The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-05-04
The Battle of San Jacinto.

no disposition TO come to an engagement. Events
had taken such a current as Houston expected and
DESIRED and he began TO prepare for battle.
Those who expect a minute and accurate &C.
count OF this engagement, from the writer, or any
one else, must be disappointed from no such des-
crPon can over be written. II was SLAUGHTER
more than 6attLe. We can only give the reader
an idea Of the position of both armies when the
engage gement began-fll up the interval of the next
few minutes with blood, and smoke, and cries and
slaughter, and then tell the almost incredible re-
suit. The two armies were now drawn I'd in
complete order. There were seven hundred
Texans on the field, and Santa Annals troops mum.
bered over eighteen hundred.
Everything was now ready, and every man AZ
his post, waiting for the charge The two six.
Founders had commenced well directed fire Of
grape and canister and they shattered bones and
baggage wherever they struck. The moment had
at last come. Houston ordered the charge, and
sounded out the war cry, Renember tile Alamo.
These magic words struck the ear of every SOL
der at The same instant, and the Alamo = the
Alamo! went up from the army in one wild
scream, which sent terror through the Mexican
host. AT that moment rider came up on a horse
covered with mire and foam, swinging al axe over
his head, and dashed along the Texan lines, cry.
ing out as he had been instructed to do 81 haze
c"t darn Ttncc's 6rad9e-moac .feht for yoa0
solid Fh'Ianx, which had been held back for
moment at the announcement. launched forward
upon The breast.work like an avalanche of fire.
Houston spurred his horse on at the head of the
centre column, right into the face Of the foe.
The Mexican army was drawn up in perfect
order, ready TO receive the attack, and when the
Texans were within about sixty paces and before
they had fired rifle, general flash was seen
along the Mexican lines, and a storm of bullets
R,-i,, tb,
100 high, but several balls struck Hous,on's S horse
i'll The breast, and one shattered the Generals an.
kIe. The noble animal staggered for moment,
but Houston sPurred him on. If the first discharge
OF the MeXlcans had been well directed, it would
have thinned the Texan ranks. Bnt they %AARd
on, reServIng their fire till each man could choose
particular soldier for his target; and before
The MexIcans could reload, murder6us discharge
Of rifle balls was poured into their bOsoms. The
Texan soldiers rushed on. They were without
bayonets, bul they converted their rifles into war
clubs and levelled them upon the heads of Santa
Annals men. Along the breastwork there
little more firing off muskets rifles-it a
desperate struggle, hand 10 hand. Tie Texans,
hen they had broken off their rifles al the breech,
by smashing the skulls Of their enemies flung
them down, and drew their pistols. They fired
them once, and having no time to reload hurled
them against the heads of their foes and then
way through dense masses of living flesh.
1t would be gross mistake to suppose that the
Mexicans played the coward that day-for they
were slain by hunC reds in the ranks where they
stood when the battle began-bu; the fierce ven.
geance oflhe Texans could not be resisted. They
fought none but men fight, when they
striking for their homes their families and their
died kindred. The Mexican officers and men stood
firm for 4 time, but the Texans stamped on them
L,D lod Eo ,,,J
the dying down with the dead, and clamberiEg
over the groaning bleeding mass, plunged their
knives into The bosoms of those in the rear. When
they saw that the dreadful onset Of their foe could
not be resisted, they either attempted to fly, and
stabbed in The back, or fell Oh their knees 10
plead for mercy, crying " me no Alamo ~ I" me
no Alamo !' "nte no Alamo !" These unfortu
nate slaves Of the Mexican tyrant had witnessed
that brutal massacre of brave men, and now they
could think Of no other claim for mercy, but the
plea that they were not there for they knew
the day OF vengeance fox the Alamo had at last
como.
But before the centre breastwork had been car
rcd, The right and left wings of the enemy had
heen put TO rout or he slaughter. The Mexicans,
however, not only stood their ground at first,
but made several bold charges upon the Texan
lines.
division Of their infantry Of than five
hundred men, mace a SaiIaht ana well -dlTecleu
charge upon The battalion OF Texan mfanry.-
Seeing them hard pressed, by force of three to
one, The Commander in chief dashed between them
and The enemy's column, exclaming:
Come on, my brave fellows, your General
leads you''
The battalion halted and wheeled into perfect
order, like veteran corps, and Houston gave the
order TO fire. If The guns of the Texans had all
been moved by machinery, they could not have
been fired nearer the same instant. There was a
single exploSion-the battalion rushed through
the smoke, and those who had not been prostraed
by the bullets, were struck down by the cleaving
blows of upIifted rifles; and the leveIIed column
was trampled into the mire together. or the
five hundred, only thirty.two lived, even TO
surrender as prisoner Of war.
GEN. RUsK's STORY OF THE OLD TEXAN.
'On starting out from our camp, to enter upon
the attack | saw an old man, by the name OF
Curtis carrying two guns | asked him what rea-
son he had for carrying two guns. He answer
ed D-n the MexcaEsi they killed my son
and son-in-law in the Alamo, and intend 10 Kill
TWO of them for it, or be killed myself saw
the old man again during the fight, and he told
me : he had killed his Two men; and II he could
find Santa Anna himself, he would cut out q ra-
cor strap from has back :"
DEFEAT OF THE MExICANs.
The flight had now become universal. The
Texans had left on the ground, where the battle
begap more than their entire number, wing and
deod and far away. over the prairie, they were