Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-10-19
An Incident Of the Massacre Of oOliad.

scenes of the plains of Goliad-a thing
of beauty, queen of the sky, on throne
of burning amber, robed in the crimson
of fire, with diamond OF purple, and
streamers Of painted pink. Oh il was
glorious dawn for the poet to sing of
earth, or the saint to pray TO heaven;
but poets song nor saints prayer made
the mathis OF the place and the hour.
Alas no; il was very different sort of
music.
A hundred hoarse drums roared the
loud reveille that awoke four hundred
Texan prisoners and their guard-four
times their number of Mexican soldiers
the elite of the Chief Butchers grand
army.
The prisoners were Immediately sum-
moned to parade before the post, in the
main street Of the village, and every eye
sparkled with joy, and every tongue
uttered involuntary acclamations of
confidence.
Thanks, Santa Anna He is going
to execute the treaty We shall be
shipped back to the United States We
shall see our friends once more II
Such we're the feelings with which the
American volunteers, and the few Tex
aus among them, greeted the order to
form into line.
The line was formed and then broken
into two columns, when every instru-
ment Of music in the Mexican host
sounded a merry march, and they
moved away with a quick step over the
prairie toward the west.
Five minutes afterwards, singular
dialogue occurred between the two lead
ers Of the front columns of the priso-
ners. rtral
What makes you walk so lame, Colo
mel Neil2 Are you wounded p asked a
tall, handsome man, with blue eyes and
bravery flashing forth in all their beams.
Colonel Fannin, / walk lame to
keep from being wounded; do You com
prehend ?" replied the other with a
laugh, and such laugh as no words
might describe-it was so loud, so luxu
rious, like the roar of the breakers of a
sea of humor, it was, in short, a laugh of
the inmost heart.
81 do not comprehend you, for l am
no artist in riddles" rejoined Fannin,
smiling, himself, at the ludicrous gayety
of his companion, so strangely ill-timed.
"You discover that am lame in each
leg," said Col. Neil, glancing down at
the members indicated, and mimicking
the movements Of confirmed cripple,
as be laughed louder than ever. "And
yet" he added in whisper, 4" | have
neither the rheumatism in my knees, nor
corns on my toes, but have two big
revolvers in my boots !"
"That is violation of the treaty by
which we agreed to give up our arms,
Col Fannin mournfully suggested.
"You will see, however, that l shall
need them before the sun is an hour
high" replied Neil. "Ah Fannin, you
do not know the treaehery of these base
Mexicans."
At the instant the sun rose in sky Of
extraordinary brilliancy, and a million
Of flower cups flung their rich odors
abroad over the green prairie, as an
Offering to the Lord of light, when the
mandate of halt " was given by one of
Santa Anna's aids, and two columns of
prisoners were broken up and scattered
over the plain in small hollow sq'r.es,
encircled on every side by Mexican
infantry and troops of horse, with loaded
muskets and drawn swords And then
momentary pause, awful in its still
ness, and disturbed only by an occa-
sional shrek of terror, and the most
timid among the captives realized the
impending storm Of fire and extinction
of life s last hope
And then the Internal work of whole
sale murder was begun, and a scene en-
sued such as scarcely might be matched
| in the very annals of hell itself. The
roar of musketry burst in successive
peals, like appalling claps of thunder
but could not utterly drown the prayers
of the living, the screams of the wound
ed, and the more terrible groans Of the
| dying
Col. Fannin fell among the first vic
Tins, but not so with the giant Neil
With the order of the Mexican officer to
his men to fire, our hero stopped almost
to the earth, so that the volley passed
entirely over him. he waited not for
second. Thrusting a hand into the leg
of each boot, he rose with q couple of
six shooters, the deadly revolvers, and
commenced dischargiHg them with the
quick rapidity of lightning into the
thickest ranks of his foes.
Pauic.strieken with surprise and fear,
the Mexicans recoiled and opened pas
sage, through which Neil bounded with
the spring of a panther and fed away, as
il wings had been tied to his heels, while
half dozen horsemen gave chase. For
while it seemed doubtful whether the
giant colonel would not distance even
these, so much had the peril of the occa-
sion increased the natural elasticity OF
his mighty muscles. But presently a
charger fleeter than the rest might be dis
cerned gaining on his human rival, and
approached so near that the dragon
raised his sabre for coup de grace.
Neil became conscious of his danger,
and hastily slackened his speed till the
hot stream of smoke from the horses
nostrils appeared to mingle with his
very hair; and then wheeling suddenly
he fred q round from revolver and the
rider tumbled from his saddle The
victim then renewed his fight.
A mad yell sf grief and rage broke
from the remaining troopers as they
witnessed the fate Of their comrade, and
its effect was Immediately evident in the
augmentation Of their pursuit-ior they
galloped afterwards in one body, greatly
retarding their progress, so that Neil
reached the river before them. BE
paused not a moment, bat plunged head
long down the steep bank into the cur
rent and struck for the other shore.
The dragons discharged their firearms
Intellectually, and gave over the chase.
In a few minutes Neil had landed,
aud, as soon as he felt satisfied that he
was perfectly safe, burst into an insup-
,.-...-.. ,,,,-,l.;or of 1anuhfar AVID