Susana Dickinson was born in rural Tennessee in or around 1814 as Susanna Wilkerson. She was only 15 when she eloped with U. S. Army artillerist Almeron Dickinson in 1829. Not long after they joined the flood of American immigrants to the Mexican province of Texas. In 1835, Dickinson was placed in charge of artillery at the Alamo as the Texas Revolution heated up. When the Mexican troops appeared, Susanna took refuge in the fort with her husband. During the final assault on the fort on that March 6th, Susanna and others took refuge in the chapel. Unfortunately her husband was killed in the battle. After the battle the Mexican President Santa Anna made her the so called "Messenger of the Alamo," he gave her two dollars, a blanket, and an escort to carry a letter to the Texas General Sam Houston, demanding that he surrender or face the same fate.
Susanna remarried four times after the death of her first husband. Her second husband was an abusive drunk who she divorced (which was one of the first divorces in the new Republic of Texas). Her third husband died of alcoholism. Her forth husband divorced her accusing her of prostitution, which she didn't contest as she had already left him. Her fifth husband, who was 20 years younger then her, she met while operating a boarding house. They married in 1857. He survived, after she died in 1883 at the age of 70.
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| photo by D. Kevin Surbaugh |
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| Texas State Library & Archives Commission | | photo is public domain |
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