Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-03-20
THE FALL OF THE ALAMO.

On the 23d day of February, 1886,
Gen. Santa Anna entered San Antonio de
Bexar, and took possession of the town
without the firing Of gun. AS he ad-
vauced TO the Alamo, the small garrison
Of one hundred and thirty men, under the
command of William Barret Travis. re-
tired on the opposite side Of the river, de-
termined there 10 offer such resistance to
the progress OF the tyrant as their ener-
gies and resources should permit by q di-
rect appeal to the God Of battles. Flush
ed with the conquest, so easily affected,
of the town, the Mexican commander ,ne
pared for an immediate attack on the
Alamo. Hc ordered breastworks to be
| thrown up on every commanding point.
aud artillery to be planted wherever it
could be made most effective. One bat
terry was completed on the right bank OF
the river by the 25h. and>wi!hout await
ing for others. the siege was at once com.
meuced. i#
II is dark and gloomy morning. de-
voted to dark and unholy purpose
Exulting in the work of death upon which
he is entering, Santa Anna crosses the
river in person, and establishes his head
quarters in a small stone building-yet
standing-from which he may the more
accurately perceive the progress of his
designs, without exposing himself to his
enemies. The signal is given, and before
the sun has risen upon these hostile
hosts, the roar Of the Mexican battery
awakens the echoes far and wide, and
rouses from their slumbers the yet un-
conscious inhabitants. But the defenders
| Of the Alamo have not for single mo-
ment lost sight Of the movements of their
willy and implacabls foes ;; they watch
the studied direction of every gun; they
see the match lighted; they listen breath
less as if, even at that distance, they
could hear the command to Ere; and,
when the walls Of the citadel tremble
under the shook Of the iron hail. and
the fragments OF the parapet are whirl-
ed alott by the sudden impulse, they
send back shout of defiance, mingled
with discharge from their own guns as
distinctive. if not as deafening, as the
thunder of their assailantSV ,.g5--s 3 ic
Before the smoke rolls away and the
reverberations. are lost in the. distance,
while the shouts of the besieged still lin
ger in the ears slof the besiegers. the cans
nonade is resumed. and for seven hours,
without pause or relaxation, fercely con-
tinued upon the walls of the Alamo. But
these walls yield no more than the spirits
of their defenders. The FIRE is steadily
returned and though stones are. shiver.
ed around them, there are. stout hearts
and willing hands ready to repair every
breach, and 70 restore from the interior
whatever may have been, destroyed from
without. % Earth is thrown, mp; every
crack or ltissnre is closed as fast as Gre
atsd by the eager efforts Of those who
will permit no evidence, Of success 10
cheer the hopes of their enemies; The
sun has slmost; sunk behipd the western
plains. when there is a pause in the rxofl
OF demolition. The firing Of the besieg-
ers ceases for the day with, the Mexican
thirst for blood unsatiated. Gota single
drop has been shed within the Alamo
Many of Santa Annals men have bit the
y ausk hafnre the artiNarists and rifianer, ~