Dr. Jack Shackelford, of the State of Alabama, answered the plea from Gen. Sam Houston to support Texas’ revolt against Mexico. He raised a company of about 55 volunteers and headed to Texas. They were called the “Red Rovers” because their uniforms were fringe-trimmed hunting shirts with bright red, green, and brown checks. A simple blood-red flag provided them with their company guidon, the first evidence of a distinct and separate Alabama identity. These men faced their final defeat at Goliad where Shackelford was spared because he was a physician.
