Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-03-11
A Thrilling Incident.

The tragedy at Nacogdoches, and the ro-
mantle incidents which led to the Texan War
Of Independence, fiud their parallel only in
the Roman history of Lucretia and the elder
Rrutus.
Juan Costa was u person Of induence aud
bravery in the wild forest, but he fell under
the d spleasure of Santa Anna, and his min
ion Pedrss, the commandant Of N~acogdoches,
was sent to arrest him. He arrested the IA
Their at the supper table, attended by his on
" daughter, a young girl Of surprising beau
" and intelligence. He loaded him with
chains and cast him into prison, notwithstand-
ing her prayers and entreaties. Finally he
proposed to free the father, if the daughter
would consent to sacrifice her innocence and
honor. She rejected the infamous proposal
| with a blow in the face. The armed rufian
swore a horrible cath to execute his will on
3 them both.
< With dark eyes, fearless, fixed as those Of
q a corpse, yet flashing a double portion of lu.
d minous fire, she mounted a horse and hurri-
ed away wild around the country.
She halted az every house, no matter wheth.
e er Mexican, or American, and rehearsed, in
t4thrilling, horror, her father wrongs and her.
y All timid modesty, all weakness had van
d ished from her tongue, utterly consumed by
the searching thirst for vengeance. She
is painted, in passions fiery language, and with
s. awful influences, the facts Of the damning
RS deed. She barred her virgin bosom. and
showed the liyid marks of the ravisher's fin
gers among the azure veins along the surface
of snow, now 50 polluted and soiled, but
before as pure as the CLEAN Of an angels
wing.
nv And still, wherever the beautiful maiG
re wandered, a deafrning yell uf wrath and ven
d. geance rose up against the tyrants. TIT
10 people of both races and all classes, few Il
arms, appointing a general rendezvous TO
" the l4th of June, ut the residence of the alb
sent and now imprisoned Juan Costa
it'll IL was there debated by the people tn
mode of attack, and who should be their lead
er, but nothing being agreed on, the Who'll
-. e assemblage babe fair to break up in confu
me sion, when a tall and powerfully built strar
ger, who had just entered Texas from Oh
States, came forward and addressed the mu
titude;
IN. 81 am a stranger, but am also a man, an
owe my life, soul, body health and happine;
ALTO a woman-to my mother /! nd if
DR.. turn a deaf ear to the prayers Of an innoceI
on woman, asking my ald against q villain, ma
in she and my God curse mel If you stay bs
TO hind, | go for one to fight Pedras, and h
zee, well armed rayishers of your wives an
one daughters"
or The speech was received with tremendoI
Ter. cheers and a general shout, that seemed
ON shake the solid earth, and uttered the fir
ted peal of the revolution.
mt I'VE will goi Death to the tyrants /
the Freedom for Texes, and the giant shall
,os, our leader ="
, an And then FOR the first time was heard
me the land of Texas the name destined to |
come an eeho to the pulsatien Of all hearts
the pame Thos. j. Rusk.
The next day be led his raw recruits to t
YER attack of Nacpgdoches, and stormsd eve
rous position against immense odds, after an
rson sault of fo1r hours, the carnage being drea
the full on both sides. Fortunately, among t
the slain was the dead body of the atroeious
main dras.