The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-04-22
THE LAUGHING HERO.
An Incident of the Massacre Mt GoIfas

1t was the morning Of the Eth Of March, 1896
Aurora, mother of dews and mistress OF the man
sion of golden clouds, came, as she almost ever
comes to the living greenery Of the plains Of Go
throne Of burning amber, robed in the crimson Of
FIRE, with diadem of purple, and streatners Of
painted pink. Oh! it was glorious dawn for the
poet to sing Of earth, or the saint to pray heaven
bat neither poets song nor saints prayer made the
mathis of the place and the hour. Alas no /; it
was very different sort OF music. Jas
century of hoarse drums roared the loud Teveille
that awoke four hundred Texan prisoners and their
guard-four times their number of Mexican SOL
ders-the elite of the Chief Butchers grand army.
The prisoners were Immediately summoned to
parade before the post, in the main street Of the
village; and every eye sparkled with joy, and
every tongue uttered its shout-ihe involuntary
exclamation of confidence and hope" Thanks,
noble Santa Anna. He is going to execute the
treaty! We shall be shipped back to our beloved
United States We shall see our dear friends
once more!" Such were the cheerful cries with
which the American volunteers and the few Texans
among them, greeted the order to form into line.
The line was formed and then broken into two
columns, when every instrument of music in the
Mexican host sounded merry march, and they
moved away with quick step over the prairie
towards the west.
Five minutes afterwards, a singular dialogue
occurred between the two leaders Of the front col
| umn Of prisoners:
hat makes You walk so lame, Col. Neil
/ Are you wounded?D asked a tall handsome man
| with blue eyes, and bravery flashing forth in al
| their beams.
| "Col. Fannin, walk lame to keep from bein,
| wounded; do you comprehend" replied the other
| with laugh, and such laugh words nigh
describe-it was so loud, luxurious, like the roa
OF the breakers of of humor it was, in short
laugh of the inmost heart.
| do not comprehend you, for am no artist il
riddles" rejoned Fannin, smiling himself at the
ludicrous gayety of his companion, so strangely
ill-timed.
You discover that I am lame in each leg" said
Col. Neil, glancing down at the members indica.
ted, and mimicking the movements of confirmed
cripple, as he laughed louder than ever. 90 And
yet" he added, in whisper, 81 have neither the
rheumatism in my knees, nor corns my toes,
but have two big reDoIcers in my boots :"
- That is violation of the treaty by which we
agreed to deliver up our arm" Col. Fannin mourn
fully suggested.
You will see, however, that shall need them
before the sun is an hour high, replied Neil "Ah
Fannin, you do not know the treachery of these
base Mexicans." ea1s at a-i
At the instant the sun arose in a sky of extraor-
dinary brilliancy, and million fower-cups flung
their rich odors abroad the green prairie as an
offering to the lord Of light, when the mandate to
Shalt was given by one OF Santa Annals Aids, and
the two columns Of prisoners were broken up and
scattered over the plain in small hollow squares,
encircled on every side by Mexican Infantry and
troops Of horse with loaded muskets and naked
swords. And then came momentary pause, awful
in its stiffness, and disturbed only by occasional
shrek of terror, as the most tmid among the cap
tives realized the impending storm Of fire and ex.
tnction Of lifes last hope.
And then the Internal work Of wholesale murder
was begun, and scene ensued such as scarcely
might be matched in the very annals of hell ITSELF
The roar Of musketry burst in successive peas like
appalling claps of thunder, but could not utterly
drown the prayers of the living, the of the
wounded, and more terrible groans Of the dying
| Col. Fannin fell among the first victims, but not
| SO the giant3Neil With the order of the Mexican
officer to his men q fire, our hero stopped almest to
the earth, that the volley passed entirely over
him. He waited not for second thrusting hand
into leg of each boot, he arose with coufbe of
sx-shooters the deadly fevovers OF Aliens patent,
and commenced discharging them with the quick
rapidty Of lightning into the thickest ranks OF his
foes, his immense strength enabling him to pull of
| both the triggers together. !,
Panic-stricken with surprise and fear, the Mexi-
cans Tecoed and opened passage, through which
Neil bounded with the spring of panther and fled
away as if wings tied to his heels, while half
dozen horsemen gave chase. For while it
seemed doubtful whether the giant Colonel would
not distance these, much had the perils OF
the occasion increased the natural elasticity of his
mighty muscles. But presently charger fleeter
than the rest might be discerned gaining ON his
human rival, and approaching so near that the dra-
goon raised his flashing sabre for coup de graeS
Neil became conscious of his danger, and hastily
saokened his speed, till the hot stream of smoke
from the horses nostrs appeared to mingle with
his very hair and then, wheeling suddenly, he fired
another round from revolver, and the rider tum.
bled from his saddle. The victim then renewed his
fight.
A madyell of grief and rage broke from the re.
naming troopers they witnessed the fate Of theil
comrade, and its effect was Immediately evident in
the augmented caution of their pursut-for they
gailoped afterwards in one body, thereby greatly
retardng their progress, so that Neil reached the
river before them. He paused not moment, but
plunged headlong down the steep bank into the
current, and struck off for the other shore. The
dragoons discharged their side-arms Intellectually,
and gave over the chase
In few minutes Neil landed, and as soon as he
felt satisfied that he really saved, burst into an
insuppressihle convulson of laughter, exclaiming
$ II will kill me Just TO think how aslonished the
yellow devils looked when hauled the revolvers
out Of my boots
Such was Col. John Neil : possessing fund Of
| humor that no misfortune could ever exhaust, and
a flow Of animal spirits which would have enabled
him TO dance on the graves Of all his deares
friends, to have sung Yankee Doodle at his 0ssr
| execution
/ AT n much la.er periOd Of rexan b;.sorv a..