Little is known of the early life of
Susannah Wilkerson Dickinson of
Bolivar, HardemanCo, TN before she
married at age 15 DeWitt Colonist,
member of the Old Gonzales 18 and
Alamo Defender Almeron Dickinson
on 24 May 1829 with Justice of the
Peace Joseph W. McKean officiating.
According to family legend, Almeron
and Susannah were sweethearts, but a
spat caused Almeron to court a friend
of both.
This picture
was done by
Mark Barnett.
Almeron and Susannah Dickinson's 15 month old
daughter Angelina Elizabeth (1834-1871) was also
present and a survivor of the defeat. According to
Susannah, when she was escorted into Santa Anna's
quarters, she found Angelina sitting on the lap of
the dictator. He offered to adopt her and provide
the best education and support for her in Mexico.
After refusal of the offer, Susannah was released
and sent to Gonzales by Santa Anna escorted by
one or more Negro servants with a letter dated 7
Mar 1836.
On Feb. 23, 1836, with Mexican troops
approaching, the family took refuge in the
Alamo. Almeron was killed on March 6 as the
Mexicans stormed the fort. After the battle,
Dickinson was taken to victorious Mexican
general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and
found Angelina Elizabeth sitting on his lap. He
offered to adopt the child and take her to
Mexico, but Dickinson refused. Santa Anna
sent Dickinson to Sam Houston with a letter of
warning against further military action.
Mother: Susannah Dickinson (Survivor Of
The Alamo).
Father: (Alamo’s Defender)
Almeron Dickinson
She married John Maynard Griffith in
Montgomery Co, TX in 1851, a boarder whom mother
Susannah had met and with which she was impressed
and according to family legend, chose as a husband
for Angelina. Griffith was a farmer that had piloted
steamboats in the cotton transport to and from
Houston. They first lived on Griffith's farm in
Montgomery Co for five years where according to
family, Angelina missed the life of the city and
relations between her straight-laced husband were
strained.
She saw the body of Davy Crockett between the
chapel and the barracks building.
She saw the body of Jim Bowie with two dead Mexican
soldiers lying beside him.
She was taken to a house where she'd previously
lived, and from there could see the pyres of the dead
being burned.
The next day she was taken before Santa Anna, and
Almont, or Black, convinced Santa Anna to release her
rather than imprison her.
She was sent east with Joe, and on the way to
Gonzales, Texas she was intercepted by a party
including Deaf Smith.
At some point after the battle, she has no
recollections, only that she wept for days.
"Sacred to the Memory of Susan A. Wife of
J. W. Hannig Died Oct. 7, 1883 Aged 68
Years."
The marble marker was placed there by
Hannig. The marble slab was later added
by the state on March 2, 1949. Her fifth
husband Hannig was buried beside her
after he died in 1890. A cenotaph
honoring Susanna Wilkerson Dickinson was
placed in the Texas State Cemetery in
Austin, Texas
This is Susanna Dickinson
grave stone. Her body is in
Houston, Texas.
Today in our time, the people in our
time loved Susanna Dickinson story
they decided to make a museum about
her life.
Welcome!!!
Thanks
for
telling
my
story.