The James Bonham Trophy

A trophy to remember James Butler Bonham. A South Carolina native who fought in the Texas Revolution and died at the Battle of the Alamo. Second cousin of Texas legend William B. Travis.

James Bonham, a practicing lawyer, was once held in contempt of court after firing an attorney who insulted one of his clients. The judge ordered him to apologized. He refused and threatened to tweak the judge's nose. He was sentenced to 90 days for contempt of court.

He moved to Montgomery, Alabama to be closer to family. In 1835 he went to Mobile to organize a militia cavalry called the Mobile Greys to serve in Texas. He wrote to Sam Houston on December 1st, 1835 volunteering his services for Texas and declining all pay, lands, or rations in return. He was commissioned a lieutenant in the Texian Cavalry on December 3rd. On January 11th he was promoted to major. Houston said of Bonham, "His influence in the army is great, more so than some who 'would be generals'." He arrived at the Alamo sometime near January 19th, 1836. He road to Goliad asking for assistance and was denied, being told it was useless to throw away his life, he road anyway back to San Antonio. He returned to the Alamo on March 3rd and died on March 6th during the battle. He is believed to have died manning a cannon in the interior of the Alamo chapel.

Bonham was one of the great men who gave his life for Texas. And for that we revere him and his fellow volunteers from the great states of South Carolina, Tennessee, and many others.

The South Carolina Gamecocks have never won a football game against the Texas Aggies, so they have never been able to take the trophy from us. Maybe it will happen tomorrow. Maybe it will be 4 in a row for the Aggies.

BTHO south carolina