The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-05-07
THE LAUGHING HERO.
An dNcrpENf or THE MASSACRE AT GoLIAp

NJ WIS lnS iiioIliiiS oiJlo TN vi ~hdICH,
1886, 4arora, mother of dews and mis-
tress fof golden ciouds.-came as she almost
ever comes TO the living scenery of the
plains Of Goliad "a thing ofbeauty, queen
of the sky, on thethrene of burning am
ber 5robed in the. crimson .sof fire, with a
diadelnp of purple. and ,slreainers of paint,
ed pink. Oh! it was q glorious dawn for.
the poet to sing of earth, or the saint to.
pray to heaven; but poet'ssong nor saints
prayer made the mathis of the place nor
the hour. Alas! no; it was very differ
entsort of music.
A hundred hoarse drains roared the
loud rereiHe that awoke four hundred Tex
an prisoners and their guard-foar times
their number of Mexican soldiers--the
ehite.of the Chief Butchers grand army.
The prisoners we're Immediately sum
moncd TO parade before the post, in the
main street of the village, and every eye
sparkled with joy, and every tongue utter.
ed the involuntary exclamation of conf
dence and hope
ssThanl S, Santa Anna! He is going to
exeeutesthe peatyi We shall be shipped
back to the United States! We shall see
our friends onco morel'
Such were the feelings which the Amer
ican volunteers, aud the few Texans among
them greeting the order to form into line.
The line was formed and then broke
intostwo columns, when every instrument
Of music in the Mexican host sounded a
merry march, snd they moved away
quickly oyerthe prairie towards the west.
Five minutes afterwards, a singular
dialogue occurred between the two leaders
of the front. columns of the prisoners:
AWhat makes you walk SO lame, Col.
Neil? Are you wounded?n asked tall,
handsome man, with blue eyes, and brave
~ flashing forth in all their beams.
ssGof. Fannin, walk fame to keep
from being gwouaded; do you comprehend"
replied the other with laugh, and such
laugh as no words might describe-it
was SO loud. so luxurious, like the roar of
the breakers of the sea of humor, it was,
in short a laugh of the inmost heart.
II do not comprehend you, for / am
no artist in riddles.n rejoined Fannin,
smiling himself at the ludicrous gaiety OF
his companion, so strangely ill-tieed.
You discover that am lame in each
leg" said Colonel Neil, glancing down at
the men1bers indicated, and mimicking the
movements Of the confirmed cripple, as he
laughed louder than ever .'And yet, he
added, in a whisper Il have neither the
rheumatism in my knees, nor corns on my
toes, but I have two big rerolrers in my
boots!r
That is o violation of the treaty by
which we agreed to deliver up our arms, ,
Col. Fannin mournfulIy suggested.
az ou viii see, however, that i shall
need them before the, sun is an hour high
replied Neil. s.Ah! Fannin, you do no.
know the treachery Of these base Mexi
.caas.v
At the instant the sun rose in sky o
extraordinary brilliancy, and a million
.iiower-cnps flung their rich odors abroad
over the green prairie, as an offering t
the lord of light when the mandate t,
halt was given by one of Santa Anna
Aids, aud the two columns of prisoner
were broken up and scattered over tn
plain, in small hollow squares, encircle,
ION every side by Mexican infantry ant
troops of horses, with1oaded muskets ant
drawn swords. And then came a mo
smentary pause, awful in its stiffness, sau'
disturbed only by an occasional shrek 0
terror as the most timid among the cap