The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-12-04
A LAUGHING HERO.
An Incident of the Massacre of
GOIiad.

We find the following sketch in an old
number of the New Orleans Delta:
1t was the morning of the 18th Of March,
1886; Aurora, the mother of dews and miss
tress of golden clouds, came as she almost
ever comes TO the living scenes of the plains
of Goliad-a thing of beauty, queen OF the
sky, on a throne of burning amber, robed
in the crimson of fire, with a diamond Of
purple, and streamers of painted pink
Oh, it was glorious dawn for the poet to
sing of earth, or the saint to pray to heav
en-; but poets song nor saint S prayer made
the mathis of the place and the hour
Alas! it was very different sort of music.
A hundred hoarse drums roared the loud
revoie that awoke four hundred Texan
prisoners and their guar. times their
number of Mexican soldiers-the elite Of
the Chief Butchers grand army.
The prisoners were Immediately summon
ed to parade before the post, in the main
street OF the village, and every eye sparkled
with joy. and every tongue uttered involun~
tary acclamations Of confidence.
Thanks to 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!
Such were the feelings with which ths
American volunteers and the few Texans
among them, greeted the order to form into
line.
The line was formed and then broken into
two columns, when every instrument OF
music in the Mexican host sounded merry
march, and they moved away with quick
step over the prairie towards the west
Five minutes afterwards singular dia
Iogue occurred between the two leaders Of
the front columns of the prisoners,
"What makes you walk so lame, Col.
Neil? Are you woundea?' asked a tall,
handsome man, with blue eyes and bravery
flashing forth in all its beams.
"Col. Fannin, walk lame to keep from
being wounded do ycu comprehend re>
Piled the other with laugh, and such a
laugh as no words might describe-it was
no loud, so luxurious, like the roar Of the
breakers of a sea Of humor-it was, in
short q laugh of the nmost heart.
II do not comprehend you, for | am no
artists in riddles, reioined Faunin, smiling
at the luxurious gaiety of his companion,
40 strangely i'll timed.
"You discover that [ am lame in each
Leg" said Col. Neil, glancing down at the
members indicated, and mimcking the
NOV mcnts of confirmed cripple, as he
laughed louder than ever. 'And yet" he
added ina whisper, Il have neither the
rheumatism in my knees, nor corns On my
toes, but have two big revolVers in my
bonts!'
"The is a violation of the treaty ty which
we agreed to give up our ans" Col. Fan
rim mournfuliy suggested.
''You will see, however, that shall need
them before the sun is an hour high re~
piled Neil. "Ab, Fannin, you do not know
the rcacbery of these base Mexcans. ~
At this instant the sun rose in sky of
extraordinary hrilliancy, and 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
the two columns of prisoners were broken
up and scattered over the plain in small
holl squares, encirced on every side by
Mexican infantry and troops OF horse, with
loaded muskets and drawn swords. And
then mcmentary pause, awful in its still,
ness, and disturbed only by an occasional
shrek Of terror, aud 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 wholesale
murder was begun, and a scence ensued
such as scarcely might be matched in the
very annals of hell itself. The roar Of
muskctly burst in successive peals, like APP
palling claps of thunder, but could not ut>
terly drown the prayers of the living, the
screams of the wounded, and the more ter
rible groans of the dying.
COL Fannin fell among the first victims,
but not so with the giant Neil. With the
order of the Mexican officer to his ren to
fire, our hero stopped almost to the earth,
so that the volley passed enterely over him.
He waited not for second. Thrusting a
hand into the leg of each boot he rose with
couple of six shooters, the deadly revol-
vers, and commenced discharging them
with the quick rapidity Of tightening into
the thickest ranks Of his foes.
Panic,stricEen with surprise and fear,
the Mexicans recoiled and opened passage
through which Neil bounded with the
spring of panther, and fled away. as it
wings had been tied to his heels, while half
dozen horsemen gave chase. For while
it seemed doubtful whether the giant Col~
onel would not distance even these, so much
had the peril of the occasion increased the
natural elasticity of his mighty muscle
But presently a charger hecter than the
rest might be discerned gaining on his hu-
man rival, and approached so near that the
dragoon raised his sabre for coup de grace.
Neil became aware of his danger, and hasti.
ly sackened his speed, till the hot stream Of
smoke from the horse nostrils appeared to
,ningle with his very hair; and then, wheel.
ing suddenly, he fired round from re-
yolver, and the rider tumbled from his sad
die. The victim then renewed his flight.
A mad yell of grief and rage bro ke from
the remaining troopers as they witnessed
the fate of their comrade, and its effect was
Immediately evident in the augmented eau
ton of their pursuit, for they galloped at.
terwtrds in one body, greatly retardine
their progress, so that Neil reached the
river before them. lie paused not mo.
ment, but plunged headloug down the steer
bank into the current, and struck for the
other shore. TIE dragons discharged
their firearms Intellectually, and gave ovel
the chase. .0...-
In few minutes Neil had landed, and
as soon as he felt satisfied that he was per
fectly safe, burst into an insuppressive con
vulsion OF laughter, and exclaimed: Il
will kill me, just to see how astonished tht
yellow devils looked when hauled my re-
volvers out Of my boots!'
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