Joe, the Slave Who Became an Alamo Legend

Ron J. Jackson was a staff writer for The Oklahoman for fifteen years, where he won numerous awards for his reporting. He has published four articles in True West and is the author of three books, including Alamo Legacy: Descendants Remember the Alamo (Eakin Press, 1997). Lee Spencer White is an independent researcher, preservationist, and consultant for the History Channel, Dearg Films, and the BBC. Phil Collins is best known as a singer-songwriter for the English rock band Genesis and as a solo artist, with hits such as "In the Air Tonight" to his credit. He is also an aficionado of Alamo history and the author of The Alamo and Beyond: A Collector's Journey (State House Press, 2012).

The stunning discovery that Joe-the slave of Alamo commander William Barret Travis-was the brother of the abolitionist William Wells Brown has opened an entirely new chapter in the history of Texas. Now their two stories are blended into a fascinating narrative that puts the experienced lives of slaves squarely within the story of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution."-James E. Crisp, author of Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett's Last Stand and other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution "This is an amazing piece of historical detective work. The authors have solved the mystery of Joe's life, before and after the Alamo, and have woven their findings into a most entertaining tale."-William Groneman, author of Eyewitness to the Alamo and David Crockett: Hero of the Common Man "In this fascinating example of the historian as detective, the authors have tracked down the incredible story of an Alamo survivor and key witness-the slave owned by Lieutenant Colonel Travis and known to history only as Joe. In unraveling the tortured history of Joe and his family, the authors not only present the story of this Alamo hero for the first time but also illuminate the important role slavery played in American society, westward expansion, and the origins of the Texas Revolution. This is a magnificent work."-Paul Andrew Hutton, author of Phil Sheridan and His Army "The writing in Joe, the Slave Who Became an Alamo Legend is unique and strong, the shared knowledge is deep and fascinating and the overall impact is brilliant."-Michael Blake, author of Dances with Wolves "Ron J. Jackson, Jr., an accomplished journalist, and Lee Spencer White, founder of the Alamo Defenders Descendants Association, provide an engaging account of Joe's remarkable life, rescuing him from the dustbin of history... The authors are to be commended for resurrecting the story of this important, but neglected, Alamo legend. Students of the Texas Revolutionary era or early nineteenth-century slavery will want to add this intriguing book to their collection."-Central Texas Studies: Journal of the Central Texas Historical Association Volume 1 and Volume 2