow over, if only she had been beautiful instead a horse-faced albatross. I know I have made the correct decision about going to Texas. I have yet to see any Indians; according to everything I have read, between the Mexicans, who say Texas belongs to them, and settlers such as myself, then there are the Indians who claim the land. It I think is a very colorful place to go. I do hope I see Indians, the Mexicans have stated that in order to own land in Texas I must convert to Catholicism. I hear tell that there are priests that greet the paddle wheelers and convert people on the spot. They then sign a paper stating you are a Catholic, it is as if they are giving you title to the land. I must investigate that further.

13^th November 1835

I have worked up the nerve to tell Miss Martha that I can not visit her daddy’s plantation this trip. She got angry but once she calmed down, told me that the plantation is Houma the paddle wheeler stops there. I will be her guest for a day, that will put me one day behind. I will be in Nacogdoches, Texas on 2^nd December 1835.

17^th November 1835

The train came to a screaming halt, all passengers were required to lay on the floor as we fought off Indians. One western wish I had has come true, although it was not the way I thought it would be. Arrows flew in windows, several were wounded, me I was very fortunate, I was between seats. Miss Martha feared for her scalp but the Indians were more interested in scaring people off their land. Stopping what the Indians term the “Iron Horse”. I am learning the lingo as they say before I arrive in Texas.

20^th November 1835

Will this train ride ever end? I gaze out the window in the rail car and watch trees, blue skies, a few cattle and horse. Nothing spectacular, at this point I would simply like to get off this train. The only consultation is that I am getting closer to Louisiana.

30^th November 1835

I finally set foot on ground in Louisiana, the end of November and it is lovely and warm. There are swamps here, Miss Martha pointed out a strange creature to me an alligator, rather a prehistoric looking thing. Her father drove from Houma to meet her, she introduced me to him. He did not say much, I think he was rather surprised to find she had a male companion. We had a lovely dinner, a home cooked meal after the food the train offered at stops along the way. Tomorrow, Miss Martha and her father take me to the paddle wheeler. Her father mentioned in passing that there is trouble in Texas. Texas and Mexico each have claims to Texas. Perhaps I won’t have to convert after all. Mr. Billings informed me that a friend of his had just returned from Texas, they are looking for volunteers to fight the Mexicans and free Texas. I wish to be a part of that, imagine me fighting for the freedom of others. Who would have thought.

3^rd December 1835

I arrived in Nacogdoches, Texas today. I wasn’t on Texas soil more than three minutes when I met a man who was from Scotland his name is John MacGregor, very impressive man. He in turn introduced me to a gentleman, Congressman David Crockett. I remembered father saying he was a buffoon, once again I beg to differ with father. Mr. Crockett was busy recruiting men to join the “Texas cause” . I don’t know what made me volunteer but I did. We will be leaving in a few days for Washington on the Brazos. There Mr. Crockett plans to speak, then onto an adobe mission in a place called San Antonio de Bexar. It all sounds so exciting, I am learning to shoot a Kentucky Rifle, my aim is pretty good for something that long. Mr. Crockett or David as he prefers to be called says I am a crack shot.

25^th December 1835

Our party has arrived at Washington on the Brazos, it reminds me of Washington D.C. in rather odd way. Tonight David is giving a speech, then tomorrow we will be leaving for San Antonio de Bexar. Apparently there is an old mission there that a company of Texans are going to hold until the Texas army can reinforce them. The mission is called the Alamo. I hope I don’t let David down.

The plan is to hold the mission, there are reports that General Santa Anna is going to be marching his army down through a town called Del Rio. I say let him come, we will fight. We are planning to leave Washington on the Brazos in January.

30^th January 1835

We have arrived in San Antonio de Bexar, what a wild unruly place this is! David found a woman who will do our laundry her husband is in the Texas Army, he is the I believe the captain of artillery. Imagine what a fight this will be. In the mean time I have sent a letter to Miss Martha asking for her hand in marriage. I can not wait for her response. Leaving home and coming here to Texas has made me realize I can do a great deal for myself. I am learning and once Texas is free of Mexico I hope to gain land as a reward for fighting in this battle that is coming.

23^rd February 1836

While sitting on the veranda the bells began to ring, General Santa Anna has troops have been seen. They will be here in Bexar sometime today. All the men and some of the women are going into the Alamo for protection as well as to fight. David informed me that even our laundress Mrs. Dickinson is in there. We number around one hundred and sixty three men, we are preparing to defend the Alamo at all costs. We must buy time for the Texas army to position itself to attack Santa Anna. A red flag can be seen flying it is meant to scare us, it’s statement is simple: No mercy, no quarter. God help us.

29^th February 1836

I am cold, I am scared and I am invigorated to think I am going to be part of a battle. I received a letter from Miss Martha, she has consented to be my wife, she also is carrying my child. What if I don’t survive the battle? What will happen to her and the babe? I can’t leave it is a matter of honor so I will stay. I went to see Travis, he is a lawyer. I had him draw up a will giving whatever lands I receive, will go to Miss Martha and our child. I pray it will be a boy, to carry on the Hampton name, since that is the name I go by now. I have to ride out on patrol now.

5^th March 1836

It is dark, the wind is blowing hard wind and hail are bouncing off my head. The melody the Mexicans have been playing since they got here has finally stopped. I don’t know if that is good or bad for us. We number roughly about one hundred and eighty nine men to well over a thousand Mexican soldados. I don’t know what I have gotten myself into but I believe I am staring my own mortality in the face. I am going to try and get a little sleep.”

Harry Hampton’s diary ends here, it was found by a Mexican who had planned to keep it; when he realized he could not understand what the American had written he threw it away. After the battle of San Jancinto a few men returned to the Alamo, there one of them found the diary. He took it, hoping to find Miss Martha to give it to her. It has remained in his family.

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