Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-12-24
T1BENsBURG, DECEMBER 81, 1866.
ATHRILLING 4 IECIDEET.

4 AEEIl4L1 ! u IHDlDLEI.
The tragedy OF Nacogdoches, aud the ro-
mantle incidents which led to the Texan war
Of Independence. find their parallel only in
the Roman history Of Lueretia and the elder
Brutus
Juan Costa was "a person Of influence and
bravery in the wild forest, but he fell under
tue dlspleasure OF Santa Anna, and his min
ION, Pedrast, the comnanjant of arrested the
father at supper table. attended By his ONLY
daughter, young girl Of surprising beauty
aud iateliee.see He loa4leI him xii, chains
and cast HIM into prison. no snikhstanding hes
tears and eutieatios. Finally he proposed to
free the father if the daughter would consent
to sacrifice her innocence and honor. She re-
Jected the Infamous proposal with blow in.
the face. The armed rufiaa swore terrible
oath to execute his viii on them both
With dark eyes, fearless, fixed as those of
corpse, yet flashing noble portion of luini-
nous fire she mounted a horse and hurried
away wildly around the country.
She halted ut every house, no matter. Mex
lean or American aud rehearshed in tones Of
thrilling horror, her fathers wrongs and her
own.
All tinid modesty, al weakness had van
Ished from her tongue, utterly consumed by
the scorching thirst for revenge. She 9ain-
ted in passions fiery language and witt a,v-
ful minuteness, the fact of the damning deed
She barred her virgin bosom. and showed the
iiyid marks Of the rayisher's fingers among
the azure veins along the surface of snow,
now 50 polluted and soiled, but before as 1,ure
as the gleam of an angels wing
And still, wherever the beautiful maid
wandered, deafening yell of wrath and ven
geance rose up against the tyrants- The peo-
pie of both races and all classes few to arms
appointing general rcndczvouz for the 4th
of June at the residence Of the absent and now
imprisoned Juan Costa
1t was here debated by the people the mode
of attack, and who should be their leader. but
nothing being agreed on, the whole assem-
blage bade fair to break up in confusion !;
when tall and powerfully built stranger.
who had just entered Texas from the States,
came forward and addressed the multitude
s. | am a stranger, but am also man, and
[ owe my life. soul, body. health, and happi-
| ness, al-all to voman-to my mother =
and if turn deaf ear to the prayers of an
innocent woman, asking my aid against a vii
lain, may both my mother and my God curse
me! Ii you stay behind, L go for one TO
fight Pedras, aud his armed rayishers Of your
wifes and daughters
The speech was received with three tre-
mendous cheers, and general shout that
seemed TO shake the solid earth, uttered the
! first peal Of the revolution.
We viii go. Death to the tyrants
Freedom for Texas, and the giant shall be our
/ leader"
And then for the first time was heard in
! the land of the wild. the name destined to be-
come an echo to the pulsation of all hearts
! the name OF Thomas j Rusll
The next day he led his raw recruits to the
attack Of Nacogdoches, and stormed every
portion against immense odds After the
assault Of four hours, the carnage being dread
| ful on both sides. Fortunately among the
slain was the dead body Of the atgocious Pc
lras.
Such was the debut Of Ruslz in Texas, and
| from thatday his popularity has gone on stead
/ lily increasing. wthou0 even a transitory
eclipse, or even 50 much as could dim its
/ splondor In vain for three years Gen. Cos
! demanded his arrest. Mexico had not sol
( djers enough to take him. and in 1S45-6,
he assisted TO chase the last Of these out of the
country Afterwards he amassea fortune
Mt the Texan Bar; and was chosen one Of the
first Senators Of the new State annexed
place which he may hold ioe life If he wills it.