Smyrna times., 1856-05-07
seIttt mlistelIal'flp,.
THE HING HERO,
AN INCIDENT OF THE MASSACRE AT GoLIAD.

y INCIDENT
# was the morning of the 18th of March,
1896, Aurora, mother of dews and mistress of
golden clouds, came, as she almost ever comes
to the living scenery of the plains of Golad-
thing of beauty, queen of the sky, on throne
of burning amber, robed in the crimson of fire,
with diadem of purple, and streamers of paint
ed pink Oh! it was a glorious dawn for the
pet to sing of earth, or the saint to pray to
heaven but poets song nor saints prayer made
the mathis of the place and the hour. Alas!
no; it was a very different sort of music.
\ hundred hoarse drums reared the loud
rereWe that awoke four hundred Texan prison.
ers and their guard-four times their number
of Mexican soldiers-the elite of the Chief
b .'cher's 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 the involuntary ex-
cl ,nation of confidence and hope |
Thanks, Sauta Anna He is going to exc
cute the treaty! We shall be shipped back to
,he United States We shall see our friends
once more!' +''@1
Such were the feelings which the American
volunteers, and the few Texans among them
greeted the order to form into line.
The line was formed and then broke into two
columns, when every instrument of music In
the Mexican host sounded merry march, and
they moved away with quick step over the
~ ,,ria touards the west
Five minutes afterwards, a singular dialogue
occurred between the two leaders of the from
columns of the prisoners:
"What makes you walk so lame, Col. Neil
Are you wounded 20 asked a tall, handsome
man, with blue eyes and bravery flashing fortl
in all their beams. -
..CoI. Fannin, I walk lame to keep from be
ing wouuded; do you comprehend! J" replie
the other with laugh, and such laugh as n
words might descrbe-it was so loud, so luxu
ro,ls. like the roar of the breakers of sea {
humor. it was, in short, a laugh of the limos
heart. 49, E .4aLs1ss.+s {
81 do not comprehend you, for l am no artii
in riddles" rejOined Fannin, smiling himself 4
the ludicrous gaiety of his companion, SO strange
y ill-timed. - II .a..iysasll
"You discover that am lame in each log,
said Colonel Neill, CHANGING down at the meu
b,rs indicated, and mimicking the moyemen
of Il confirmed cripple, as he laughed loud
than ever. sand yet, he added, in a whispe
IL have neither The rheumatism in my knee
nor Gorns on my toes, but have two big reut
uers in my boots % $50 p g @@s5 -
~rhat is violation of the treaty by viii
we agreed to deliver up our arms" Col. Fam
mournfally suggested. a3as S. rs ..ast
" You will see, however, that shall ne
them before the sun is an hour HIGH" repli
Neil "Ah! Fannin, you do not know |
treaehery Of these base Mexicans." v
AT the instant the sun rose in a sky of ext
ordinary brilliancy, and million fower-cl
flung their rich doors abroad over the grt
prairie, as an offering to the lord of light, wi
the mandate to J" halt" was given by ont
Santa Annals Aids, and the two column
prisoners were broken up and scattered d
the plain, in small hollow squares, encircled
,eYsFy side. by Mexican infantry and troop
horses, with loaded muskets and drawn swo
And then came momentary pause, awfu
its stiffness, and disturbed only by an sccasu
shrek Of terror. ss the most timid among
ealaives realizcd the impending storm Of
and extinction of LIES las. hope.
iknd then the Internal work of whole
murder was begun, and sense ensued sue
scarcely might be matched in the very anna
helIiissle Tie roarof musketry burst IN
cessiye pealslike appalling claps Of thur
ljut could mol utterly drown the prayers Of
living, the screams OF the wounded, and
tett.ble groans Of the DYING