Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-01-24

tObk pp>re-ribn pt the Town WITHOUT uflnE gun
/ As be advanced 10 the Alainn, the small garri
son of one hundred lnan. under the command of
/ William Rarret Travis. retired ON the opposite
/ side Of the river, determined there To oder such
resistance 10 the progress of the tyrant as their
,uergir. aud resources should permit, by dl-
rect appeal 10 rGnd a. battle. Flushed with
the conquest. So ensy effected. Of the town. the
! Mexican commander prepared for an immediate
! nttnck on tho Alnfnn. He ordered breastworks
10 be thrown up every commanding point. and
| artillery II he plrned wherever ii could be most
| effecivo. One bntiery was completed on the
right bank of the river by the 25th, aid without
waiting for others, the siege was ut once com
menced.
! lis dark and gloomy morning. devote to n
! dark aud unholy purpose. Exuliing in the work
of dcath upon which he is entering, Santa An
ma CROSSES the river in person,and establishes his
| headquarters in a snnll stone building; vet stand
! ing irnm which he may the more accurately
perceive the progress of hi. designs, without
/ exposing himself Ia his enemies. HE signal is
! given, and before The sun has arisen on those
| hostile hosts. the roar of the Mexican battery
! awakens The echoes far and wide aud rouses from
| their slumhers the yet unconscious inhabitants.
| But the defenders Of the Alamo have not for
| single moment lost sight of the movements of
| their willy and mpacable foes; they watch the
studied direction of every gun; they see the match
lighted; they listen breathle-s, if. even at that
| distance. they could hear the command to fire;
| md when the walls Of the citadel tremhle under
the shock of the iron hail, and the fragments Of
the parapet nre whirled nloft by the sudden i'm
pulse, they send back shout Of defiance min
gcd with discharge from their own guns, as
destructive if not denfening, Us the thunder
of their nssahnts.
Before The smoke rolls away and The revtrbe-
rations are lost in the distance while the shouts
Of the be seiged still linger in the of the be-
Il. do unIT brA, 4Npn
hours. without pause or relaxation, fercely con
tnucd upon tho walls of the Alamo. But these
walls yield 10 more than the spiIlts of their de-
fenders. The fire is steadily returned; and,
though stones are shivcred around them, there
are stout hearts ind willing hand, ready to re
pair every br, nch, and to restore from the into
rior whatever may have been destroyed from
without. Earth is thrown up; every crack
fssure is closed as fast rs creniedby the eager
eii,Its Of those who will permit no evidence of
success to cheer the hopes of their enemies.
The sun hts almost sunk behind the western
plains, when is pause in the work Of demolition.
The firing of the besegers ceases for the day
with the Mexican thirst for blood nnsqiuted
Not single drop has been shed within the Ala
mo. Many of Santa Annals men have bit the dust
before the artillrrsts aud rfemrn of the fort; but
thus far they unavengcd. Darkness fniis
upon the beseigcrs aud the besciged. The for
mrr raise new entertainments to prosecute tho
assault; the latter establish a close watch for tho
night and endeavor to seek that repose which
shall renew their igor Ter the contest which
thcy know will come to morrow.
The morning Of the Doth da.vns and reveals to
tho occupants of the fort the effect of the mid
night labors of their enemies in the establish
mcnt of two additional batteries within the Ala
media of the Alamo. The bayonets of the intan-
try which have crossed the river during the night
glitter in the morning beams, aud the plumr- of
the cavalry are seen waving on the eastern hill,
to intercept the expected aid from that quarter
The contest IS renewed by n slight skilmsh be
tween small party of Texans sent in quest Of
wood aud water and a Mexican detachment under
Gen. Sesma; but this is II mere overture to the
grand performance of the day. The ihunders OF
the heavy ordnance, under the direction 81 Col
Ampudia, are soon reused into action, v"Hcy al
trp volley is poured into the fort, and answered
only, except at rare intervals, by the shouts OF
those within. There is pause. no cessation.
still the cannonade goes on; shells ilv kissing
through the air aud balls bury themselves within
the rampartS; but night again comes ON, aud the
Mexican general in vain locks for evidence Of
success. Baltled, but not discouraged, h" ad-
vnnces his line of entertainments. aud prepares
with the morning light, 10 resume his bl"ody
tn>k. The north wind sweeps over the prairirs,
MS il only sweeps in Texas, stormy lullaby to
| the stormy passions of those contending hosts
The darkness is broken only by the feeble hlize
of few huts, fired by the Texans. which had
furnished cover to the enemy. The flames
curl upwards with sicky glare, and their hiui
! flashes throw Il lurId light for moment upon
the sumbering army and expire. The reign of
darkness and of silence is restored
The next day the Mexicans appear inactive,
! though engaged in the construction Of additional
batteries There is but little firing either
! side. Travis and his men, with spnits unsubdurd
! aud with energies weakened, but not exhausted.
! are APPLYING their contracted resources to the
! purposes of defence. No heart FILTERS: no pulse
! throbs with diminished power; no hand shrinks
| from the labor that necessity imposes. Al is
confidence and determination and III every breast
there is firm reliance sprngug from the holiness
| of the cause and the certainty of its final tr-
umph
Sunday follows, but brings no rest to those
whom God has created in his own image. and
who in violation of His commands are thus yield
ing to their erting and unhalIowed passions. Per-
haps within the chapel of the Alamo, con secrnted
Ia the worship of the Almighty, aud distinguish
ed by the emblem of suffering and of salvation
which snrmounts the dome. heads may be
| bowed in PRAYER to the God of battles for
deliveranee from their sanguinary foe; hnt
that foe takes heed Of Sabbaths. Exclu
! sive followers, rs they proclaim themselves, Of
| the true church. they doom to destruction the
very temple they have erected for its Worship
and. kissing the cross suspended from their nocks
and planted before every camp, they point their
! guns npon the symbol for which they profess
such unbonndrd reverence. The fire of the Mex
| lchn artillery keeps company with the minutes
as they roll on. Morning, mid day, and evening
are passed. yet there is no faering among tn ,se
who are defending the fhermopyl.e of Texan lib
crty. Another sun rises and set and vet anoth-
or; still the indnmitahle hearts of Travis and his
companions quail not before the untiring efforts