Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1846-11-05
DEFENCE OF TIEI; ALAMO.
In the Year 1896.
Letter from an Officer Of the Army to his
friend in South Carolina. communicated to
tie National lntelgencer
SAN ANTONIO De BExAR. iTEx.s>

On we i4'n instant l wrote you very |
hriei leuer announcing my arrival al tins
place. We are 81 FAR removed from the
United States that intercourse is almost
prohibited Mails are So irregular tina,
no reliance is To be placed on them. and
private expresses to la Baca. and thence
Ia New Orleans. bv any vessel that offers
form the most common means OF trans
mission. This place is very different
from any in the Republic as it was. aud
the houses aud streets are no, more extra |
ordinary than the habits and appearance
of the people. The most interesting OBJ
j-ct. however. in the vicinity. is The Ala
mo. II is now a shapeless mass of ruins.
The chapel is defaced and broken down.
ana 10 walls If the fort are fast crnmb
, limo 10 decay. Tine md the elements
have almost completed what the HeAifah
artillery commenced, aud the Coliseum
nf Texas will SION form but shattered
and mournIul monument OF its own eXIs.
tcnce.
On the 23h dav Of Ftbrurv, 1886, San
Ia Anna entered San ArtnnIo de BrXar.
and took possession of the town without
firing gun The small garrison of one
| hundrt d and iliirtv men. under the CON-
| mard Of William Barre, Travis, retired
| as he advanced. To the Alamo, on The OPP
| posite side of t.,e river determined there
to offer whatever resistance III the pro-
! gress of the ,yrani that God and their own
energies should permit. Flushed with
! The conquest. So easily effected of the
town. the Mexican General prepared for
an immediate attack upon the Alamo
He ordered hreaslwnrks to be thrown up
on every commanding point and artillery
To be planted wherever ii could be made
most effective. One battery was com,
nle,et on the right hauk of the river by
the 25,h, and on Ihis day tie siege COM
| mencpd.
1t is dark ami gloomy morning. de
voted to "A dark and unholy purpose. Ex-
- 20 in tie work of death upon which
.;,,. H.. k,"g; Santa Anna CROSSES the
his designs, aud estaR,,'' Nv
ters IN email stone building :, .,',.,I
ing. The signal is given. and ere
sun has risen upun the scene. the roar "i
artillery from The Mexican battery awak-
ems me echoes FAR and wide, aud r"uses
from their slnmber- the vel sleeping in
hahuants Ru, The def ndrrs of the la
mn have moi lost sight for SINGLE moment
of lleir wlIv and rtmnr-ale-s emmy: they
watch The studied direction at every gun;
they see The match lghed; they listen.
GREATNESS. rs If even al ;hai distance they
could hear the command Ia fire. and when
| L ~ # Il, l.i
,rpmhle under the shock of the IRON hail
and the fragments Of stone are whlrl"d
alnfi by the sudden impulse. they send
back shout Of defiance. mingled with a
discharge from their own guns. almost as
dralenng "a the thunder of their assail
ants Before the snake rolls away, and
the reverbera,ious are lost in the distance.
while the shouts Of The he>ieged sllll lin
ger on The ears Of the beSiegers. the can
nnnade is renewed. and for seven hours
fierce elk continued upon the walls of The
Alamo Bm these walls Weld no more
Than the sp,riis of their defenders. The
fire is S'ead,v returned; aud, though
stones are >hivered around them. there
are stout hearts AVID willing hands read,
10 repair every breach. and IN restore ir"u
he interior whatever may have been de.
unved from without Earth is thrown
up every crack or fi>~Ure closed as fas
a created hv the eager efforts of lhos'
who Will permit no evidence Of success
,o rheer The hopes of their enemy. Thu
sun has almost sunk behind the western
plains when there j. pause in HE warl
2 If de moll'on. The firing ceases for tn
dav bv order Of The Mexican commander
with his thirst for blood nusa,iated. fo
not single dro,, has fallen within the Al
am". MANY "f his own men have bit tn
tln-; ht fore ,he arillIeriS;s and rifemen Il
the Tort: but thus far they are unayenged
Darkness falls up"n he-ieger and hesiec
ed: he former raise new enuenrhmen'
Ia prosecute the assault; the latter esiab
li-h Il watch for the night. and endeavo
seek that repoae which shall give ther
fresh vigor Tor the contest which the
know will come to morrow.
The morning of the &c h dawns. an
reveals 10 the occupants of The fort he e
&c, Of The m,dn,gh, labnr- nf their enen
~ the establishment, of Two additional ba
n. ,prlrs within the Alamt da of the Alamo
Tie bavoue,S of the infantry. crosse
over the river during the night glitter
- HE morning beams. and the plnmes {
V HE cavalry are seen waving on the ea'
tern hills. To intercept, the expected al
from that quarter I he cont 81 is renew
T. ed hv slight skitml>h between a few
he Texans, sent in quest of wood a,
water and detachment under the Mex
= tan Geneal Se>ma: bu. this is mel
overture to The grand performance of Il
r. day. l he ,hunders of the heavy or
nance, under the direction of Colonel A.
n" pudia are soon reused mo action: voll'
after wiley is poured into the fort, Al
answered only. excep, al rare interval
- by the shouts of those within. There
no pause. no cessation. Sill the cannu
or ate goes on; shells hv kissing ,hrau
The air. aud balls bury themselves with
lie rampar,>; but night comes on. and /
Mexiran General can sre n" progress
Bafll, d but no, discouraged. he advanr
;, his line of posts. and prepares with ,
,er morning light 10 enter again upon
- taSE The untIh wind Swpeps oyer 4