Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-02-04
}WhOle No. S6S.

suaI movement. The besieging army Is
in motion. There 10 no advance by col
umns. The force Of the Mexicans Is so
great that The fort may be surrounded,
leaving intervals only for the fire Of ariiI.
lery. The place is girdIed by deep line
of infantry, and these are hemrDed in and
surrounded by another of cavalry. 1.-The
frs, shrink, they mus, be thrust forward
to the assault by the sabIes and pistols Of
their comrades. Suddenly the batteries
are in blaze, and from their concentric
positions pour fourth radii Of fire pointing
TO single centre. Amid the thunder
thus created, their own shouts scarcely
less terrible, and the blasts OF bugles,t the
Mexicans advance to the Alamo. A sheet
Of flame from rifles that never failed, 10
the answer to the charge. The infantry
recoi and fall back upon the cavalry /;
their ranks broken and disorderod by the
deadly fire of the besieged. The shouts
from the fort are mingled with the groans
: of the dying on the plain, while the Off
GERS are endenvoring to reform theft
scattered masses. They return to the
I attack, but The leaden shower which they
encounter ieIls them TO the earth by pla-
toons. Travis shows himself on the
walls, cheering on his undaunied fellows.
Around him are Crockett, Evans, and
Bonham, reused to the struggle, for they
know tina, their doom is sealed In quick
succession rifle after rife is discharged,
sending hundreds TO their long account.
The Mexicans are again repulsed they
fall back dishearened by the dead aud
dying around them. The battalion Of
Toluca, the flower Of the Mexican army
is reduced from fourteen hundred TO
twenty three. Men have become for
moment regardless Of their officers, md
are almost deirious, from the cries Of att
guish Which no discipline can restrain
; and which come from their fallen aud
expiring comrades. But a breach is
made at last. The disjoined forces by
the aid OF threats and entreaties are rnl-
lied, and once more turn their faces 10
the Alamo.
The firing from that quarter has for
some time been growing slower and
slower. Rifles have dropped from many
q vigorous hand, now cold in death,
while others clung to their weapons, even
in the agonies Of dissolution. Ammuni-
ton, too, has been failing one by one
the muzzles drop the last rife is loaded
and discharged, and the Mcxicans have
gained the wall Proudly conspicuous
in that awful moment, Travis received a
shot, staggers, and falls. lie dms una
venged. One Of the Mexican officers
rush upon him, and is about 10 plunge
his sabre into the bosom Of fbe fallen
man, when, gathering all his energies
for last effort he bathcs his own sword
in the blood Of his enemy and they die
together.
In The meantime the battle has been
raging hot and thick. The Mexic"ns
have poured into the citsrdef like leaves
before The storms N autumn. The con-
hict comes hand to hand. Each man
struggles with his adversary, dealing
blows with rifles, sabres, or whatever
missile may be within reach Tho Tex
ans are almost buried beneath the num-
bcrs of their opponents. The carnage
has been so terrible that the slain are pill
ed in heaps. Death siares every survi-
vor in the face, but still he Struggles on.
Crocke, has been conspicuous IN the
melee, whenever the blows fell hottest
and The thickest. lie has forced his sav
over piles oi The dead bodies OF his enc
mics, and has reached the door Of the
chapel Here he determines to make hrs
ast stand. AT one glance Of his eye he
sees that the fate OF the Alamo rests upon
himself alone. Travis has fallen T.
vans is no more Bowie expires upon a
bed Of sickness, pierced to the heart by
a Mexiean bayonet Bonbam fell before
his eyes, and he finds himself the only
living warrior, Of the one hundred and
sixty-,hree who were his comrade''--
Perhaps at that moment the life blood
creeps TO Ais heart by a naturai impulse,
but is only for a moment. His foes
glare On him with 6crceness Of demons,
and assault him with blows from sabres,
muske,s and pistols. The strength Of
hundred men seem concentrated in his
single arm, as he deals out death to h@
rane orous and unsparine assailan,s..--
II Tbe;, bodies bave grown IN a rampart