The Role of John, a Slave and Alamo Defender (unknown–1836)
By: Bill Groneman
Published: February 1, 1995
Updated: September 16, 2020
John, a slave and Alamo defender, was said to have belonged to Francis L. Desauque and worked as a clerk in his store. He was left in the Alamo when Desauque was sent out for supplies. Joe, Travis's slave, stated that there were other Blacks in the Alamo besides himself. John died in the battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.
Bibliography:
Daughters of the American Revolution, The Alamo Heroes and Their Revolutionary Ancestors (San Antonio, 1976). William Fairfax Gray, From Virginia to Texas, 1835 (Houston: Fletcher Young, 1909, 1965). Bill Groneman, Alamo Defenders (Austin: Eakin Press, 1990). Chester Newell, History of the Revolution in Texas (New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1838; rpt., New York: Arno Press, 1973). Telegraph and Texas Register, March 24, 1836.
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The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.
Bill Groneman, “John,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed May 19, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/john.
TID:
FJOBE
- February 1, 1995
- September 16, 2020
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