The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-02-11

at rare intervals, by the shouts of those
within. There is no pause, no cessation.
Still the cannonade goes on shells fly
Kissing through the air and the balls
bury themselves within the ramparts;
but night again comes on, and the Mex
Jean general looks in vain for evidence
of success. Bafied, but not discouraged,
be advances his line of intrenchments,
and prepares, with the morning light, to
resume his bloody task. The north wind
sweeps over the prairies, as it only sweeps.
in Texas, q stormy lullaby to the stormy
passions of those ~contending hosts. The
darkness is broken only by the feeble
blaze of a few huts, fred by the Texans,
which had furnished q cover to the ene-
my. The flames curled upward with a
sickly glare, and their ftful flashes throw
a lurid light for a moment upon the
slumbering army and expires. The
reign of darkness and of silence is now
restored.
The next day the Mexicaus appear
inactive, though engaged in the construc-
ton of additional batteries. There is
bu. little firing on either side. Travis
and his men, with spirits u~nsubdued and
with energies weakened, but not ex-
hausted, are applying their contracted
resources to the purposes of defense
No heart falters; no pulse throbs with
diminished power no hand shrinks from
the labor that necessity imposes All is
confidence and determination and in eve-
~ breast there is firm reliance, spring
ing from the holiness of the cause and
the certainty of it's final triumph.
Sunday follows, but brings no rest to
those whom God has created in his W
image, and who, in violation Of his COM
mands, are thus yielding to their erring
and unhallowed passions. Perhaps with
in the chapel of the Alamo, consecrated
to the worship of the Almighty, and
distinguished by the emblem of suffering
and of salvation which surmounts the
dome, heads may be bowed in prayer to
the God of battles for deliverance from
their saDguinary foe; but that foe takes
no heed of Sabbaths. Exclusive follow
ers, as they proclaim themselves, of the
true church, they doom to destruction
the very temple they have created for
its worship; and, kissing the cross sus-
pended from the necks and planted be-
fore every camp, they point their guns
upon the symbol for which they profess
such unbonuded reverence. The fire Of
the Mexican artillery keeps company
with the minutes as they roll on
Morning, midday and evening are
passed, yet there is no faltering among
those who are defending the Thermopy-
lac of Texan liberty. Another SUI rises
and sets, and yet another; still the in
domitable hearts of Travis and his COM
p~anions quail not before the untiring eff
forts of their enemy. In spite of that
enemy's vindictive vigilance, the little
garrison receives from Gonzales a rein
forcement of thirty-three men-addition-
al victims for the funeral pyre soon tc
be kindled By Santa Anna, on the sur.
rounding hills, as a human hecatomb to
Mexican vengeance.
New batteries are erected by the be-
seigers. From every point around the
missiles of destruction concentrate upon
the Alamo. The fatal hour must soor
come. Provisions are not yet exhaust
ed, but the ammunition cannot last many
days longer. Water had long been sup
Piled by the daring efforts of a Mexican
woman, who, through showers of grape
and musketry. has treaded the way to
and fro between the river and the cita'
del. when her own blood has marked hel
path. She bears within her the sterr
and lofty spirit of her illustrious ances
tors, stretched upon the racks of Co,tez
and IL ia not the fear of torture or death
that can swerve her from her purpose.
The siege has continued for ten days.
The Mexican general has received large
reinforcements, and his army now num-
bers thousands. He has been unceasing
in his efforts to batter down the walls,
but thus far failed. The triumph is with
Travis; but it is written in the heart
of his ruthless foe that he must die, and
when the ~cannonade is suspended on the
9Th of March, a small breach has been
effected, and Santa Anna has deter
mined. without a summons to surrender
that the hour for the assault has arrived
During ten days a blood-red flag has
been streaming from the spire of the
church in San Antonio, proclaiming
that no quarter will be given to the
champions of the Alamo-that blood
alone will appease the vengeance and
fury of Mexican malice. When the sur
again goes down the flag is no longer
seen, for the deed, of which it was the
sign has been accomplished.
It is midnight: stars are smiling IL
the armament, and the repose of Para
disc seems lowering over the armed
hosts and hills and plains which e%ncirclt
the Alamo. The calm is SO deep ani
.n.l &c danth anam tr