Captain nat Lewis,Captain Dimmit and Lt Nobles

[boba]

While perusing my Alamo books during this pandemic,I came across the names of the three individuals named.Who was Captain Nat Lewis.What and who was he captain of?It seems that he lit out with his "merch" as soon as Santa Anna and his army showed up explaining he couldn't "fort up".The same with Dimmit and Nobles.As soon as they saw the Mexican Army,they rode out to get reinforcements.I don't know how true that was,seeing that Travis sent riders out soon afterward for reinforcements.Not wanting to besmirch their reputations,It seems to me that they got cold feet and split.Dimmit ,I believe had a supply place on the coast but Lewis and Nobles,I never heard of again.Anybody have any info on these individuals?

[cantador4u]

I found a thread on the forum going back to 2011 that discusses Phillip Dimmit.
alamostudies.proboards.com/thread/1362/curious-case-phillip-dimitt

I can't help with the other two.

- Paul Meske

[cantador4u]

found some more info. Captain Nat Lewis, Captain Dimmitt and Lieutenant Nobles are all mentioned at:
www.sonsofdewittcolony.org//sthland1.htm

Lots of info on Phillip Dimmit at:
www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/dimmitt-philip

Benjamin F. Nobles is listed as being On a scouting run when the Mexican troops arrived on February 23.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Alamo_defenders

- Paul Meske

[cantador4u]

The Alamo Reader has a letter from Dimmitt to Major James Kerr and a committee on the Lavaca, dated Feb 28. (page 599, or 4.3.2) In it he states,
"...On the 23rd, I was requested by Col Travis to take Lt Nobles and reconnoitre the enemy. Some distance out I met a Mexican who informed me that the town had been invested. After a short time a messenger overtook me saying he had been sent by a friend of my wife (Mrs. Dimmitt was a Mexican lady) to let me know that it would be impossible to return, as two large bodies of Mexican troops were already around the town. I then proceeded to the Rovia and remained till 10 p.m., on the 25th...."

So according to this letter Dimmitt and Nobles were out scouting and the Mexican army moved into town.
I am confused as to what the "Rovia" is or was, that he went to.

- Paul Meske

[boba]

Thanks for the info,Paul.As far as Lewis goes,his excuse of not being able to "fort up"is a little weak....bob

[TRK]

Hi Paul:
I'd bet that "the Rovia" is a corruption or transcriptional error for "la Bahia." I could picture someone transcribing the manuscript letter, thinking "Bahia" looks like "Rovia."

[rriddle3]

Anybody who left Bexar before/when Santa Anna showed up was of a better military mind than Travis was.