Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 185?-1859, 1857-02-28

commenced. stN MEE
Ii wso dark gloomy morning, devoted to q
dark and unhoy purpose. ExuItng IN the
work Of death upon whieh he is entering, San
ia Anna crosses the river IN person, and estab-
fishes his headquarters in a snail stone build
ing-yet standing from which be may the
more accurately perceive the progress OF his
designs, without exposing himself to his enc
mics. The signal is given. and, before the sun
has risen upon those hustle hosts, the rJar OF
the Mexican battery awakens the echoes far
and wide, and rouses from their slumbers the
vet unconscious inhabitants, But the defend-
srs Of the Alamo have not for single moment
lost sight Of the movements Of thar willy and
implacybe foes; they watch the studied direc-
ton Of every gun; they see the mach lighted;
they listen b eathl4ss as II, even at that dis.
tance, they could hear the command 70 fire;
and, wh.u the walls Of the citadel trsnble un'
der the shock of the "ou hail, anu the Tag-
ments OF the parpet are whlred aloft by the
rsud,ien ,snp~l.~, .hay send b.rk shout Of de.
fance mingled with divvha' ~ ffo,a ,hsit own
guns a. distinctive, II not as dealenlng, rs the
thunder Of Their assailants. st
| Before the smoke rolls away and the Fsgerbe'
rations are lost IN the distance, whle the
shodts 4 the bascged stll lingel IN the ears ot
tbe besirgers, The cannonade ls resumed, ana
FIR seven npuR, without pause or relsxaIlon
6,rcel, continued up,u the walls Of the Alamo.
But the wall. weld 40 more than the splrits
Of th, II dtfenders. Tue fire is steadily return
ed; and, though stones are shiye"ed around
them, there are tout hearts and wiling hands
ready to repair every breach, and to restore
from the interior whatever may have been des-
troyed from without. Earth is throsniup,, ev.
ery crack of 6ssufe is closed as fast Az created
by the eager efforts Of those who will permit no
evidence Of success TO cheer the hopes OF their
enemiss, The sun has aim mOst sunk behind the
western plans, when thete is a pause in ihe
work of temoltion. The firing Of the besieg-
ers cases Tor the day, with the Mexlcant hirsi
for blood unsatiated. Not asingle arop has
been sned wi,hin the Alamo. Many Of Santa
Annv's own men have bit the dust before thu
artiIersts and rfemea Of the fort; but thu'
far they are unayenged. Darkens falls upon
The oeslegets and the besIeged. The former
rais new entrenchmrnrs to prosecute The assault
the latter establish close watch for the night
and enieayor to seek that repose which shaI
- Al.
: renew their ylgor for the contest which the!
now VIII come 'o'ino''O"'.
The morning Of the 26th dawns and reAeal
to the occupants Of the fort the effect OF tn
midnight labors of their enemies in the estpb
z I,shment Of tws additional batteries wlshln th'
Alameda OF the Alamo. The bayonets Of IN
:, infantry which have crossed the river durDI
the neght glitter IN the morning bsams, and tn
a plumes of the cavalry are seen waving on IN
eastern hills to intercept the expected MA IRON
that quarter Inc co''s' 10 Ion'"ou ~
a slight skirmi'h between a small party ot iea'
n ms sent in quest OF wood snd water ana Mex
lcan detachment under General oe.HO; but I'M
!. IS q mere overture to be grand performance
"a the day. The thundrfs .! the heavy OrdDance
=, uu ier Nh dircetion OF Coond Ampudia, ar
y soon rouscd into action, voley after volley
"a poured into the fort, and answered only, eS
.. cent at rare intervals, by the shouts Of thos
y within. There is no pause, no cessation. Sti
y the .eannonsde goes ON shells aY hissln
through the air and balls bury themselves viii
10 the ramparts; bat night again comes oI
. and the Mexic4n General in vain looks for evl
depce Of success. Baflsd, but not discourage
r he advances his line OF entertainments, an
W prepares, with the morning light, to resume b
bloody task. Tho north wind sweeps over th
prairies as is only sweeps in Texas, a storm
lullaby to tho storm passions Of those contend
ing hosts. The iastness 10 broken only
the feeble blaze Of few hutS, h.sd BY the I,
xaDs, which had furnished q cover to the en-
nv. The flames curl upwsrdA with "a sick
ii. glare. and their fftful flashes throw lur