Alamo Phoenix
by
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This is a fictionalized biography designed to give a "life" to a man named Joe, one of two black men known to have survived the Battle at the Alamo. Little is known of Joe and nothing is known of "Ham", the other black man, except that he was listed as an aide to Col. Jim Bowie. According to Bill Groneman, in his book, ALAMO DEFENDERS, Eakin Press, Austin, Texas (no date), Joe was born into slavery somewhere in the southern United States, between 1813 and 1815. He was recorded as living in Harrisburg, Texas, in May of 1833, and an entry in the diary of William B. Travis on 2/13/1834, states that he (Travis) "...wrote bond for J. W. Moore to sheriff indemnifying to buy one boy, Joe, belonging to Mansfield..." Joe accompanied Travis to Bexar, Texas, in all probability as his personal "man-servant", and into history at The Alamo in February of 1836. Other historical facts, people, and incidents have been included as a framework for this fictionalized "biography". It becomes "what could have been". A fictional outcome has been woven into the framework of a few existing facts. The author has taken those few available facts and tried to give "Joe" a "real and romantic" life after his "departure" from the estate of Mr. John Rice Jones, who was related to Colonel Travis. The author wishes to thank the staff of The D. R. T. Library at the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas for their cooperation and for the factual material about the events at The Battle of The Alamo used in this story.
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About the Book
'JOE' was a slave brought into the Mexican county of Texas in 1835. The records show that he was at the Battle of The Alamo. There are a few lines in the records that acknowledge his existence but nothing of his life after. This author decided "Joe" needed more than that, so Joe became a part of the history of Santa Fe and Taos and the future of the Southwest before it became a part of the United States.
About the Author
George was born and raised in New Jersey. Following service in the U. S. Navy Air Corp during World War II, he became a teacher in New Jersey, teaching the social sciences in junior and senior high schools and several colleges and universities as an adjunct professor. "I enjoyed teaching people of all ages," he says. He continues, "Geography is the stage, history is the action on that stage, and many people are part of that action. This novel is an attempt to give a 'life' to a man who was lost to history after the Battle of the Alamo." He is also the author of The Resolution. After thirty-eight years of teaching, George now makes his home in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he enjoys seven grandchildren, community volunteering, and golf.