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

555I = 90 =5i77Sf
1857. .sssga
aaRgel of death seem to psass before; tn,
strife and carnage which are to follow
A, low murmur rises upon the air, which
1gradually becomes more, and more dis
tinct. Lights are glancing mysterionsiy
in the distance, and indicate some unusua
fmoyement. The besieging army is il
motion. There is no advance, by col
umns. The force of the Mexicans is sc
great that the fort may be completely
surrounded, leaving intervals only for the
fire Of artillery. The place is girdIed BY
deep lines of infantry, and these are hem.
med in and encompassed by another oi
cavalry. II the FIRST faltsr' aor shrink,
they must be thrustfofwardtoth to the assault
bystte sabfes and flances of their com
rades:e Suddenly the batteries are in a
blaze and from their concentric positi 5ns
iEpodr forth radii9o FIRE from the circle .ol
Santa Anna's vengeance. verging single
CENTRE Amid the thunders thus created.
their own shouts Hardly less terrible, and
the martial blasts of an hundred bugles,
the Mexicans, advance TO the Alamo
\ A'sheetof flame, from rifles that never
If'failed. is the answer to the charge. The
infantry recoil and fall back upon the ca.
valry. their ranks broken and disordered
4 by the deadly FIRE ofthe besieged. The
shouts from the forts are mingled with
the groans Of the wounded and dying on
the plain, while the officers are endeayor
ing to reform their scattered masses
They return the attack, but the !eaden
shower which they again encounter fells
them to the earth by platoons.
Travis shows himself on the walls.
cheering his cool, undaunted followers.
Around him are Crockett, Evans and
Borham, reused to the last struggle, for
they know their doom is sealed In
quick succession rifle after rifle is dis.
charged, sending hundreds to their long
account. The Mexicans are again re.
pulsed they fall back distnayed and dis
hear:ened by the dead and rying around
them. The battalion Of Toluca.' the flow
er Of Santa Annals army, is reduced from
four hundred totwenty three. Men have
become for moment regardless of their
officers. and are almost deIirious from the
cries OF anguish Of their fallen and expi>
ring comrades. yielding to the influence
which no discipline can restrain and no
efforts repress. But the breach now ap-
pears practicable the disjointcd forces.
by the aid of threats and entreaties, are
rallied, and once more return to the as.
sault. Fire,fro the Alamo has for some
time been growing slower and slower
Rifles have dropped from many vigor.
Gus hand, now exhibits in death, while
others clung to their weapons even in the
agonies of dissolution. Ammunition, too,
has been failing one by one of the muz-
zles drop; and ere the last rifle is loaded
and discharged the Mexicans gain the
WALL. Fearfully conspicuous in that aw
ful moment. Travis receives ashot, stag
gers and falls. He dies not unavenged.
a Mexican officer rushes upon him and is
about to plunge his sabre in the bosom OF
the fallen man, when, gathering his re.
naming energies for desperate effort.
be bathes the sword to which he clings in
the blood Of the enemy. and they die to.
gether. 50, ,o :
lnthe meantime the conflict has be-
come hand to hand and has been raging
hot and thick. The Mexicans have pour
ed into the citadel like famished wolves,
furious for their prey. Each man strug>
giles with his adversary with the energy
OF despair. dealing the death stroke with
rifles, sabres. or whatever miss e!es may
be within rench. The Texans are almost
buried beneath the numbers Of their op-
ponents. The carnage has been so terri>
BILE that the slain are piled up in heaps
Death stares each survivor in the face.
yet he struggles on. Crockett has been
conspicuous in the melee wherever the
blows fell hottest and fastest. He has
forced his way over piles Of the dead bo-
dies OF his enemies, and has reached the
door Of the chapel. Here he determines
to make his last stand. At one glance Of
his eye he sees that the fate Of the Alamo
rests upon bimself alone, and chat fate
nothing can avert.
Travis has fallen Evans is no more ;
Bowie expires upon bed Of sickness.
pierced to the heart by Mexican bayo-
net Borham falls directly upon him, and
be finds himself the only living warrior Of
the one hundred and sixty three who had
been his companions. Perhaps at that
moment the life blood creeps TO his heart
by natural impulse for a moment. The
deportation of his position sends it back
with the force Of an avalanche. His foes
glare on him with the ferceness of de-
mons. and assault. him with blows from
muskets. lauces. and sabres. The strength
of hundred men seems concentrated in
his single arm, as be deals out death to
his pitiless and unspariug assaiIants.-
/ Their bodies have grown into rampant
before him. Blackened with FIRE and
4 smoke, besmeared with blood, ani rous.