Empresario StephenF. Austin was a reluctant general. Following the Gonzales “Come-and-Take-It” fight, he found himself elected commander of the “Volunteer Army of the People of Texas.” He had always had a delicate constitution and his stint in Mexican prisons had further wrecked his health. Even so, he understood that none but he could provide moral authority and accepted the post. In addition to his enfeebled condition, the 42-year-old Virginia native found restraining inebriated recruits frustrating. During the Siege of Béxar, he implored provisional government officials — “In the name of Almighty God, send no more ardent spirits into this camp.”

After serving time in a Spanish prison for openly proclaiming democratic views and then subsequently holding a seat in the Spanish legislature and in Mexico’s senate, the signature of Lorenzo de Zavala stood in familiar company on the Texas Declaration of Independence. Fluent in multiple languages, known as a consummate diplomat, a prolific writer and observer, his rise to the vice presidency of the Republic of Texas struck Texans none-so-shockingly as his rapid descent into illness. On October 17th, 1836, only five months after the signing of the Treaty of Velasco, which ended the Texas Revolution, de Zavala resigned the vice-presidency. A month later he was buried in a family cemetery on Buffalo Bayou.

Sam Houston described James Fannin as an “ill-fated man.” Born in 1804, the Georgian attended West Point but dropped out. In 1834, Fannin immigrated to Texas. While he acted the plantation owner, he was actually a slave trader. In 1835, Fannin fought at the battle of Concepción. In 1836, he commanded the Goliad garrison. Completely outgeneraled by Mexican commander José Urrea, he ordered a retreat—but too late. Urrea defeated Fannin at the battle of Coleto Creek and took the Texan prisoners back to Goliad. There, on March 27, Mexican soldiers executed Fannin and most of his command.

Mirabeau Lamar—wife dead, dreams shattered—came to Texas to begin life anew. But he had to fight for that fresh start. On April 20th, 1836, Private Lamar distinguished himself in the skirmish preceding the battle of San Jacinto. Fighting on horseback, the Georgia cavalier rescued comrades that enemy lancers had surrounded. One was Walter P. Lane, a future Confederate general; the other was Secretary of War and future senator, Thomas Jefferson Rusk. Mexican cavalrymen, admirers of audacious horsemanship, applauded as Lamar rode away. He reined in, spun his charger, and acknowledged their tribute with a gracious bow. General Sam Houston promoted Lamar to colonel on the spot and the next day he led Texian horsemen to glory. His valor at San Jacinto secured his future in Texas politics.

A descendant of Corsican merchants and Spanish nobility, Navarro’s practical knowledge and visionary mind provided him – and the Tejano community – with a foundation for greatness. Navarro began practicing law in San Antonio, and by 1836, his terms in the Mexican state and federal legislatures prepared him to serve on committees that authored the first Texas constitution. One of only two native born Texans to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence, the Navarro signature lives on in San Antonio’s vibrant Tejano culture and in one of the city’s last Tejano adobe structures, Casa Navarro State Historic Site.

When rebellion ignited in 1835, Alabama native William Travis received a commission as lieutenant colonel — at only 26 years of age. On February 3, 1836, he reached the Alamo with thirty mounted reinforcements. He accepted command of the post when Colonel James C. Neill left on furlough. Thus, when Santa Anna’s Mexican army arrived on February 23, Travis again found himself in charge. The following day, he penned a dispatch to the “People of Texas and All Americans in the World.” During the final assault on March 6, Travis was among the first defenders to fall. In his celebrated letter he pledged to “never surrender or retreat.” He did neither.